3 unsung heroes from the Vikings win over the Panthers in Week 4
By Clay Vasquez
Unsung Hero No. 1
Minnesota's tight end room
The Vikings tight end room, headlined by T.J. Hockenson, only amassed two catches for 24 yards this past weekend. So why is this group in here? The tight-end group makes this list due to the old-school style of smash-mouth blocking they put on display in Carolina.
Hockenson and Josh Oliver were both in the top four in terms of PFF run-blocking grades on the day, with Oliver finishing with a grade of nearly 90.
With Minnesota's star left tackle Christian Darrisaw having an amazing all-around day, and Oliver is able to surpass him as a run-blocker, that is incredibly impressive.
Oliver was brought in this offseason to be a bulldozer for the Vikings, and he has been as advertised.
While Hockenson didn't grade as high as Oliver as a run blocker, it was Hockenson's pass-blocking grade from PFF that ended up higher than Oliver's, ending the day with the fifth-highest PFF pass-blocking grade in the entire league.
Though Hockenson and Oliver didn't do much in terms of receiving yardage, they were key in clearing the way for Minnesota's rushing attack and helping protect Kirk Cousins in the passing game.
It may be an old-fashioned way to use tight ends, but it's what worked for the Vikings this past weekend.