Oct 27, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan on the sidelines during their game against the Detroit Lions in the fourth quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images.
The Minnesota Vikings travel to Tennessee this weekend for a date with the Titans and are expected to win by six points.
Tennessee has a 2-7 record, nearing mathematical elimination from the postseason under first-year skipper Brian Callahan. And according to Callahan, the Vikings employ one of the most underrated players in the league — outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard.
Callahan called Greenard “the most underrated edge player in football right now” and said, “He’s playing fantastic. I think he’s really, really good.”
Greenard joined the Vikings in March, its keynote defensive addition after previous EDGE defender Danielle skedaddled for the Houston Texans in free agency. Ironically, Greenard started his career in Houston, so Minnesota and Houston basically swapped pass rushers.
Callahan also told reporters why Minnesota’s defense ranks tops in the sport, in his opinion: “One, good players. That’s the first thing, those guys do a really good job on defense, just the personnel in general. They’ve got a collection of veteran players that are smart. They can handle the scheme. They’re really intelligent, between Stephon Gilmore and Harrison Smith. It’s a good group. Ivan Pace really jumps off the tape, particularly as a blitzer; he’s a really good player. Good players is the starting point.”
The Vikings’ defense ranks first in the NFL per DVOA and EPA/Play through 10 weeks. It faltered in Weeks 7 and 8 versus the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams but got back on track against the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars. And not for nothing, the Titans’ offense is more similar to Indianapolis and Jacksonville than Detroit or Los Angeles.
“Really well-coached. Really well-designed scheme, and they’ve obviously made life really, really hard for quarterbacks thus far this season,” Callahan added about Brian Flores’ defense.
He’s right, too, about Greenard. The new Viking has logged an 83.3 Pro Football Focus grade so far in 2024, complete with 48 pressures in nine games. He’s banked 26 tackles, 12 quarterback hits, 8 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, and a forced fumble.
Greenard and his counterpart Andrew Van Ginkel are playing so well this season that 1st-Round rookie Dallas Turner isn’t seeing 1st-Round playing time quite like other highly-touted rookies. It’s a good problem.
Minnesota has a 9-5 (.642) all-time record against Tennessee but lost the last time the two clubs met. That contest occurred in 2020 — Justin Jefferson’s “Welcome to the NFL” game.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.