3 unsung heroes from the Vikings win over the Packers in Week 1
By Clay Vasquez
Dalvin Tomlinson – DL
Dalvin Tomlinson has been underrated during his whole time as a Minnesota Viking. Tomlinson played in 16 of 17 games for the Vikings last year, producing a 74.9 PFF grade on the season. While he’s not in the upper echelon of interior defensive linemen in the NFL, he’s a solid piece in Minnesota’s defense that is sure to produce.
This Week 1 game against the Packers proved that, and he showed some flashes that he could be ready to take a step up another level.
This was only game one of the 2022 season for Tomlinson, so it’s no surprise that the numbers he produced are inflated with a small sample size. He posted a stellar 83.8 PFF grade against Green Bay on Sunday, which ranked fourth on the entire team behind Justin Jefferson, Harrison Smith, and Kirk Cousins.
Not only was Tomlinson’s PFF grade high against Green Bay, but he was actually tied for third in pass rush win rate for defensive tackles at 25 percent. He was able to get wins up front and at a high clip, helping keep Aaron Rodgers on his toes for a lot of the game.
Though Tomlinson’s entire impact won’t show up on the stat sheet, it’s hard to deny that he had a superb Week 1 showing.