At Long Last, a Veteran Viking Got Rewarded
Throughout the season, Jihad Ward has been disruptive on passing downs. The edge rusher commonly gets tasked with kicking inside — he stands at 6’5″ and weighs 285, so he has good size — thereby allowing him to wrestle with guards instead of tackles.
But while he has been noticeable, the stat sheet hasn’t been kind to Mr. Ward. The veteran Viking was going into the Week 9 Colts game without a single sack even though he has been all over quarterbacks. At long last, Ward was rewarded for his strong play when he picked up a sack late in the Indianapolis game.
Veteran Viking Jihad Ward Finally Rewarded
Prior to arriving in Minnesota, Jihad Ward has travelled around the NFL.
Picked at No. 44 back in 2016, Ward has seen a ton in his career. He was initially doing work with the Raiders before becoming a Cowboy. Afterwards, there were stints with the Colts, Ravens, Jaguars, and Giants. Again, he has seen a lot.
In Minnesota, Ward had to compete to make the roster. As the offseason unfolded, though, it became evident that the coaching staff thought highly of the veteran. He earned praise for his energy and versatility, traits that are prized by Brian Flores.
Even better, Ward had the capacity to help shore up an area of weakness for Minnesota: the interior pass rush (or lack thereof). To be sure, part of the plan has been to get a disruptive Jerry Tillery, but that plan has led to modest results. Harrison Phillips has made his presence felt a few times as a pass rusher; meanwhile, Jonathan Bullard is sturdy against the run without being much of a threat on passing downs.
Add it all together and kicking an edge rusher inside — especially one with Ward’s size — made a ton of sense.
The Colts were working on overcoming a late 11-point deficit on Sunday Night Football. The end result were obvious passing downs, thus allowing Coach Flores to load up on pass rushers to help nullify what Joe Flacco’s offense was trying to accomplish. Jonathan Greenard stepped up, snagging a pair of sacks.
So, too, did Jihad Ward get involved by picking up a sack. Check it out:
The pass rusher is now working with the 1 sack, 2 tackles, 1 TFL, 9 QB hits, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 pass defended. He has done so as a rotational backup across eight games. Not captured in those basic numbers are the times when he has forced the QB off his spot, rushing a throw and/or creating a more general state of chaos.
Ward, in short, has been well worth his single-season deal that’s not quite at $1.8 million.
Next up for Jihad Ward and the Vikings is a road contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Getting the road win would mean Minnesota is sitting on an impressive 7-2 record.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.