Vikings Earn a Boost as Reinforcements Arrive for the Secondary
By getting Theo Jackson back into the defensive backfield, the Vikings earn a much needed boost. The 4-5 Vikings will take any reinforcements they can get.
While chatting with the media on Monday, Kevin O’Connell passed along the good news. The safety has cleared the concussion protocol, allowing him to get back into action for Week 11: “Theo Jackson cleared the concussion protocol this morning, so he should be a full participant and be back this week.”
Vikings Earn a Boost in Theo Jackson’s Return
Long and speedy, Mr. Jackson can be part of the solution when it comes to shutting down the skies.
Admittedly, the Vikings’ defense hasn’t been close to good enough as it relates to plucking passes out of the sky (Minnesota’s offense hasn’t helped). The defender’s eight games and six starts haven’t featured any interceptions. More concerning, perhaps, is that there haven’t been any passes defended, either. Jackson, as a free safety, should be someone who uses his range to push footballs into the turf rather than see them find a receiver’s mitts. Better yet, Jackson could even put the ball in his own mitts.
In the offseason, Jackson agreed to a three-year deal coming in at $9.315 million. The compensation will look like a bargain if he lives up to his potential of being a safety who can keep a roof on the defense.
At 6’1″ and 205 pounds, Jackson offers good size alongside being someone who moves well. So, too, is he someone who has clearly worked hard to get to where he is, so the appeal is obvious.
Departing safety Camryn Bynum had been locking down that free safety job, but he snagged a four-year deal from the Colts for $60 million. So far, Indianapolis is pleased with the investment. Bynum is sitting on 45 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, 2 interceptions, 5 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. A stat stuffer, to be sure.
Jackson’s numbers are more modest even as we acknowledge that he has played less games, in part due to injury.
On PFF, Bynum sits at 22nd among safeties. He has picked up 462 snaps as a free safety alongside 54 as a slot corner, 74 in the box, and 16 along the d-line. The overall grade comes in at a healthy (but not blistering) 71.7.
Meanwhile, Theo Jackson finds himself down at 43rd. Like his predecessor, Jackson has primarily been a free safety. He has earned 290 snaps in that spot. There has then been 70 snaps in the box, 24 as a slot corner, 5 snaps as a wide corner, and 5 along the defensive line. His grade is a healthy (but not blistering) 64.5.
On Sunday, the Vikings will host the Bears, a team that’s sitting atop the NFC North with a 6-3 record (an outcome very few saw coming). Coaxing Caleb Williams into some ill-advised passes — quite possibly with a conclusion that involves Theo Jackson earning an INT(s) — will go a long way in securing a victory.
Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT on Sunday, November 16th.
