Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Week for his week 17 effort against the Green Bay Packers.
Sunday Night Football’s week 17 contest between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers was a low scoring affair that found both teams playing solid defense and playing hard in the trenches for the right to host a Wild Card playoff game and win the NFC North division.
One of the biggest plays of the game came in the third quarter when Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers dropped back to pass and was met by defensive end Everson Griffen. The speedy pass rusher was able to knock the ball loose from Rodgers’ grip and force a fumble that appeared in real-time to be an incomplete pass.
However, the referees made the right call on the field and let the play continue. Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn scooped up the ball, returned it for 55 years and scored a defensive touchdown, shocking all the Green Bay players who assumed that the pass was incomplete and the play was dead. After a review, it was confirmed that the play was indeed a fumble.
Here are Everson Griffen’s statistics for week 17:
- 6 combined tackles
- 5 solo tackles
- 2 sacks
- 1 forced fumble
Congratulations to Everson Griffen on being named Defensive Player of the Week as well as to the entire Minnesota Vikings team for their big win over Green Bay to secure an NFC North championship.
You can see Griffen and the rest of the Vikings when the play the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at noon in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs.