Minnesota Vikings MVPs: Week 17 vs. Chicago Bears
By Adam Carlson
Defensive MVP – Honorable Mentions
The defense of the Minnesota Vikings actually performed quite well in this game. When considering that nearly all the backups or reserves were going up against Chicago’s starters, that makes their performance even better.
As a team, the Bears only averaged 4.5 yards per play and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky was sacked four times. Plus, only one touchdown was allowed by the Vikings defense, a rushing score from David Montgomery.
Even though these players weren’t named the MVP, here are some honorable mentions for the award:
- Ifeadi Odenigbo, defensive end – With Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen sidelined, it was time for the Odenigbo to shine. He’s been impressive this entire season, but this game saw him register six tackles with one sack. There was also a fumble recovery that was returned for a touchdown but later called back after he was called down by contact.
- Kris Boyd, defensive back – Boyd was a tackling machine in this game, notching eight takedowns with two of them being for a loss. He also managed to get in the head of Chicago players, drawing a personal foul of Bears receiver Allen Robinson II. The rookie looked good!
- Stephen Weatherly, defensive end – The pass rush was strong this game. Weatherly accounted for two hits on quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and earned half a sack for those efforts. His seven tackles tied him for fourth among Vikings defenders in this game.
- Kentrell Brothers, linebacker – Normally a special teams ace, Brothers got some action on defense in this game and showed off his tackling skills. The linebacker was second on the team in takedowns with ten, one of those being a half-sack on the Bears quarterback.