Vikings PFF Grades: Multiple players stand out for both good and bad reasons
The Minnesota Vikings found a lot of success on the defensive side of the football against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Minnesota Vikings fell 13-3 to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday afternoon, and the key theme was how much the offense struggled.
Quarterback J.J. McCarthy did not have a great day, completing just 5-10 for 81 yards, but two missed throws cost the Vikings two touchdowns, and they failed to score any points with him leading the offense.
Who were some standouts from a Pro Football Focus grade perspective? Let’s break it down.
Minnesota Vikings positive standouts per PFF grades on offense
- RB Zavier Scott: 75.2
- WR Tai Felton: 69.3
- WR Dillon Bell: 67.9
The offense wasn’t great on the day, but there were some solid performers. Scott had a rough day pass blocking, but was solid overall. Both Felton and Bell were excellent at wide receiver, so it shouldn’t be a surprise they graded as high as they did. Bell playing 46 snaps and still posting a solid grade like that is impressive, especially against 2s and 3s.
Minnesota Vikings negative standouts per PFF grades on offense
- QB Max Brosmer: 37.9
- WR Michael Briscoe: 45.8
- C Michael Jurgens: 46.6
Brosmer had some brutal throws on the day, including his last one that ended in an interception near the red zone. His decision-making was not up to par, even with some nice throws within structure. Briscoe only played 12 snaps at the end of the game, so it’s not a huge surprise to see that kind of variance. Jurgens’ numbers are interesting. He graded out at 46.6, but his run blocking (58.4) and pass blocking grades (68.1) were both higher than his overall grade. Will be interesting to see if the film showed issues snapping.
Minnesota Vikings positive standouts per PFF grades on defense
- DT Elijah Williams: 86.5
- CB Da’Veawn Armstead: 86.4
- S Jacob Thomas: 84.6
None of these players should be much of a surprise at all. I’ve been on the Williams train for over a year, and he should factor into a deep defensive line rotation. Armstead worked with the twos during joint practices and only played four snaps early in the game with no reported injury. He may have already made the team. Thomas has been a great story as a UDFA this year as well. He played a team-high 38 snaps on defense and looked like the best player on the field
Minnesota Vikings negative standouts per PFF grades on defense
- DL Smith Vilbert: 30.2
- EDGE Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins: 45.5
- DT Caleb Banks: 48.1
Let’s talk about Banks here for a second. He’s not going to grade well for PFF due to the nature of his losses. He will have ones that look extreme due to his size, and that will crater his grade. It’s going to be similar to that of Ed Ingram a couple of years ago. Watching how he goes about each rep will be curious to watch, but there is still a lot to like about his game.


