One Viking Is 100% Back — Just in Time.
Inch by inch, the Minnesota Vikings are becoming healthier — just in time.
One Viking Is 100% Back — Just in Time.
The purple team travels to New Jersey this Sunday for a date with the New York Giants, the first time facing that squad since a disappointing home playoff loss during the 2022 season. And when Minnesota squares off against New York, new free-agent cornerback Shaquill Griffin will be ready.
“I’m 100 percent, good to go for Sunday,” Griffin told Star Tribune over the holiday weekend.
He’s back.
Griffin injured his hamstring at training camp in late July not long after second-year corner Mekhi Blackmon succumbed to a torn ACL. The Vikings treaded gingerly with Griffin for the rest of the summer, putting him on the shelf for the preseason’s entirety. But with gameday so close one can taste it, Griffin will be a full go in East Rutherford.
According to the team’s depth chart, Griffin is on tap to start, too. Minnesota recently signed Stephon Gilmore, a five-time Pro Bowler, to accompany Griffin on the outside of Brian Flores’ secondary, while veteran Byron Murphy will presumably take care of slot responsibilities. If something occurs injury-wise to any of those three, men like Akayleb Evans, Fabian Moreau, and rookie Dwight McGlothern would be the next up on the depth chart.
The 29-year-old joined the NFL as a member of the Seattle Seahawks in 2017 from the 3rd Round of the NFL Draft. Since then, he’s banked a Pro Bowl appearance, 366 total tackles, 64 passes defended, 7 interceptions, 3 QB hits, and 1 sack — in 89 career games, 79 of which he started.
Here’s the tale of the tape from Pro Football Focus for Griffin:
- 2017 = 65.3
- 2018 = 54.7
- 2019 = 77.0
- 2020 = 64.1
- 2021 = 72.0
- 2022 = 61.8
- 2023 = 67.0
Griffin ranks eighth leaguewide in tackles among cornerbacks in seven seasons as a pro. His brother Shaquem also played professional football before retiring in 2022.
Minnesota hired the aforementioned Flores 19 months ago after one season of Ed Donatell’s leadership. Flores improved the defense immediately, reshaping his unit to the NFL’s 11th-best in 2023 from 24th in 2022 per DVOA. The relationship worked, and now Flores is on tap for Year No. 2 in Minnesota. Other free agents like Griffin, Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Blake Cashman feel destined to help.
Griffin produced a wonderful 72.4 passer-rating-against in 2023, a number that would’ve ranked him first on the Vikings’ 2023 roster among CBs.
Minnesota is favored to take down New York by a point and a half, a betting line that changed by about two points in the last few months.
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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