WEEK FOURTEEN: Player of the Game
Adam Warwas
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Even with only the smallest of playoff chances left to be hopeful for, the Vikings managed to give us another encouraging win that provides some hope for the future under Mike Zimmer. This win wasn’t the prettiest of efforts, but the fact that there was so much effort is a nice sign.
Our past winners as voted on by all you good looking folks:
WEEK ONE: Cordarrelle Patterson
WEEK TWO: Harrison Smith
WEEK THREE: Harrison Smith
WEEK FOUR: Teddy Bridgewater
WEEK FIVE: Harrison Smith
WEEK SIX: Linval Joseph
WEEK SEVEN: Everson Griffen
WEEK EIGHT: Anthony Barr
WEEK NINE: Everson Griffen
WEEK ELEVEN: Charles Johnson
WEEK TWELVE: Xavier Rhodes
WEEK THIRTEEN: Everson Griffen
As you can see, the defense is unsurprisingly dominating this contest (9 of 12), with Harrison Smith and Everson Griffen tied for the lead with three awards each.
This weeks nominations are…
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER: When you consider that Jarius Wright did most of the work on that game-winner, Bridgewater’s day could be construed as simply adequate, until you remember what his offensive line currently consists of. Despite playing behind John Sullivan and a B-Squad, Bridgewater played a highly efficient game, managing to be sacked only three times. His only turnover came on that hail mary at the end of the first half. He ended up completing 19 of 27 passes (70%) for 309 yards and two scores. His quarterback rating for the game was 117.7 and his three timely runs accounted for seven additional yards.
JARIUS WRIGHT: His 87 yard game-winner in overtime was certainly impressive and exciting to watch, but it also wasn’t Wright’s only contribution to Sunday’s win. Wright led the Vikings with four catches and 123 yards when all was said and done, while also taking a lone handoff for 23 yards.
CHARLES JOHNSON: Clearly still Bridgewater’s top guy, with a team-leading eight targets, Johnson is seemingly cemented at the top of the receiver depth chart. Against the Jets, he turned those targets into four catches, 103 yards, and a touchdown. He was inches away from a second touchdown, but a jarring hit at the goalline caused him to lose the ball, and luckily Jerome Felton was able to fall on it for his first career NFL touchdown.
EVERSON GRIFFEN: Unfortunately, this performance could have been so much more, but letting Geno Smith escape his grasp and dropping the easiest pick-six ever makes his stat leaves Griffen’s stat line a little lacking. Despite those miscues, he did manage to play extremely well again in run support (3 tackles), and added another sack (should be two – we’ll see) to his season totals. He was additionally credited with a defended pass.
GERALD HODGES: Filling in for the injured Anthony Barr, Hodges was able to make his presence known from the get-go, picking off Geno Smith and running it back for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. Hodges also picked up 8 tackles and knocked down another pass through the course of the day.
XAVIER RHODES: For the fourth game in a row, Rhodes has been an elite NFL cornerback and really seems to be hitting his stride within Mike Zimmer’s defense. Rhodes was thrown at five times and allowed two catches for only 12 yards, no first downs, and only one yard after the catch. Those other three targets? He batted them down. Rhodes added four tackles to another fine day in the secondary.
OTHER: Want to cast a vote for someone I failed to list here? Feel free to click “OTHER” and write your vote in the comments section.