The Minnesota Vikings picked up a huge win in Week 1, one that hasn't sat well with New York Giants star edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Thibodeaux was relied upon to be one of the key members of the Giants’ pass rush, but according to Pro Football Focus, he was held to just one pressure on 22 pass-rushing snaps on Sunday. He was a total non-factor, which is surprising given the major questions about the Vikings offensive line and Thibodeaux's insane talent.
When he was asked about his performance during a media scrum after the game, Thibodeaux quickly sidestepped the question and moved on to the next topic.
“Does anybody else got questions," he said.
Kayvon Thibodeaux is still in a bad mood about the Vikings offensive line shutting him down
When a reporter attempted to follow up, Thibodeaux ignored him before allowing a different reporter to proceed with the interview. When the reporter asked him about a face-mask penalty against Christian Darrisaw, Thibodeaux did his best to sidestep that question, too, with a weak response.
“I tried to convert and I think I kind of hooked his facemask," Thibodeaux said.
Television replays show Thibodeaux grabbing Darrisaw’s facemask during the play to the point where Darrisaw turned to the official to ask for a flag. It was a disappointing performance for the fifth overall pick in the 2022 draft who was supposed to form a dominant pass rush along with offseason trade acquisition Brian Burns.
While Dexter Lawrence was able to rack up six quarterback pressures on the interior, the Giants got nothing on the edge going up against Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill as Burns in Thibodeaux combined for two quarterback pressures.
Sunday was also a continuation of Thibodeaux’s struggles since coming into the league as he didn’t have a tackle, marking the seventh time in 32 career games that he has failed to make a tackle.
The offensive line helped Sam Darnold have a strong first game as a Viking, throwing for 208 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in a 28-6 victory. While they need to figure out a way to help Ed Ingram (6 pressures allowed) and Garrett Bradbury (four pressures allowed), the trio of Darrisaw, O’Neill and left guard Blake Brandel allowed just two pressures on Sunday.
The Vikings will have a tougher challenge when they host the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2 but the performance is still encouraging. The offensive line was consistent in the Giants and it left some of their biggest stars searching for answers.