Post by Purple Pain on Sept 12, 2018 11:06:01 GMT -6
The Four Norsemen of the Apocalypse by Nick Olson
More at the link: vikingsterritory.com/2018/analysis/the-four-norsemen-of-the-apocalypse
The Purple People Eaters are back, and they might be better than ever.
Last Sunday against the 49ers, the Vikings’ front four notched an absolutely absurd 21 pressures over 30 pass rushing snaps. That’s over half as many pressures as Jimmy Garoppolo had dropbacks—and that’s just from the front four.
Danielle Hunter recorded eight pressures, which not only leads the NFL right now—it’s more pressure than six NFL teams produced this past weekend. Sheldon Richardson recorded seven, which leads all defensive tackles. Linval Joseph is tied for the most run stops among defensive tackles. Everson Griffen gave Joe Staley, Pro Football Focus’s #1-ranked tackle last year, his lowest grade in years. Those four players produced more pressure than the Titans, Dolphins, Raiders and Lions’ entire rosters, combined.
Right now every single player on the Vikings’ front four is playing like a pro bowler. Starting with Sheldon Richardson:
Sheldon Richardson Is Everything Mike Zimmer Dreamed Of, And More
Back in April I wrote about how big of an addition Sheldon Richardson could be for the Vikings defense, and still I could have never predicted just how dominant Richardson would look in his Vikings opener.
Richardson notched seven pressures, including half a sack and three QB hits. Seven pressures is an obscene number from a defensive tackle—it’s more pressure than four teams generated this past weekend. And on top of the pass rushing, Richardson notched two run stops, including the goal line run stop that resulted in a fumble recovery.
Yet somehow that still that understates just how big of a difference Sheldon Richardson made. The Harrison Smith interception that sealed the game?
It was Sheldon Richardson’s hit that caused the errant throw that created it.
The 30-yard bomb to George Kittle that could have swung the game, had it not been dropped?
It was Sheldon Richardson’s hit that forced the overthrow that helped create the drop.
Everson Griffen’s sack on the 49ers’ second drive?
It was Sheldon Richardson throwing the left guard aside and collapsing the pocket that set up Griffen for the sack.
Danielle Hunter’s goal line sack? You get the idea.
Sheldon Richardson might show up in the stat sheet with just a half-sack and a handful of tackles. But on film, basically half the time the defense did something good, Sheldon Richardson was the secret reason why.
Last Sunday against the 49ers, the Vikings’ front four notched an absolutely absurd 21 pressures over 30 pass rushing snaps. That’s over half as many pressures as Jimmy Garoppolo had dropbacks—and that’s just from the front four.
Danielle Hunter recorded eight pressures, which not only leads the NFL right now—it’s more pressure than six NFL teams produced this past weekend. Sheldon Richardson recorded seven, which leads all defensive tackles. Linval Joseph is tied for the most run stops among defensive tackles. Everson Griffen gave Joe Staley, Pro Football Focus’s #1-ranked tackle last year, his lowest grade in years. Those four players produced more pressure than the Titans, Dolphins, Raiders and Lions’ entire rosters, combined.
Right now every single player on the Vikings’ front four is playing like a pro bowler. Starting with Sheldon Richardson:
Sheldon Richardson Is Everything Mike Zimmer Dreamed Of, And More
Back in April I wrote about how big of an addition Sheldon Richardson could be for the Vikings defense, and still I could have never predicted just how dominant Richardson would look in his Vikings opener.
Richardson notched seven pressures, including half a sack and three QB hits. Seven pressures is an obscene number from a defensive tackle—it’s more pressure than four teams generated this past weekend. And on top of the pass rushing, Richardson notched two run stops, including the goal line run stop that resulted in a fumble recovery.
Yet somehow that still that understates just how big of a difference Sheldon Richardson made. The Harrison Smith interception that sealed the game?
It was Sheldon Richardson’s hit that caused the errant throw that created it.
The 30-yard bomb to George Kittle that could have swung the game, had it not been dropped?
It was Sheldon Richardson’s hit that forced the overthrow that helped create the drop.
Everson Griffen’s sack on the 49ers’ second drive?
It was Sheldon Richardson throwing the left guard aside and collapsing the pocket that set up Griffen for the sack.
Danielle Hunter’s goal line sack? You get the idea.
Sheldon Richardson might show up in the stat sheet with just a half-sack and a handful of tackles. But on film, basically half the time the defense did something good, Sheldon Richardson was the secret reason why.
More at the link: vikingsterritory.com/2018/analysis/the-four-norsemen-of-the-apocalypse