Minnesota Vikings: S Anthony Harris
To put it bluntly, Minnesota’s cornerbacks are the glaring weak link in Mike Zimmer’s defense. Starters Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes have been less than effective all season. Rhodes has allowed 59 completions on 70 targets for 707 yards and an opponent passer rating of 127.8. Waynes has allowed 61 completions on 84 targets for 653 yards, and an opponent passer rating of 109.9. Between them, Rhodes and Waynes have allowed nine touchdowns, and only Waynes has an interception. Without safeties Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris, this pass defense might have pushed the Vikings right out of the playoffs. Smith and Harris have allowed no touchdowns and have nine interceptions between them, and Harris is one of two defensive players this season (Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White is the other) with six interceptions and no touchdowns allowed in coverage.
An undrafted free agent out of Virginia, Harris has seen his snap counts and responsibilities increase every year from his rookie campaign in 2015. In 2019, he had 910 overall snaps and 580 coverage snaps, per Pro Football Focus, and you could count on one hand the times he was caught out of position. More often, he was busy making plays a lot of safeties couldn’t make. His interception of Philip Rivers in Week 15 is an ideal example.
At the snap, Harris appears to have his full attention on tight end Hunter Henry. But as he’s backpedaling, he’s also focused on the deep post receiver Mike Williams is running out of trips from the other side. With great speed, excellent anticipation, and perfect timing, Harris peels off and jumps the post for an impressive interception.
Against the Saints in the wild-card round, Harris and Smith will have to be more on point than ever — Drew Brees is coming off a torrid December in which he was named the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Month, and if Minnesota’s cornerbacks can’t play at a league-average level, their safeties will have all kinds of cleanup work against one of the NFL’s best passing offenses.