Vikings Week 14 snap counts: Win vs. Falcons highlighted by young players on defense stepping up
It was a whooping by the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon when they beat Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 42-21. It didn't start out like a whooping, as the Falcons drove down and got the first score of the game to take a 7-0 lead. After that, Sam Darnold got […]
It was a whooping by the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon when they beat Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 42-21.
It didn't start out like a whooping, as the Falcons drove down and got the first score of the game to take a 7-0 lead. After that, Sam Darnold got hot and threw five touchdowns, something that no Vikings quarterback had done since Daunte Culpepper did it three times in the 2004 season, one that should have won him an MVP award.
Looking over the game on Sunday afternoon shows a lot about how the Vikings were able to get it done.
Gabe Murphy has solid debut
When both Andrew Van Ginkel and Pat Jones II were on the final injury report, it sent out a red flag that one of them might end up missing the game. That belief was solidified when Murphy was elevated from the practice squad for the game.
Murphy played 28 snaps, two more than Dallas Turner played. It does help that a good portion of those snaps likely came on the final drive when the Vikings put in backups to get some reps against the Falcons offense. Murphy acquitted himself well, posting all Pro Football Focus grades all above the average threshold of 60.
- Overall: 69.5
- Rush defense: 66.1
- Tackling: 67.4
- Pass rush: 63.2
- Coverage: 62.3
Murphy registered a tackle and a pressure over those 28 snaps. How much will he play moving forward? Time will tell.
Jalen Redmond balls out again
Did the Vikings find a diamond in the rough with Redmond? The past two weeks certainly seem that way.
The 2023 UDFA out of Oklahoma spent this spring with the Arlington Renegades of the UFL and made the 53-man roster out of training camp. He received a game ball last week after an impressive performance where he was shooting gaps to make plays in the backfield.
Redmond was rewarded with the start on Sunday and played very well throughout the game. Now, there were some times that he got washed out a bit on zone concepts, but he was solid throughout the game, including two passes defended and two tackles for loss. Seeing his emergence this late in the season is a welcomed addition from a Vikings' front that could use an influx of production.
Jamin Davis makes the most of his opportunities
When the Vikings brought in Jamin Davis, I looked at it like an opportunity for another reclamation project for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Davis was brought onto the roster because of the injury to Ivan Pace Jr. that landed him on injured reserve.
When Davis was signed, it was an intriguing move. The 2021 first-round pick was a tall, long athlete that needed some time to grow into the position. Ultimately, he saw struggles over his first three seasons and the new Washington Commanders regime didn't have any connection or investment in him and decided to move on after trying him out at edge rusher.
Davis only played nine snaps but he made the most of them. On five pass rushing snaps, Davis got two pressures and the only sack of Cousins on the day. Will the Vikings be able to get more out of Davis? That's far from a certainty, but it's getting interesting.
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