Minnesota Vikings MVPs: Divisional Round vs. San Francisco 49ers
By Adam Carlson
Defensive MVP – Honorable Mentions
Opposite of the stat line for the offense, the Minnesota Vikings defense was on the field for a TON of the game. In fact, they were on the field for nearly two-thirds of the game. During that time, they accumulated 75 total tackles in the game with 50 solo takedowns being handed out.
68 plays on 13 drives kept the defense busy, especially since the offense struggled the entire game to pick up first downs or run the ball. The defense was exhausted through most of the game, and that’s never a recipe for success.
Even though these players weren’t named the MVP, here are some honorable mentions for the award:
- Danielle Hunter, defensive end – The Vikings only had three hits on Jimmy Garoppolo during this game and two of them came from Hunter with one of those being a sack. Hunter ended the game with five total tackles with three solo. He was definitely the most productive pass rusher of the game.
- Eric Wilson, linebacker – Remember how I was talking about quarterback hits? Well, the third one came from Wilson. The backup linebacker led the team in tackles with ten, seven of those being solo efforts. Considering he was filling in for Ben Gedeon, he did an admirable job as a starter.
- Harrison Smith, safety – Even in a losing effort, Smith can be relied on to have a solid game. This contest didn’t see him make many spectacular plays, but he was a big part of why the Vikings defense was mostly able to keep the 49ers from breaking off big plays offensively.
- Anthony Barr, linebacker – Although Barr Struggled in coverage, the speedy, athletic linebacker was key in containing plays and forcing ball carriers back inside. He was tied for second on the team with eight total tackles, six of those solo.