Tag: Ivan Pace

Jordan Addison and Ivan Pace recognized for sensational rookie seasons

Jordan Addison and Ivan Pace were recognized for their outstanding rookie seasons by the PFWA Writers.

As we get farther into the offseason, the Minnesota Vikings continue to see accolades for the 2023 NFL season.

The Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling reports that wide receiver Jordan Addison and linebacker Ivan Pace have been selected to the PFWA Writer’s All-Rookie teams.

Addison made the team alongside the Los Angeles Rams’ Puka Nacua and Pace alongside the Detroit Lions’ Jack Campbell and Rams’ Byron Young.

Addison’s 10 receiving touchdowns rank tied for the 10th-most all-time by a rookie receiver and are the most since Ja’Marr Chase in 2021. When Jefferson went down in week five, Addison was called upon to be the go-to receiver in the offense. Between weeks six and twelve, when Jefferson was out, Addison’s four touchdowns tied for eighth-most by any receiver in the NFL.

Ivan Pace’s 102 combined tackles and 63 solo tackles led all rookie linebackers. It also ranks as the fourth-most tackles in NFL history by an undrafted rookie in their first season, the most since the Atlanta Falcons’ Paul Worrilow in 2013.

Congratulations to both Addison and Pace on their remarkable seasons!

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Stock up, stock down in Vikings 3-0 win vs. Raiders

In an ugly win like this one, multiple stocks saw movement for the Vikings

For the first time since 1971, the Minnesota Vikings won a game by a score of 3-0. The Vikings outlasted the Las Vegas Raiders in Allegiant Stadium to improve to 7-6.

It was ugly, very ugly. The offenses combined for 430 total yards and 24 total first downs. The passing games combined for 243 yards through the air, an almost unheard-of number in the modern era.

Ugly games happen in the NFL all the time, but they aren’t usually like this. The last game to end by a score of 3-0 was in 2007 when a John-Beck-led Miami Dolphins team fell to Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers in a game that the NFL dubbed “The Monday Night Mud Bowl.” But being on the winning end of a game like this is much better than the alternative. 

In a win this hard-fought, some players are bound to see their stocks rise, and others will see theirs fall amidst all the chaos.

Vikings-Raiders was the lowest-scoring indoor game in NFL history

History was made on Sunday afternoon that would make Mike Zimmer proud

If you think it was a historically low-scoring game, you thought correctly. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reported that the meeting between the Minnesota Vikings and the Las Vegas Raiders was the lowest-scoring indoor game in NFL history.

The closest we’ve been are three instances of six combined points between 1980 and 1987. The three combined points for this matchup will likely be the standard for defensive domination or offensive ineptitude indoors however you choose to interpret it.

As Seifert stated, veteran backup quarterback Nick Mullens and rookie linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. are the two heroes of this unusual yet remarkable story.

Mullens came in to relieve the struggling Josh Dobbs after he started a third-straight game in underwhelming fashion. Mullens ended the game 9-of-13 for 83 yards, but his ability to keep the offense moving was enough to get Minnesota in field goal range to put the only points of the game on the board.

Pace was everywhere, causing havoc against the Las Vegas front. He ended the day with a team-leading 13 tackles (7 solo) with a sack, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hit. Immediately after the field goal, Pace got his interception that helped seal the victory for Minnesota.

It was ugly, very ugly. It was a couple of moments away from reaching unwatchable territory. But even if it wasn’t visually appealing, a win is a win at the end of the day.

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Twitter reacts to Vikings’ keg stand celebration

While the game itself may not be the most exciting, the Vikings defense may have pulled off the celebration of the year.

Games like this between the Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders force fans to search for reasons to celebrate.

The Raiders threatened to break the scoreless 0-0 tie after a play to Hunter Renfrow put the Raiders in field-goal range. But a few plays later, safety Josh Metellus had other plans. Metellus punched out a would-be catch-and-run, and rookie Mekhi Blackmon recovered it to give the Vikings possession deep in their territory.

That led to one of the best celebrations one would find this week in the NFL from the Minnesota defense. The defense flipped Blackmon upside down on top of fellow rookie Ivan Pace to replicate a keg stand in celebration of the rookie’s fumble recovery.

Immediately, the football world on Twitter showed their appreciation for the creativity and splendor of the keg stand and Minnesota’s keg stand celebration.

Tracking Jalen Carter’s path to NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year entering Week 6

We’re ranking the 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year candidates and tracking Philadelphia #Eagles’ defensive tackle Jalen Carter’s chances ahead of Week 6

Jalen Carter was the initial first-round pick to sign his rookie deal.

Before the season, the former Georiga All-American manifested huge goals, and through four weeks in Sean Desai’s system, he’s on his way toward a triumphant affirmation.

Carter wants to win the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award and heading into a Week 6 matchup against the Jets and Quinnen Williams at MetLife Stadim,  the defensive tackle has staked his claim to that award and a potential Pro Bowl and All-Pro nomination.

We’re tracking Carter’s path to winning the award from now until Week 17, and ahead of Sunday’s game against the Jets, it’s Carter’s award to lose after the Christian Gonzalez injury news from two weeks ago.

Tracking Jalen Carter’s path to NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award entering Week 5

We’re ranking the 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year candidates and tracking Philadelphia #Eagles’ defensive tackle Jalen Carter’s chances

Jalen Carter was the initial first-round pick to sign his rookie deal.

Before the season, the former Georiga All-American manifested huge goals, and through four weeks in Sean Desai’s system, he’s on his way toward a triumphant affirmation.

Carter wants to win the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award, and heading into a Week 5 matchup against the Rams and Aaron Donald at Sofi Stadim,  the defensive tackle has staked his claim to that award and a potential Pro Bowl and All-Pro nomination.

We’re tracking Carter’s path to winning the award from now until Week 17, and ahead of Sunday’s game against the Rams, it’s Carter’s award to lose after the Christian Gonzalez injury news.

Tracking Jalen Carter’s path to NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award entering Week 4

We’re ranking the 2023 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year candidates and tracking Philadelphia #Eagles’ defensive tackle Jalen Carter’s chances via @Thacover2NFL

Jalen Carter was the initial first-round pick to sign his rookie deal.

Before the season, the former Georiga All-American manifested huge goals, and through three weeks in Sean Desai’s system, he’s on his way toward a triumphant affirmation.

Carter wants to win the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award, and heading into a Week 4 matchup against Washington at Lincoln Financial Field, the defensive tackle has staked his claim to that award and a potential Pro Bowl and All-Pro nomination.

We’re tracking Carter’s path to winning the award from now until Week 17, and ahead of Sunday’s game against the Commanders, it’s Carter’s award to lose.

Secret Superstars: The underrated players for Week 2 of the 2023 NFL season

From Baker Mayfield to Zack Moss to Ivan Pace Jr. to Deommodore Lenoir to Geno Stone, here are the NFL’s Secret Superstars for Week 2.

Not every great NFL performance is given by a well-known player. Just as often as you see the league’s marquee names ball out, there are those under-the-radar guys who rise up at the right time to add weight to their own names.

It happens every week, and we have collected this list of the most prominent Week 2 performances from those players whose deeds outweighed the import of their reputations.

Here are the NFL’s Secret Superstars for Week 2 of the 2023 NFL season.

(All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions). 

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4 roster building lessons from the Vikings 53-man roster

After the Vikings unveiled their initial 53-man roster, @TheKevinFielder looks at what we can learn from it

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is only in his second season as the general manager of the Minnesota Vikings, but there’s already a clear direction that the team is heading.

Sparing the masses from the discussion about a “competitive rebuild,” the Vikings’ initial 53-man roster was another step in shaping how the team will approach roster building.

Understanding which trends are worth watching can be challenging because rosters can change week-to-week, let alone every season, but enough stuff is worth observing as the Vikings continue in this direction.

Vikings LB Ivan Pace Jr. pushing for a starting job

Ivan Pace went undrafted out of Cincinnati but has played very well.

Those of us who study the NFL draft and prospects in great depth are always shocked when players who we viewed as great prospects fall through the cracks in the draft. Perhaps the biggest one for me was former Cincinnati linebacker Ivan Pace Jr.

Pace ended up going undrafted and being signed by the Minnesota Vikings. All he has done since showing up in Minnesota is wow the coaches there. In the team’s first preseason game, Pace led the team with six total tackles and showed range and strength his critics dinged him for pre-draft.

Pace’s college film was beyond impressive. He played every play like he was shot out of a cannon and showed impressive instincts to go with his athleticism and physicality. His one season with the Bearcats was remarkable. He had 137 total tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 13 starts.

Right now, the Vikings have Brian Asamoah II and Jordan Hicks on the depth chart as starting ILB in their base 3-4 defense. But if Pace keeps playing like he has, he will at minimum push for playing time as the primary backup but could find himself starting at some point this season.

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