Vikings Defensive MVP: Week 12 vs. the Detroit Lions
By Adam Patrick
Two sacks by Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen played a tremendous part in the team defeating the Detroit Lions on Thursday.
What better way to celebrate the birth of your third son than by adding two more sacks to your 2017 season total? Well, that’s exactly what Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen did on Thursday during the team’s big win over the Detroit Lions.
After not getting a sack for the first time all season last week against the Los Angeles Rams and missing the Vikings’ Week 10 game, Griffen was definitely hungry for more than just turkey this Thanksgiving.
Midway through the second quarter of Thursday’s game, Griffen found a way to get past the Lions’ blockers and take down Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford for his first sack of the afternoon. The Minnesota defensive end then displayed a message written on his undershirt that read, “I just had a baby boy, what should I name him?”
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Towards the end of the third quarter of Thursday’s game, the Lions were attempting to decrease Vikings’ lead when they faced a 3rd and 2 on the Minnesota’s 27 yard line. After the ball was snapped, Griffen was able to power past Detroit’s offensive line once again and get his second sack of the game.
In addition to his two sacks, the Vikings pass-rusher finished his day with four total tackles (one for a loss) and three quarterback hits.
After Thursday’s matchup with the Lions, Griffen’s sack total for the 2017 season is now up to 12. With his new total, the Minnesota defensive end is now the NFL’s current leader in sacks this year.
Next: Vikings’ ups and downs from Week 12 win
The Vikings needed a win on Thursday to further increase their lead in the NFC North and thanks to the performance of Griffen and a number of other players, Minnesota now has a three game lead over Detroit in the division with just five weeks remaining in the season.