Jonathan Greenard said that the most important aspect of the Minnesota Vikings’ defense is its unselfishness. Nobody cares about their stats; they just want to keep the other team from scoring.
The Vikings added Greenard in the offseason as part of their plan to replace Danielle Hunter. However, he hasn’t popped off the stat sheet like Patrick Jones II, who has four sacks this season. He didn’t have a pick-six like Andrew Van Ginkel last week or 13 tackles and a sack like Blake Cashman in Minnesota’s 23-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
Still, Greenard is making an impact by pressuring the quarterback and opening lanes for other players to enter the backfield. “We do our jobs, and wherever that play is called for,” said Greenard. “That’s why it’s so successful whenever we run it, cuz nobody’s greedy, nobody’s selfish, we’re just like, hey, look, whatever’s gonna work, we gotta do it.”
But here’s the thing: It’s time for the Vikings to get greedy.
Minnesota’s defense is better than people expected. They also have an explosive offense, and C.J. Ham blocked a punt on special teams. The Vikings are good enough in all three phases of the game to compete with any team in the league. They will face another test when C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans come to town. After that, they could play the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau without Jordan Love in Week 4.
The Vikings have a window to win now and surprise everyone.
Brock Purdy threw for over 300 yards, Deebo Samuel had over 100 receiving, and backup running back Jordan Mason ran for 100. Still, Minnesota’s defense held the Niners to 17 points. The offense produced two crucial turnovers but also 403 yards of total offense. Sam Darnold finished 17 of 26 for 268 yards, and Justin Jefferson had 133 yards on four receptions before leaving with a quad injury he says won’t keep him off the field.
“I’m not seriously injured,” Jefferson said. “So that’s the main important thing. So, it’s just all about getting to the training room, making sure my body is right for next week, and I’ll be ready to go next Sunday.”
Minnesota’s most crucial sequence came in the first half. Purdy led the Niners on a 15-play, 88-yard drive that spanned 9:18 of game time. However, Van Ginkel and Harrison Smith forced Purdy to throw an incomplete pass to Jauan Jennings on fourth-and-two, turning the ball over on downs.
Three plays later, Darnold hit Jefferson for a 97-yard touchdown pass.
“I’m just watching him run around,” Darnold said with a chuckle after a reporter asked what he saw on the play. “I was ready to call the next play. Then I saw him kind of cross back across the field and noticed he had a lot of juice to be able to get away from those defenders once he cut back across the field.
“From when he cut back, that’s when I kind of knew that we were going to score on that play.”
Darnold’s pass traveled 55 yards in the air, leading Jefferson past 49ers safeties Ji’Ayir Brown and George Odum. It was the second-longest touchdown in Vikings history, behind Gus Frerotte’s 99-yard connection with Bernard Berrian in 2008.
The only potential downside? The Vikings may have scored too quickly.
“We were (excited, but then) we’re like, ‘Guys, we gotta go back out there,’” Greenard said, laughing. “So it’s like, that’s a good tired. Cuz at the end of the day, I know that they’re gonna give everything they got on that side of the ball. As long as we keep feeding those guys like that, big plays happen.”
The Vikings only have five drives of 98 yards or longer in franchise history, and they’ve produced two in the past two weeks. Darnold is good enough to run the offense and get Jefferson the ball. The defense bends but doesn’t break, and they are playing complementary football.
However, injuries and turnovers are legitimate concerns. Jefferson said he will be good to go next week after Fred Warner fell on his leg, and Kevin O’Connell said he doesn’t think Dallas Turner’s knee injury is long-term. If Jefferson is healthy, the Vikings are good enough to compete with Houston next week, and Turner has carved out a productive role in the defense as a rookie.
Turnovers are Minnesota’s bigger concern. Darnold lost track of Warner in the middle of the field, and Warner picked Darnold’s pass to Trent Sherfield with under five minutes left in the half and the Vikings leading 10-0. The Niners scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive, cutting Minnesota’s lead to 10-7 before the Vikings tacked on three more points before the half.
Aaron Jones also fumbled near the goal line late in the third quarter. The Vikings were leading 20-7, and San Francisco scored off the turnover again to cut the lead to 20-14. Minnesota went from potentially having a 20-point lead to only being up one score.
The Vikings proved they can compete with the league’s best teams by beating San Francisco. However, they could have won more comfortably had they finished drives instead of turning the ball over. Such mistakes could cost them games against Houston and Green Bay. Minnesota can capitalize on their surprising start by playing complementary football and taking care of the ball. It was a great win over the 49ers, but it could have been better.
It’s time for the Vikings to get greedy.
