EAGAN, Minn. — It took just two plays on Sunday for Minnesota’s defense to blow up the backfield.
Andrew Van Ginkel and Byron Murphy Jr. tore through Tennessee’s offensive line and pulled running back Tony Pollard down two yards behind the line of scrimmage for the game's first negative play.
Four snaps later, Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman burst through the line — practically untouched — and took Titans quarterback Will Levis to the ground to bring up fourth down.
“I’ll take all freebies,” Cashman, an Eden Prairie native, quipped in a post on social media while replying to a highlight of the takedown.
It became a trend throughout the afternoon as the Vikings defense continually disrupted plays in the backfield — five sacks and 10 tackles for loss — on their way to a third consecutive victory.
“Our guys up front did a great job — first, stopping the run; second, getting after the quarterback,” Vikings safety Harrison Smith told the Associated Press following Sunday's win. "That makes it hard ... you've got guys trying to put pressure on you all day.”
Minnesota’s defense stopped five run plays in the backfield and held the Titans to just 33 yards rushing on 19 attempts. Pollard had one of his worst games rushing — 15 yards on nine carries — and couldn’t break a run longer than four yards.
“I think we've got a lot of smart, tough guys who love football and are doing what they're coached to do," said Van Ginkel, who has a career-high eight sacks and 13 tackles for loss this year. "I think it's just having faith and trust that the guy next to you is going to do his job."
The run defense has been a staple for the Vikings (8-2) this season as they’ve held opponents to a league-low 74.4 yards per game, and much of that is due to the players' ability to get creative within defensive coordinator Brian Flores' scheme.
“We're getting more comfortable now where we can add more twists to it," said edge rusher Jonathan Greenard. " Knowing what we have to do and adding more stuff to that — building our arsenal, obviously, within the scheme."
Greenard, Van Ginkel and edge rusher Pat Jones II combined for four sacks and seven tackles for loss on Sunday as they continue to build on their already-impressive 2024 campaigns.
With seven games remaining, Van Ginkel and Jones have already hit career-highs in sacks and tackles for loss, while Greenard is well on his way to setting career marks in both categories. The trio has combined for 22 sacks, with each player on pace to record double-digit sacks this season. Should each player reach that milestone, it would be the first time since 1989 that a Vikings team had three players reach double-digit sacks in the same season.
“It's fun to watch,” said Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell. “It's fun to be a part of and just looking forward to them to continue to build and try to find their way towards playing their best here late as we get into late November, December.”
The Chicago Bears (4-6) could present a new challenge for the Vikings on defense as they go up against a new play caller in Thomas Brown. Shane Waldron started the year as the Bears’ offensive coordinator, but he was fired prior to the team's game with Green Bay.
In his first game calling plays, Thomas immediately helped Chicago put together its best offensive performance in more than a month. The Bears racked up nearly 400 yards of total offense, including 179 yards rushing, and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams looked sharp — completing 23 of 31 passes for 231 yards.
However, Williams was sacked three times, and has been sacked more than any quarterback in the league (41) this year. So, if Chicago’s ground attack can build some steam on Sunday at Soldier Field, Minnesota, which is tied for the third-most sacks (35) this season, could still have opportunities with its pass rush to blow up plays in the backfield.
“We've just got to make it crowded for him — whether it's with our pressure and disruptiveness up front, scheme or disguises — definitely just want to make sure he's uncomfortable, so he gets out of that rhythm, " Greenard said. "Definitely looking forward to try and rattle him a little bit, for sure."