EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. –The Vikings defense has a game plan for Week 1 against the Titans Sunday, but they also have a plan for the entirety of the season.
"We know we want to be aggressive, we want to be physical, and we want to go out there and try to execute," defensive tackle Tom Johnson said Wednesday.
Johnson said the unit's goal is to be the best defensive line in the NFL, and he feels he and his teammates are well on their way.
"It's evolved," Johnson said. "Guys have been here for three years now. [Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer] has pretty much told us, 'OK, this is what we're going to do.' Everybody feels comfortable doing it, so now it can really evolve into something great, and guys can buy into it and excel in the areas where they can excel."
Minnesota is returning all four of its starters on the defensive line for the third consecutive season, in addition to Johnson and two other players who hold rotation roles. Second-year defensive end Danielle Hunter is the only player who joined the group in 2015.
Defensive Coordinator George Edwards said he largely credits the unit's success to its longevity. He said all of the linemen understand the techniques and what is expected of them on the field against the run and the pass.
"They really lean on one another, they really work well together, and they work hard," Edwards said. "It kind of starts with them up front, and they do a great job of taking pride [in] that and approaching it that way every day, not just on Sundays."
Edwards is working with the defense this week specifically in preparation for the Titans, whose second-year quarterback, Marcus Mariota, is known to be a mobile player who can get out of the pocket and make deep throws.
Know the Tennessee Titans key contributors on offense, defense and special teams heading into the Vikings-Titans game Sunday.
Mariota completed 23-of-31 passes for 319 passing yards in three preseason games. He totaled a completion percentage of 74.2 and a passer rating of 104.1 heading into his second NFL season.
The 28-year-old running back enters his first year with the Titans, after a career low of 3.6 yards-per-carry with the Eagles last season. Murray looks to return to his form in Dallas where he rushed for NFL bests of 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2014.
Walker eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his 10 seasons in 2015 (1,088 yards). He had several career-highs last season, including catching 94 passes and hauling in six touchdown passes.
Sharpe was selected by the Titans with the 140th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. The rookie played his college ball at UMass and has reeled in nine passes on 12 targets for 163 yards in the preseason.
Johnson leads all active players with 14,100 career-receiving yards. Johnson will begin his 14th season in the NFL on Sunday and his first with the Titans after 12 seasons with the Texans and one with the Colts.
Derrick Morgan has shown the ability to rush the quarterback as an outside linebacker over his years in Tennessee. Morgan has 11 sacks in 26 games since 2014 when the Titans switched to a 3-4 base defense.
McCourty is a quick defensive back, who was clocked running the 40-yard dash at 4.3 seconds. His twin brother, Devin McCourty, is an active safety for the New England Patriots and they share a Twitter account.
Casey had 7.0 sacks and 54 combined tackles in his fifth season for the Titans in 2015, garnering his first selection to the Pro Bowl.
Orakpo is a three-time Pro Bowler who signed with the Titans before the 2015 season. He led the Titans with 12 tackles for loss and 37 quarterback pressures.
The current head coach for the Titans has prior experience in Minnesota. Mularkey played tight end for the Vikings for the first six seasons of his career 1983-88, playing 75 games and making five touchdown catches with the Vikings.
Johnson said Mariota is a smart player who demands extra attention and precision from the defense to shut him down.
"He's [going] to try to find a mismatch and try to get to it," Johnson said. "So, we're going to have to contain him like you do Russell [Wilson], like you do Cam [Newton], all those kinds of guys. Once we do that, put him in a bad situation, he has to actually stay in the pocket and feel the pressure."
When planning for a quick-moving quarterback, Edwards said the game plan allows for a little less freedom than the defensive line might usually have.
"We can't bust things, we can't turn guys loose, because [Mariota's] mobile enough that he can stay alive and deliver the ball down the field," Edwards said. "So from that aspect, I think it's a combination of them understanding what we expect as far as a rush plan from them and the different things we're trying to do to put pressure on him."
The season opener will prove a good first test for the Vikings defensive line as it looks to contain Mariota and tandem running backs DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry, as well. Johnson said it's important to have a physical mindset.
Of 32 NFL teams, Minnesota has the eighth-lightest (average pounds per player) starting defensive line. Linval Joseph swings the numbers a bit with his 329-pound frame, but the four starters – Joseph, Floyd, Everson Griffen and Brian Robison – weigh in at 1,172 total pounds, averaging out to 293 pounds per player.
They are lighter than most teams they face this season, with the exception of the Cowboys, Eagles and Jaguars, who also each play a 4-3 scheme. Smaller or not, the Vikings linemen have proven plenty effective.
"Guys look at our size and think, 'OK, those guys probably aren't as big, so we can probably double-team them and try to get them out of their game," Johnson said. "But, Zim's been pushing us to be physical, be nasty, be aggressive, and that's what we're trying to do.
"Once we do that, we get guys in a position they don't want to be in," Johnson continued. "Then [we can] stop the run and really do what we want to do – that's to get at the quarterback, pass rush, make sacks."
When Minnesota lost Teddy Bridgewater to a season-ending knee injury, Zimmer made it clear that teammates share responsibility to pick up the slack. The Vikings camaraderie on defense could help compensate.
"If you're looking at the guy next to you and you've been playing with him so long that you can easily play off of him, it's not so much thinking about it," Johnson said. "It's just reacting to things, and that's what we're getting to right now. I think this year is the year you'll see a lot out of it."
