EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — There were no shortage of storylines along the Vikings offense in 2016.
Whether it was injuries to key players, a coaching transition midway through the season or a constantly changing offensive line, Minnesota's offense seemingly had a new hurdle to attack each week.
The Vikings lost quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in late August, traded for quarterback Sam Bradford less than a week later, and then saw running back Adrian Peterson miss three months with a torn meniscus.
Along the way, Pat Shurmur took over play-calling duties after Norv Turner resigned, and the Vikings started eight different offensive line combinations.
But even with enough twists to make your head spin, the Vikings offense still put up solid numbers as Minnesota finished 8-8.
Here are three stats where the Vikings offense improved in 2016, with two areas they could work on for next season:
3 Stats that Improved
Interception Rate
Bradford threw just five interceptions in his 15 games as a starter, while backup quarterback Shaun Hill didn't throw any in his lone start, a Week 1 win over Tennessee. That gave the Vikings an interception rate of 0.85 percent (five picks in 588 pass attempts), the second-best mark in the league behind New England. Minnesota's interception rate in 2015 was 1.98 percent, good for 12th in the league.
Passing Yards
Bradford and Hill combined to throw for 4,119 yards, with Bradford setting a career high with 3,877 yards. The Vikings passed for 3,246 yards in 2015 with Bridgewater and Hill under center. Minnesota did throw the ball 134 more times in 2016 than it did the previous season.
Sack Percentage
The increased pass attempts also meant an increased chance for sacks. But despite having 12 different players line up somewhere along the offensive line, the Vikings improved their sacks-allowed-per-pass-attempt percentage in 2016. Minnesota gave up a sack on 6.46 percent of dropbacks in 2016 compared to 9.91 percent the previous season. The Vikings improved from 31st in 2015 to 23rd in the NFL this season.
2 Stats to Target
Total Rushing Yards
The Vikings finished last in the league with 1,205 total rushing yards in 2016, which came out to an average of 75.3 yards per game. With Peterson and the offensive line healthy in 2015, Minnesota rushed for 2,211 total yards, the fourth-best total in the NFL.
Red Zone Scoring Percentage
This stat dipped a bit in 2016, although Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer likely isn't pleased with it from each of the past two seasons. The Vikings scored touchdowns 46 percent of the time when they reached the red zone this season, down from 50 percent the year before. In a season where the Vikings had four losses by six points or less, finding the end zone inside the 20-yard line could have changed an outcome or two of a game.
