Last Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, the Minnesota Vikings gave the most snaps this season to non-starters, many of them rookies or newly acquired players. There were likely a couple reasons for that, including injuries and game situation at the end, but the new guys did well for the most part and giving them some reps could help improve the quality of the depth chart on defense which could be valuable as the Vikings position themselves for the postseason.
It Wasn’t a Good Defensive Performance, But It Wasn’t Due to the New Guys
The Vikings had their worst overall team PFF defensive grade against the Falcons last Sunday by a significant margin, including by far their worst run defense grade of the season, but it wasn’t because of the new guys Brian Flores added to the rotation.
Both defensive tackles Jonathan Bullard and Harrison Phillips were on the injury list prior to the Falcons game- Phillips was a late addition last Friday- and that may have had something to do with the fact that they both had by far their worst PFF-graded games of the season. Atlanta’s offensive line is pretty good, but they both had half the grade they had against the Lions- also a good offensive line. Jihad Ward also had one of his worst PFF-graded games.
Outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard also had a poor PFF-graded game against Atlanta- his second in a row. Andrew Van Ginkel also had a bit of an off game for him, although not terribly so. So did linebacker Blake Cashman. After the game Cashman said that Atlanta was the best offensive front they’ve faced, both their personnel and how they execute their scheme. Cashman didn’t play against the Lions but has faced several good offensive fronts and schemes this season.
New Guys Were Among the Best Performers Against Atlanta
Looking at PFF grades for the game, most of the top graded players were new guys or guys that haven’t had many snaps this season. Safety Theo Jackson was the highest graded at 82.5. Cornerback Fabian Moreau was third-highest, Bo Richter fifth, followed by Jalen Redmond, Gabe Murphy, Dwight McGlothern, Jay Ward, and Dallas Turner. Jamin Davis was 13th. Jackson, Richter, McGlothern, Ward, and Davis all had fewer than a dozen reps, but nevertheless did well with those they were given.
Previous non-starter Jalen Redmond (he got the start against Atlanta) played well overall with 39 defensive snaps- more than double his previous high. He graded 69.5 overall while both Bullard and Phillips were below 30. Again, I’m guessing both Bullard and Phillips weren’t 100% on Sunday against Atlanta, but Redmond playing well against a good Falcons offensive line is a good sign that the Vikings will have improved depth on the defensive interior going into the postseason. Kevin O’Connell also mentioned that backup nose tackle Taki Taimani, who has been on IR but eligible to return, is still working through the late stages of his rehab and could be activated in the coming weeks.
And while Greenard and Van Ginkel didn’t have their best games, Gabe Murphy made his NFL debut with a 69.5 overall PFF grade, which is pretty good. Bo Richter had a 70.5 overall grade on a half-dozen snaps at the end of the game, while Dallas Turner had a 61.7 grade on 26 snaps. All of those grades were significantly higher than Greenard and Van Ginkel, who graded in the 40s and low 50s respectively.
On the back end, Fabian Moreau was right there with Byron Murphy Jr. for highest graded cornerback. Moreau didn’t have a pick, but he was only targeted once for a nine-yard reception. He also had five tackles, including one defensive stop.
Theo Jackson only had 11 snaps but was the highest graded Vikings defender. He had a PBU on a Cousins pass to the end zone late in the game on his only target in coverage and also had one tackle.
Newcomer and former first-round draft pick Jamin Davis had two quarterback pressures on just five pass rushing snaps. He only had 9 defensive snaps in total but graded much better than Kamu Grugier-Hill in his 17 snaps in relief of Ivan Pace Jr., who remains on IR until at least the Packers game. Grugier-Hill had a couple picks early in the season but has not played at all well since- consistently grading poorly since week seven. He’s at risk of being displaced by Davis if he’s able to learn the defense and continue his level of play.
Lastly, Dwight McGlothern made his debut late in the game against the Falcons for the final half dozen snaps with Jay Ward joining him for four of those. Neither were targeted or were involved much and so came away with near-average grades.
Keeping Starters Fresh and Healthy Also Important
In addition to giving some younger and/or backup guys some reps so they’re more prepared if called upon in the playoffs, giving them reps also lightens the load for some older vets that could probably use some rest.
I mentioned Bullard and Phillips having bad games in part perhaps due to not being 100%, so giving more reps to Jalen Redmond- and potentially Taki Taimani if he’s able to return soon from IR- will help those two older starters get some needed rest and recovery late in the season. Bullard’s performance also declined significantly the last few games of last season, so if Redmond can take more reps against the Bears on Monday night, that should allow Bullard some needed rest and recovery time. Phillips could also benefit from a lighter load if he’s banged up, allowing him to get healthier for the playoffs as well.
Similarly, there may not be any urgency to getting Stephon Gilmore back on the field if Moreau is playing at a similar level- and he is. Continuing to give Theo Jackson a dozen reps a game to take some wear-and-tear off of Harrison Smith, maybe more if he plays well enough, wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
Bottom Line
Giving some deserving younger backups some additional reps could provide a couple key benefits for the Vikings’ defense as they finish out the season and get ready for the postseason. The first is giving the younger guys some real game playing experience to better prepare them if called upon in the playoffs. And the second is lightening the load for some older vets who may be feeling the wear-and-tear of an NFL season more than the younger guys as the Vikings finish out their last four games.
It would be nice if the Vikings could run up the score on the Bears on Monday night and therefore create the conditions where more starters can be taken out of the game, but there are also some cases - like Redmond, Moreau, and maybe even Jamin Davis, Theo Jackson, and Gabe Murphy, where they can take on more snaps without any or much drop off in performance compared to the veterans they would replace.
Either way, keeping guys healthy through the postseason is as big a key to success as any other when it comes to making a deep run in the playoffs. Therefore, leaning on and developing some depth pieces in the lead up to the postseason may be the best way to prepare players, both young and old, for those critical, high-stakes games in January and February.
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Should the Vikings try to give more reps to deserving backups over the next few games to prepare for the postseason?
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Yes- it could lead to more prepared depth players and healthier starters
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No- the Vikings can’t risk not playing their best players and losing games because of it
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