Minnesota Vikings MVPs: Preseason Week 3 vs. Cardinals
By Adam Carlson
Defensive MVP – Jayron Kearse, safety
It’s hard to know exactly what the Minnesota Vikings want to do with Jayron Kearse. They wanted to give him looks at linebacker, throw him in at nickel, use him traditionally as a safety, and blitz once in a while. And he’s looking like a guy who can do all that and probably more.
He broke up two passes on the day, accounting for half the pass defenses of the team. His two solo tackles don’t jump out from the stat sheet, but sometimes it’s not all about the bottom line, but how the player gets there. Plus, there was that fumble recovery he SHOULD HAVE RETURNED for a score.
Kearse is a Swiss army knife kind of player, and that is something Mike Zimmer can get a lot of mileage out of. His size, power, and speed combination allow him to do things a smaller, or slower player couldn’t and his development under this coaching staff has been amazing.
I was one of the most disappointing fans when the Vikings moved on from hard-hitting safety Andrew Sendejo this offseason, but if they can have Anthony Harris and Jayron Kearse playing physical football at high levels like this, the team could be just fine going forward.
Related Story. The best and worst of the Vikings Week 3 preseason game. light
Who were your offensive and defensive MVPs from the third preseason game of the Minnesota Vikings? And who else impressed you a lot during the game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!