Vikings Postseason Roster Assessment—Part 1: The Defense
Joe Oberle
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Vikings fans are all very excited about the team being 13-3 and holding the 2nd seed in the NFC playoffs. And at the same time, if you are a member of the Purple faithful that was old enough to feel the full jack-boot-in-the-gut of Blair Walsh wide left two years ago (or any other number of postseason disappointments by your favorite team over the years), then you are filled with a certain amount of dread—silently fearing when the other jack boot will fall. (My cousin Ann exclaimed that exact feeling to me at a New Year’s Day gathering when I walked in the door.)
But fear not, Ann. We are here to try to assuage those fears. The 2017 Vikings are a very good team. They have a chance to be a great team—but they have to go out and earn that. They should fear no other team in the playoffs, and fans shouldn’t consider any of them heads and tails above their beloved Purple. They can play with and can beat any of the teams—but that doesn’t mean they are going to win—that’s why they play the games.
Head coach Mike Zimmer said “there is no damn curse!” So, let’s put away all those memories of bad kicks, taking a knee, 41-Donut and such and then look critically at this Vikings team that is heading into the playoffs with one home game promised and two more there for the taking. Perhaps, if we really take a look at who they are and determine where the strengths and weaknesses lye going into the postseason, then we can accurately assess their chances for fulfilling our wildest Minnesota Vikings dreams: a Super Bowl title at our home field of U.S. Bank Stadium.
So, let’s take a look. But know before we do so that these assessments and grades are subjective on my part. They are designed to engender discussion, counter-arguments and even, heaven forbid, agreement. They are not analysis based on deep-dive analytics, rather one sportswriter’s assessment gleaned from watching and observing the squad since last spring. Let me know what you think. But, above all, use it if you can to go into the postseason with your eyes wide open so that when the final second ticks off the clock on the season, you are ready to accept whatever the result is and you can enjoy it along the way because you are forearmed.
In Part 1, we will look at the defense, which has been record setting in terms of giving up yards and points and third down conversion percentage allowed. If looking at this number one defense in terms of total defense and points doesn’t get you excited for the postseason and bullish on the Purple, then little will. Zimmer likes what he sees.
“I think they’re a pretty confident bunch,” Zimmer said. “I think they play together well. They’re pretty resilient—something bad happens, they don’t panic. They just keep plugging along. But the way they practice is pretty intense and it seems to carry over. They seem to be pretty confident.”
The Secondary
Xavier Rhodes—A shutdown corner playing at an extremely high level, but has been dinged up a bit this year. To be feared by opposing QBs. Grade: A
Harrison Smith—He is called by some the best safety in the NFL. His Pro Bowl snub (an All-Pro honor would negate that) could fuel him to even greater heights. Grade: A
Andrew Sendejo—He’s having one of his best seasons as a pro when he has been healthy. He has become the answer to the long search at strong safety. Still misses tackles every so often, but is more often in the right spot than he has ever been. Grade: B
Trae Waynes—We’ve had to wait, but he is having the season everyone had hoped he would when he was drafted in the first round. He will see even more action in the playoffs. He may finally be ready. Grade: B+
“This second half of the year he’s played really well,” Zimmer said of Waynes. “There was a lot of times earlier in the year I was helping him a lot. I’m not doing that very much anymore. So, he’s been out there on his own, and I actually think that’s part of the reason why the defensive numbers have come down quite a bit. Because of the way these corners cover on the back end.”
Secondary Depth—It is a great mix of youth and experience with Terence Newman, Mackensie Alexander, Anthony Harris and Jayron Kearse. There is a drop off, but the gap is smaller than it has ever been.
The Vikings secondary is a strength of this team, which is exactly what you need in the postseason. Overall Grade: A-
Linebackers
Anthony Barr—He has rebounded from a subpar 2016 season to look like the player the Vikings took ninth overall in 2014 and had a great rookie campaign. He is healthy and playing like it, making plays all over the field. Grade: A
Eric Kendricks—A leading tackler in the middle who is the anchor of this unit. Never flashy but always solid, he knows exactly how to run Zimmer’s defense. Grade: A
Ben Gedeon—Even quieter than Kendricks, the rookie Will linebacker has made some rookie mistakes, but not very many and few that have hurt the team. A solid tackler in the run game, generally leaves the field on passing downs. Been a great replacement for Chad Greenway. Grade: B
Linebacker Depth—Emmanuel Lamur, Kentrell Brothers and Eric Wilson all have some experience, but there is a slight drop off.
The linebacking unit is young and improving with the sky being the limit. Zimmer called Barr’s play “exceptional” on Sunday against the Bears. Overall Grade: A-
Defensive Line
Everson Griffen—He started out like gangbusters with 10 sacks in the first eight games until he injured his foot and slowed a bit. But the tail off in sacks has been more a product of scheme than Griffen slowing down. Expect big things in the postseason. Grade: A-
Linval Joseph—Another Pro Bowl sub, but all you need to know is that the Vikings locked up his contract recently—Zimmer wants him around. Zimmer has called him the best in the game and he has played like it. Invaluable to this defense. Grade: A
Tom Johnson—He always seems to show up with a big play when its needed. Johnson is a great compliment to Joseph, and he plays with a little bit of chip on his shoulder. The interior D-Line knows their job and do it well. Grade: B
Danielle Hunter—Everyone was looking for a big year in his first as a starter (after his 12.5 sacks last season), so 6.0 sacks in 2017 seem like a disappointment, but he is playing his role. He can be very disruptive and no one wants to sleep on him in the postseason. Grade: B+
Line depth—This group that includes Shamar Stephen, Jaleel Johnson, Stephen Weatherly and Tashawn Bower is led by Brian Robison, who is in one of this last years in the game but is having a great season as a valuable and versatile role player. His three sacks in the past three games have been a welcome bonus from the 34-year old, and his leadership is extremely valued. The week off will help the injured Stephen get back on the field.
The defensive line is the engine of this excellent defense, and its play in the postseason trenches will dictate how entire defense (and ultimately the team) performs in the playoffs. Joseph has a ring and knows what it takes. Expect them to do well. Overall Grade: A-
With Zimmer at the helm of the defensive unit, and a group of players who are not only talented but like to work hard to get better, they have the right attitude to succeed in the postseason.
“Yes, there’s lots of things we’ve got to work on,” Zimmer said of the defense. “These next two days I think it’s important to get back to fundamentals. Making sure that some of our run fits and our blitzes are better. Trying to make sure some of the difficulties in the coverage things we’ve had. Maybe you guys don’t see them, but I see all this stuff. So, a lot of this stuff we have to get better at. We’re going to emphasis some other situations. Try and play some game-like situations in these practices and try and keep us on edge as much as possible.”