Vikings defense has learned to master the punch-out to become a turnover machine

Vikings defenders shared a realization while hitting the showers postgame of their 48-10 win over the Bengals, safety Josh Metellus said after the game Sunday.

“Is it me, or is the ball coming out a little bit easier this year?” Metellus said they asked each other. “Should we start punching the ball a little bit more than normal?”

The thought came after cornerback Isaiah Rodgers successfully punched two balls loose in the first half, one he recovered himself and returned for a score and the other picked up by cornerback Jeff Okudah. Safety Theo Jackson also had a punch-out in the game.

The week before against the Falcons, linebacker Eric Wilson punched one out from Drake London’s hands after a catch. Jackson recovered that one.

The Vikings defense, which led the league in takeaways last season, viewed its performance Sunday as a return-to-form of sorts. They’re up to seven takeaways with two interceptions and five fumble recoveries through three games.

“Shoutout to Flo. All week he’s been telling us, ‘Just get back to Vikings football,’” Rodgers said postgame, referring to defensive coordinator Brian Flores. “We just wanted to go back out there and showcase our talent and put on a show.”

The punch-out forced fumbles in particular are a rising trend in the past three seasons or so, a turnover tactic that Flores credits special teams coordinator Matt Daniels for helping put in Vikings players’ subconscious.

Daniels now gives a weekly turnover presentation to the Vikings.

Part of the uptick in punch-outs, Daniels said, is that hand-eye coordination, and athletic performance overall, is reaching new levels.

But he also learned in his studies with Fassel the value of building the motive and movements to achieve it into players’ subconscious minds, making it muscle memory.

“If you can continue just to work it, work it, work it and just build that subconscious mindset, then it just all becomes natural in the football game,” Daniels said.

The Vikings do work it most days in practice. In one particular drill, two defensive players — at all positions — will dive at each other above a foam pad, with one trying to knock the ball out of the other’s grip.

Flores said he even works it with his young sons, instructing them to punch at the ball every time they give him a hug. It’s produced success for them, too.

Building the move into the subconscious goes hand-in-hand with good tackling, something the Vikings defense did better against the Bengals than they had in the first two games of the season.

The Vikings missed 13 tackles against the Bears and 16 against the Falcons. Against the Bengals, they missed only six.

A player understanding the circumstances around him when he attempts a punch-out is also critical. Where is he on the field? Are there other defenders around to help him? Is his positioning right to actually make a swing?

“It can’t be just me swinging at the football and not getting body-on-body contact at the same time,” Daniels said.

Flores said he gets less upset now than he might have earlier in his career when a player going for the ball results in a missed tackle because he knows his Vikings players have learned the techniques and fundamentals to back up that intent.

“We know when to do it, why to do it, in what situations,” Flores said. “I think our guys have done a good job of implementing the right techniques in the right situations for the most part.”

Not every punch-out will lead to the history-making splash plays Rodgers created Sunday, but simply winning the turnover margin is a critical stat in winning NFL games.

Rodgers’ added return ability when he does come up with plays like those is something Flores will get to continue to cherish while leaving Daniels, who wanted Rodgers as a punt return option, wondering “What if?”

“It’s so funny because as [Rodgers] was running down the sideline, Daronte Jones, the [defensive backs] coach went, ‘Oh, there’s those return skills, Hat,’” Daniels said with a laugh.

With receiver Jordan Addison back on the active roster after his three-game suspension ended, the Vikings released receiver Tim Jones to make room for Addison. They released receiver Lucky Jackson and running back Xazavian Valladay from the practice squad and added rookie running back Corey Kiner, who was undrafted out of Cincinnati.