Minnesota Vikings MVPs: Week 8 vs. Green Bay Packers

Offensive MVP – Honorable Mentions

The Vikings were outshined by the Packers in a lot of ways offensively during this game. Green Bay beat the purple and gold in time of possession, total yardage, first downs, total drives, and more.

However, starting the contest with four drives that ended in touchdowns set the tone for Minnesota and despite not being able to get on the board in the fourth quarter, the Vikings were able to hold on and seal the game defensively.

Here are three players who played well on offense but weren’t quite the MVP.

Riley Reiff – OT

The offensive line stepped things up in a big way as a whole on Sunday. Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins was only sacked once by a talented Packers defense and the big men up front also did a great job of opening holes in the run game for Dalvin Cook. Riley Reiff was a scapegoat this offseason with many fans calling for his head, but he is a good blocker who deserves some love.

Irv Smith Jr. – TE

As a receiver, Irv Smith Jr. had a stat line that isn’t impressive. One catch for 16 yards on one target isn’t going to turn a lot of heads, However, it was his blocking that deserves recognition. The tight end was out in front of Cook on several occasions and he stopped would-be tacklers from taking down the running back.

Ezra Cleveland- OG

As previously stated, the Minnesota offensive line, as a whole, looked pretty good against the Packers and part of the reason for that was the play of rookie offensive lineman Ezra Cleveland. Moving inside to guard might be a bit strange for the offensive tackle, but he is just too talented to be sitting on the sideline when the Vikings need his help.