5 most disappointing Vikings from their Week 6 loss to the Falcons

Jeff Gladney – CB

Vikings fans have to be happy with Jeff Gladney and his development this season. He’s improved every single game and he has held his own against some very good wide receivers like Tyler Lockett of the Seattle Seahawks. Not only has Gladney been solid in coverage, but he’s proven to be an excellent tackler, and he is more than willing to come up and support the run.

While Gladney has been improving week in and week out, his performance against the Falcons was easily his worst of the season.

After Mike Hughes left the matchup with an injury, Gladney was given the tall task of covering Julio Jones. It proved to be too daunting and the young corner was out of his league against one of the best in the NFL.

Gladney was outmuscled by Jones and he had a tough time sticking with him stride for stride down the field. Gladney also stumbled on one play, hitting the turf, and it allowed Jones to catch a desperation lob from Matt Ryan that went for a late touchdown. It was a sequence that basically added insult to a disgusting performance by the purple and gold.

Gladney is a rookie and is going to have his ups and downs throughout the season. Hopefully, he’ll learn from the mistakes he made when facing an elite talent like Jones.