3 Unsung Vikings Heroes to Start the Season
The Minnesota Vikings defeated the embattled New York Giants on Sunday, burying Brian Daboll’s team to the tune of a 28-6 victory.
3 Unsung Vikings Heroes to Start the Season
The team executed on all cylinders to start the season, and it wasn’t debatable.
Along the way, these three unsung players stood off the page, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = best unsung performance).
3. Jerry Tillery (DT)
Week 1 PFF Grade: 65.5
Tillery picked up where he left off last year, tallying a respectable 65.5 Pro Football Focus grade and playing adeptly in the middle of the defensive line. All offseason, Vikings fans wondered if Tillery could fill the DT void, and at least for a week, his production did the trick.
The ex-Charger and ex-Raider logged three tackles and three quarterback pressures.
The main “problem” with Tillery? He never lived up to his 1st-Round draft stock, so his name often inspires eye-rolls. But as a serviceable defensive tackle, Tillery does the trick. Like all Vikings players, the task gets trickier on Sunday against a team not named the Giants.
2. Jihad Ward (OLB)
Week 1 PFF Grade: 79.9
Ward forced 4 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, and also played on the inside of the Vikings’ defensive line on pass-rushing downs. Some fans had Ward on the roster bubble this summer, but he arrived in Week 1 and shined.
Minnesota has lacked credible pass-rushing depth for a few seasons. With Ward, that streak may be over. It was “only one game,” but Ward played quite well, en route to a 79.9 PFF grade, which, of course, is starting-caliber production.
The Vikings don’t need Ward to start because of Jonathan Greenard, Dallas Turner, and Andrew Van Ginkel on the roster. Yet, Ward is a sweet perk on 3rd Downs, for example.
1. Blake Brandel (LG)
Week 1 PFF Grade: 91.2
Perhaps the most surprising performance of the week by a casual fan’s standards, Brandel utterly held his own versus an ultra-talented Giants defensive front. Not every team employs Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Brian Burns.
But for Brandel, he did his job — at a remarkable clip — proving to the world why he relatively easily swiped Dalton Risner’s left guard job a couple of months ago.
Vikings Clear Even More Cap Space
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.