4 Minnesota Vikings Hold the Keys to Post-Bye Success
The Minnesota Vikings are preparing to take on the Philadelphia Eagles in their first game following their Week 6 bye.
Heading into that matchup, the Vikings are 3-2 with a few questions as to how good they can actually be this season once they get some of their marquee players back in the lineup. With the bye now behind us, here are four players who may hold the keys to Minnesota’s success for the rest of the season outside of the obvious names like Justin Jefferson and whoever is starting at quarterback.
OLB Andrew Van Ginkel
Andrew Van Ginkel has missed three of the past four games for the Vikings, marking the first time he hasn’t suited for every game in an NFL season since 2019; his rookie year in which he played six games. When he’s been on the field, the Vikings’ defense has looked like a completely different beast, i.e. that 48-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in which he recorded two sacks despite playing just eight snaps.
While Van Ginkel has been out, Dallas Turner has been the guy Minnesota has turned to for snaps at outside linebacker. Turner at 22 years old is still trying to figure out how to turn himself into a strong pass rusher at the NFL level. In 82 pass rushing snaps, he has seven QB pressures this season, ranking sixth on the Vikings behind names like Ivan Pace and Jalen Redmond.
Turner is not a bust at this point, but it is clear at this point that Van Ginkel’s presence is crucial towards creating pressure of the edge.
LB Blake Cashman
Blake Cashman has been the cornerstone piece of the Vikings defense since he arrived in Minnesota last year. In games he has played, the Vikings are 14-2. When he’s off the field, they are 3-4. Cashman has been on IR since Week 2 this season after injuring his hamstring in the season opener against the Chicago Bears.
Luckily, the Vikings have seen some admirable play at the position in Eric Wilson, who returned to the Vikings this year after a few years away following signing as a UDFA with Minnesota back in 2017.
In four starts, Wilson has 35 tackles, two tackles for loss, and a pair of forced fumbles. He has arguably played like one of the better linebackers in the NFL this season, so with Cashman set to return this weekend, we could see a starting duo of Cashman/Wilson with Pace coming in for pass rushing sets.
RB Jordan Mason
If the Minnesota Vikings are going to not only make the playoffs this year but put together a deep run in the playoffs, they are going to need to put together a consistent rushing attack. This team has been entirely too inconsistent in the running game all year with three games of less than 100 rushing yards this year.
Jordan Mason is going to have to be the piece to get that running game going with Aaron Jones still on injured reserve. So far this season, Mason has been a solid player with 69 carries for 323 yards and three touchdowns. The Vikings just need to be able to utilize him more than the 13-14 carries per game that he has averaged so far this season.
C Michael Jurgens
The Vikings spent a good chunk of change to bring in Ryan Kelly this offseason after letting go of Garrett Bradbury, but after he suffered his second concussion, it seems like Kelly could be out for the rest of the season.
Michael Jurgens was the guy to step in after that, but he’s also missed time due to a hamstring injury. Luckily, he’s been back at practice this week and should be in the starting lineup when the Vikings take on the Eagles this weekend.
The Vikings have been banged up along the offensive line all season, but if Jurgens can hold down his own alongside the other four starters who have proven to be very good, this can still be a top 10 offensive line in football if not better.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Focus and NFL Next Gen Stats helped with this article.
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