Vikings Delivered on One Little Offseason Promise
Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips played 839 snaps in 2023 — or about 74% of the time.
Vikings Delivered on One Little Offseason Promise
Most onlookers didn’t think much of Phillips’ usage, but the Vikings hinted this offseason that they’d like to reduce his snap account, hoping to preserve his longevity.
Then, Week 1 arrived, and the Vikings shellacked the New York Giants 28-6, and Phillips saw playing time on 37 snaps or 52% of the time. Minnesota delivered on its promise.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tweeted in March, “Vikings also hope that added depth will help them manage DT Harrison Phillips’ playing time as well, per Kevin O’Connell. Phillips played a career-high 839 snaps last season.”
Smith’s 839 snaps in 2023 climbed from 694 in 2022, so the veteran defender’s utility rate was a brand-new ball of wax. Instead of the Phillips-heavy focus, which occurred frequently in 2023, defensive coordinator Brian Flores allotted these snaps to Smith’s fellow defensive tackle teammates against New York:
- Jerry Tillery: 38
- Dallas Turner: 35
- Pat Jones II: 34
- Jihad Ward: 29
- Jonathan Bullard: 27
- Taki Taimani: 10
The attention was spread somewhat equitably, and Tillery’s total even topped Phillips’ by a whisker. Phillips banked a phenomenal 80.3 Pro Football Focus grade for his troubles, banking 72.7 per run defense — his specialty — and 71.8 for the pass rush. Flores may be on to something, even if Week 1 was a contest against the lowly Giants.
How did the Vikings get away with this? Or what changed from last year? Foremost, the club evidently trusts Tillery, the keynote DT signing in March, with ample responsibility. He netted a respectable 65.5 PFF mark on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. What’s more, Flores switched up the plan, using newcomer Jihad Ward and long-time Viking Patrick Jones II on the defensive line’s interior. On pass-rushing downs, Ward especially saw involvement on the inside of the line when he’s historically been used as an EDGE rusher.
Of course, it helped Phillps’ workload that Minnesota grabbed a lead and never really looked back. A broader test for the Phillips plan will be revealed in the next several games against the San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, Detroit Lions, and Los Angeles Rams. Those are Minnesota’s upcoming opponents, and none are pushovers like the Giants.
For now, however, capping Phillips acted as the plan in the offseason, and the Vikings fulfilled it out of the gate. It worked wonders.
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.
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