[OC] Vikings Offensive Player of Game 3
Before the season kicks off, I'll be taking a look at the Vikings' best offensive and defensive player each game and highlighting exactly why and how they had such a good game. For simplicity sake, I'll be choosing whoever PFF rated as the best player on each side of the ball that week. Right now that's the easiest way to do it, but I'm open to other suggestions like possibly a vote for the upcoming season.
Another Vikings game and another awful offensive performance as a whole. We ended up winning 22-10 off of a safety, a punt return TD, one passing TD, and 2 FGs. That lone offensive TD went to our offensive player of the game: Kyle Rudolph. Rudolph had 7 catches for 70 yards and a TD - 5 of those for the first down, with 2 of those coming on the ever-important money down.
Blocking wise it was an up and down game for Rudolph with a couple of good blocks in the run game on LBs, DBs, and DEs. He also held his own vs a DE a couple of times when he was kept in for pass protection. There were still the occasional missed block or tackle given up but I’d say he acquitted himself well for the majority of the game.
In the passing game, Rudolph's first conversion comes against one of the league's top coverage LBs in Thomas Davis. He shows off his strength by absorbing a blow from Davis, that doesn’t even knock him an inch off course, before making a 4-yard grab on 3rd-and-3.
Moving ahead all the way to the 3rd quarter, Rudolph makes his second 3rd down conversion. He runs another 5-yard sit down route on 3rd-and-4 and hangs on after the hit to keep the sticks moving. This is probably Rudolph’s best asset as a TE; he’s so big and strong. He presents a big target over the MOF allowing for QBs to make easy throws knowing Rudolph will shield off the defender and make the catch.
Here we see the Vikings only offensive TD of the day. Rudolph runs a wheel route vs man coverage. Rudolph does a great job of tracking the ball over his inside shoulder and then makes a great adjustment to haul in the 15-yard TD.
On this play, Kuechly is manned up vs Rudolph with inside leverage. Rudolph recognizes this and sells an outside move getting Kuechly to commit before cutting back inside and making a solid 8-yard gain. Again notice the placement of his body to shield the defender, preventing them from having any chance of making a play on the ball.
Following the trend of Vikings missing on TDs, Rudolph is manned up vs Kuechly here. First, he releases outside into the path of Thomas Davis forcing Davis to respect the possible angle route by Asiata. Then he runs a smooth corner route creating great separation from Kuechly (before the Diggs OPI). However, Rudolph is unable to haul in Bradford's off target ball in the endzone.
Later in the 4th quarter, Rudolph gets his easiest reception, coming free off of PA across the MOF. If you watch carefully though you’ll see Rudolph slow down when he gets open so that he doesn’t run into Thomas Davis’ zone. Bradford makes the throw and Rudolph again hangs on through contact and picks up 18 yards.
Rudolph picks up another first down here catching a ball in the MOF. To the surprise of Vikings fans everywhere, he actually picked up this first down by gaining additional yardage after the catch.
The last play here is another potential TD not converted. Rudolph gets manned up by a safety who presses him off the line. Rudolph easily defeats the press and gets open on a fly for a potential 24-yard TD. Unfortunately, Bradford went elsewhere, but this showcases Rudolph's ability to beat even safeties down the field in coverage.
Rudolph has had his up and downs for the Vikings, but I finally think he’s settled into his role of a good, not great TE. This game he worked over the best LB in the NFL Luke Kuechly for a potential TD and a couple of first down conversions. Heading into next season, I hope he’ll be able to stay healthy and settle into a Jason Witten-type role attacking the MOF and mainly making possession catches. This game he did show he’s capable of being a bigger play threat, although I doubt he’ll ever be a top TE in the league in that part of the game. He’s shown a couple of times that he’s able to fill in the big body receiver role in the redzone, and with Shurmur having a full season to really install his O, hopefully we go to him more often.
Another Vikings game and another awful offensive performance as a whole. We ended up winning 22-10 off of a safety, a punt return TD, one passing TD, and 2 FGs. That lone offensive TD went to our offensive player of the game: Kyle Rudolph. Rudolph had 7 catches for 70 yards and a TD - 5 of those for the first down, with 2 of those coming on the ever-important money down.
Blocking wise it was an up and down game for Rudolph with a couple of good blocks in the run game on LBs, DBs, and DEs. He also held his own vs a DE a couple of times when he was kept in for pass protection. There were still the occasional missed block or tackle given up but I’d say he acquitted himself well for the majority of the game.
In the passing game, Rudolph's first conversion comes against one of the league's top coverage LBs in Thomas Davis. He shows off his strength by absorbing a blow from Davis, that doesn’t even knock him an inch off course, before making a 4-yard grab on 3rd-and-3.
Moving ahead all the way to the 3rd quarter, Rudolph makes his second 3rd down conversion. He runs another 5-yard sit down route on 3rd-and-4 and hangs on after the hit to keep the sticks moving. This is probably Rudolph’s best asset as a TE; he’s so big and strong. He presents a big target over the MOF allowing for QBs to make easy throws knowing Rudolph will shield off the defender and make the catch.
Here we see the Vikings only offensive TD of the day. Rudolph runs a wheel route vs man coverage. Rudolph does a great job of tracking the ball over his inside shoulder and then makes a great adjustment to haul in the 15-yard TD.
On this play, Kuechly is manned up vs Rudolph with inside leverage. Rudolph recognizes this and sells an outside move getting Kuechly to commit before cutting back inside and making a solid 8-yard gain. Again notice the placement of his body to shield the defender, preventing them from having any chance of making a play on the ball.
Following the trend of Vikings missing on TDs, Rudolph is manned up vs Kuechly here. First, he releases outside into the path of Thomas Davis forcing Davis to respect the possible angle route by Asiata. Then he runs a smooth corner route creating great separation from Kuechly (before the Diggs OPI). However, Rudolph is unable to haul in Bradford's off target ball in the endzone.
Later in the 4th quarter, Rudolph gets his easiest reception, coming free off of PA across the MOF. If you watch carefully though you’ll see Rudolph slow down when he gets open so that he doesn’t run into Thomas Davis’ zone. Bradford makes the throw and Rudolph again hangs on through contact and picks up 18 yards.
Rudolph picks up another first down here catching a ball in the MOF. To the surprise of Vikings fans everywhere, he actually picked up this first down by gaining additional yardage after the catch.
The last play here is another potential TD not converted. Rudolph gets manned up by a safety who presses him off the line. Rudolph easily defeats the press and gets open on a fly for a potential 24-yard TD. Unfortunately, Bradford went elsewhere, but this showcases Rudolph's ability to beat even safeties down the field in coverage.
Rudolph has had his up and downs for the Vikings, but I finally think he’s settled into his role of a good, not great TE. This game he worked over the best LB in the NFL Luke Kuechly for a potential TD and a couple of first down conversions. Heading into next season, I hope he’ll be able to stay healthy and settle into a Jason Witten-type role attacking the MOF and mainly making possession catches. This game he did show he’s capable of being a bigger play threat, although I doubt he’ll ever be a top TE in the league in that part of the game. He’s shown a couple of times that he’s able to fill in the big body receiver role in the redzone, and with Shurmur having a full season to really install his O, hopefully we go to him more often.
