7 Unsung Vikings Steal the Show at Chicago
The Minnesota Vikings shocked the Chicago Bears in the 4th Quarter on Monday night, coming back from an 11-point deficit to defeat their rival by a score of 27-24.
Seven unsung Vikings stole the show in Chicago, delivering sweet plays that swung the spotlight their way. Here’s who stood out.
Quarterback J.J. McCarthy bedazzled fans, leading the comeback, almost singlehandedly.
But McCarthy indeed had help, and seven unsung Vikings stood off the page. Here are those players in alphabetical order.
7 Vikings Who Quietly Stood Tall in Week 1
These players did the thing in the backdrop for the Vikings on Monday night.
1. Levi Drake Rodriguez | DT
PFF Grade: 71.3
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores showed Drake Rodriguez the field 20 times against the Bears, and the second-year defender didn’t disappoint. The gargantuan human tallied two tackles, one for a loss, and a 71.3 PFF mark.
Not bad for a man who was on the roster bubble about three months ago.
2. Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins | DT
PFF Grade: 71.3
This 5th-Round rookie saw action immediately in his career, an encouraging sign for the future. Ingram-Dawkins was rotated in for just 10 plays, but on one of those transactions, he batted down a Caleb Williams pass, and Minnesota needed every inch of Monday night to prevail.
Many 5th-Round rookies don’t see the field much in Week 1. Ingram-Dawkins is different.
3. Jordan Mason | RB
PFF Grade: 72.3
Some fans believed that Mason took over the RB1 job at Soldier Field. While that judgment may be a bit premature, the former San Francisco 49er led the team in rushing, producing 68 rushing yards on 15 carries. He also helped end the Bears’ hopes in the 4th Quarter with a game-sealing drive.
Mason caught a pass, too, for a 7-yard gain.
Star Tribune‘s Mark Craig noted on Mason after the dub: “Speaking of forgotten strengths, reigning NFL Coach of the Year Kevin O’Connell shouldn’t have waited until the third series to get big back Jordan Mason on the field. The Vikings had three carries for 9 yards, two three-and-outs and two sacks allowed before the 223-pound Mason first touched the ball and brought calm to an overwhelmed J.J. McCarthy. Mason started the third series with two 6-yard runs.”
“It led to a field goal. Trailing 17-6, he began the fourth quarter with runs of 7 and 18 yards, opening up passes of 17 and 13 yards and a touchdown to Justin Jefferson. Mason finished with 68 yards on 15 carries, a long of 19 that began the Vikings’ final touchdown drive, and a 4.5-yard average for a team that hasn’t averaged more than 4.3 yards a carry for a season since 2020.”
4. Myles Price | WR
PFF Grade: n/a
PFF doesn’t dive too deep into special teams grades, especially for returners, but Price served as a Vikings bright spot from cover to cover in Week 1, particularly when nothing was going right in the first three quarters. He returned 4 punts for 68 yards and two kicks for 49 yards.
He featured ball security — crucial in a pressure-cooked game like Week 1 — and some pop on every return. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has “done it again” with an undrafted free agent.
5. Will Reichard | K
PFF Grade: 81.1
Will Reichard saved the game on Monday night.
He drilled a 59-yard field goal at the end of the 1st Half when Minnesota was wholly down and out, tying the Soldier Field record. Minnesota probably doesn’t win without that kick, as without it, any semblance of momentum or competence would’ve felt utterly stunted.
Reichard was perfect on Monday Night Football and appears to be back-back from a quad injury in 2024.
6. Jay Ward | S
PFF Grade: 77.1
Safety Theo Jackson was supposed to steal the show with Harrison Smith on the shelf, but Ward filled that assignment. He saw action on 25 snaps, laid the wood a couple of times in the secondary, and tabulated three total tackles.
Jackson will likely rebound and play just fine before too long, but Ward, a 4th-Rounder from the 2023 NFL Draft, turned heads under the lights of primetime.
7. Eric Wilson | LB
PFF Grade: 59.3
During Wilson’s first stint with the Vikings, he struggled with run defense while doing “everything else” quite adeptly. On Monday, he flipped the script, logging a blisteringly good 90.9 rushing defense PFF grade and struggling via pass rush (37.6).
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said after the win that his team probably would not have won without Wilson, and he was correct. Wilson banked 5 tackles, one for a loss, and flew all over on special teams, his modus operandi.
Wilson could also be up for an enhanced role in Week 2 and beyond as linebacker Blake Cashman left the game due to injury.
Minnesota plays the Atlanta Falcons at home on Sunday night and is favored to win by four or five points.
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