Stephon Gilmore continues to prove NFL analyst wrong as key cog in the league's best defense
The Minnesota Vikings have the best defense in the National Football League and right now, it's not very close. They have allowed just 76 points over five games with a +63 point differential and haven't trailed since the first quarter against the New York Giants in week one. If things keep up, the Vikings will […]
The Minnesota Vikings have the best defense in the National Football League and right now, it's not very close.
They have allowed just 76 points over five games with a +63 point differential and haven't trailed since the first quarter against the New York Giants in week one. If things keep up, the Vikings will allow just 258 points on the year, their lowest since 2017 when they allowed 252 points and were historically good on fourth down.
This season, the Vikings have thrived with more than half of their starters having been acquired by general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah this offseason with arguably their biggest acquisition coming in August.
Stephon Gilmore has paid major dividends
When the Vikings only made minor investments in the cornerback this offseason, it was met with major criticism by some in the media. They still had one of the weakest groups in the NFL with Byron Murphy Jr. as the top cornerback and Shaquill Griffin slated to be opposite him as a starter.
After the passing of Khyree Jackson and Mekhi Blackmon's torn ACL in July, the Vikings needed to make some moves. They brought in cornerback Fabian Moreau and safety Bobby McCain shortly after. It was evident that those moves weren't enough. Right after the preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, the Vikings chose to sign Stephon Gilmore to a one-year contract worth up to $10 million with $7 million guaranteed.
Many in the media praised the signing but some didn't understand it because it was a rebuilding year.
Yes, it was viewed as a rebuilding year for the Vikings, but they were very competitive in 2023 when both Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson were injured and that hasn't changed. In fact, those experiences have helped shape this Vikings team into what it is today.
Fast forward to after week five and Gilmore has been a revelation for the Vikings. Despite having the fifth-most targets going into Monday Night Football, Gilmore has only 24 catches for 204 yards. He was even better against the New York Jets on Sunday. He allowed seven catches on 14 targets for 66 yards and a pass breakup.
With all of that, it was the final play of the game for the defense that made the biggest impact. Gilmore read the stop route that Aaron Rodgers was throwing to Mike Williams and ended the game.
Gilmore has meant a ton to this Vikings team and head coach Kevin O'Connell talked about how defensive coordinator Brian Flores
"I also know I have ultimate trust in our defense and for Gilly [Stephon Gilmore] – that's why we went and got Gilly, to put a game away, tight coverage like that, and makes a hell of a catch there, so we're kneeling it out for win number five."
Gilmore has had a knack for being a shutdown cornerback throughout his career. Last season with the Dallas Cowboys, Gilmore played 1,055 snaps and is on track to play nearly as many at 1,037.
The key for the Vikings is going to be to keep him out of man coverage on a regular basis. In the playoffs last season, the Packers ran a lot of crossing routes and he was exposed pretty quickly. The Vikings have been asking him to do a lot of drop coverage which is where Gilmore has thrived.
Being that he's 34, the amount of playing time could become a factor down the line, but the Vikings are getting what they paid for and then some, and it wasn't a waste of money. They've got a real shot to win the Super Bowl.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is the frontrunner for Executive of the Year as free agent class continues to pay major dividends
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has set the Vikings up in tremendous fashion
Brian Flores’ aggressive strategy with blitzing continues to work and stifled Aaron Rodgers
The Vikings’ aggressiveness is paying off
