4 underrated reasons why the Vikings are in the 2019 playoffs
By Adam Patrick
Emergence of young pass rushers
This year, the Vikings’ defense is among the best in the NFL when it comes to sacking the opposing quarterback. Through 15 games, Minnesota has racked up a total of 44 sacks which is good enough to be the sixth-most in the league.
The Vikings’ pass rush is led by Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter, but the defense has also seen some of their younger defensive linemen step up and make things difficult for opposing passers this year.
Ifeadi Odenigbo, Jaleel Johnson, and Stephen Weatherly are not a part of Minnesota’s starting defense but together they’ve combined to accumulate 11.5 sacks, 23 quarterback hits, and 22 pressures this season.
Odenigbo, specifically, has really come on strong during the Vikings’ last few matchups. He has three sacks in Minnesota’s last four games and he even had a fumble return for a touchdown in the team’s Week 15 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
The performance of these younger reserves has allowed the Vikings to actually utilize a defensive line rotation this year and still feel confident that the unit can get the job done with Griffen or Hunter taking a breather on the sideline.