The first border battle of the season belonged to Minnesota, and the Vikings’ 39-22 comeback win over the Green Bay Packers had more than one defining thread. Carson Wentz taking over after Kyler Murray went down early will get plenty of attention, and rightfully so. But once the game settled in, Brian Flores’ defense turned the second half into its own showcase.
The splash plays came from Blake Cashman’s strip sack and James Pierre’s interception, but those moments were built on the quieter work up front. Minnesota’s young interior defensive line was in the middle of it all, and with the chance staring them in the face in Week 1, the group delivered.
Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins all graded above 70 by PFF, and each one left a mark on the stat sheet. Redmond finished with four tackles, which put him inside the top five on the team.
Ingram-Dawkins added a tackle for loss. Rodriguez picked up his first NFL sack.
That trio showed up in the box score and helped open the door for edge rushers Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner to have big afternoons.
The first sack of the day for Minnesota came from Rodriguez, who dropped Jordan Love for a 10-yard loss. It was the kind of pressure the Vikings needed, and the kind of play that can change how a game feels.
Outside the starting three, rookie Domonique Orange made his presence felt exactly where Minnesota wanted it. He stopped Jordan Love on a QB sneak attempt and also used his size to disrupt the run game on other snaps. Caleb Banks, another rookie, had a quieter day with just 16 defensive snaps, while Elijah Williams also saw limited action.
Orange didn’t hide how he felt about the sneak stop, saying, “It was disrespectful. So mindset was, ya’ll are going to go take that?
Alright, cool. Turnover on downs.”
He also said, “Absolutely I knew it was going to be [a sneak],” before the quote cut off.
That interior battle was one of the key matchups Minnesota needed to win. Green Bay’s offensive line inside looked vulnerable, and the Vikings’ young defensive front took full advantage. For a unit that had to replace veterans Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave this offseason, Week 1 offered a strong first answer.
The road gets a little tougher next week against the Chicago Bears. Their interior line includes Protector of the Year Joe Thuney at guard, Jonah Jackson, and Garrett Bradbury at center, an old friend for Minnesota. Even with that challenge ahead, the Vikings are going to keep asking a lot from this group in Flores’ defense.
It’s only one game, but this was exactly the kind of start Minnesota needed from a defensive line that has to grow up fast. The kids answered the bell, and if this becomes a weekly pattern, it could mean a lot for an organization that needs its young talent to hit.
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Vikings Just Exposed A Secondary Concern Ahead Of The Bears
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That matters again this week with the Bears coming to town, because Chicagos Caleb Williams has shown he can handle the blitz. Minnesotas safety room will be a key part of whether the same pressure-heavy formula works a second time, and the Packers game offered a reminder that the scheme can only go so far if the coverage behind it does not hold up. [Read more 🡒]