Since the start of his rookie season in 2024, Minnesota Vikings fans have been waiting for Dallas Turner to prove why the team drafted him with a first-round pick less than two years ago. On Sunday, Turner finally delivered.
Minnesota wound up on the losing end of the scoreboard in its Week 11 showdown against the Chicago Bears, but the Vikings' second-year pass rusher looked very impressive in his sixth start of the season.
Turner was on the field for 67 of Minnesota's 75 defensive snaps on Sunday, and he wound up finishing with seven tackles (two for a loss), five pressures, one sack, and one pass deflection. His stellar performance also resulted in PFF awarding him with his highest defensive grade of the season (72.1).
Bye week adjustment has Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Dallas Turner flourishing
Until recently, it seemed like the Vikings didn't really know how to utilize Turner in a way that would get the most out of his skills. But Sunday's contest against Chicago was another instance of Minnesota sticking to an adjustment they made for the young edge rusher after the team's bye in Week 6.
In the five games before the Vikings' bye, Turner was used in coverage on 32.5 percent of the pass plays that he was on the field for, according to data from PFF.
Since Minnesota returned from its bye in Week 7, the second-year pass rusher has only dropped back into coverage on 17.9 percent of his snaps in which the opposing offense ran a passing play.
In their last four games, the Vikings have shifted Turner's focus to be more of a pass rusher and a run stopper when he's on the field, and the team was rewarded for their decision with the great day that he had against the Bears.
Expect him to go back to a reserve role once Jonathan Greenard returns from his shoulder injury. But it wouldn't be shocking if Minnesota decided to give Turner a slight increase in field time for the rest of the season based on how well he performed on Sunday against Chicago.