Minnesota Vikings MVPs: Week 1 vs. Green Bay Packers

Defensive MVP – Honorable Mentions

The Minnesota Vikings spent a lot of time on defense this game. It was obvious they were exhausted and struggling without star pass rusher Danielle Hunter on the field, a young secondary struggling, and Michael Pierce opting out for the year.

Credit must be given to the Packers though, as Rodgers picked apart the Minnesota defense and wore them out chasing around ball carriers. However, choosing players who stood out was a bit of a challenge from this game.

The following are some of the defensive standouts from this game who weren’t quite the MVP from Week 1 against the Packers.

Anthony Harris – S

Harris looked good in coverage and played the line of scrimmage exceptionally well when in goal-line situations. He was second on the team in tackles with eight (five solo).

Anthony Barr -LB

He didn’t get pressure on Aaron Rodgers, but he was one of the few players on the Vikings defense who didn’t struggle much when tackling the opposition. Barr registered six tackles on the day, all of them unassisted.

 – None –

Since the pass rush was ineffective and the young corners struggled so badly during this game, there will be no third honorable mention for the defense in this game. Hopefully, the defense can grow and learn from this experience.