Tag: Jeff Gladney

Stock up, stock down from the Vikings’ win over the Lions

Minnesota Vikings 2020 News: See the stock up, stock down from the Vikings’ win over the Detroit Lions.

Minnesota hasn’t fully turned its season around, but the game against Detroit is another step closer to doing so.

The Vikings defeated the Lions 34-20 to move to 3-5 on the season. Minnesota’s win makes it two in a row for the team.

Once reeling and struggling on both sides of the ball, the Vikings now have a chance to go on a three-game winning streak. If the team wants to do that, it will have to beat the Bears in Chicago, not an easy feat, especially for the Vikings.

Minnesota had some players shine in the game vs. Detroit. Here is the stock up, stock down report from the game:

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer talks about Jeff Gladney’s play at cornerback

Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer talked about rookie cornerback Jeff Gladney recently.

Minnesota made some timely defensive stops to get the upset win Sunday over Green Bay.

But it wasn’t all sacks on Aaron Rodgers. The Vikings made their share of mistakes in Week 8, like when Gladney gave up the outside to Davante Adams for the Packers’ first touchdown.

Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer talked about that play in particular with reporters recently:

“The first touchdown on Gladney: 17 (Adams) is a guy we’re obviously paying a whole bunch of attention to,” Zimmer said, via Vikings team reporter Eric Smith. “He’s lined up on the outside shoulder of him. He’s got Anthony Harris on the inside. The ball is snapped, [Adams] gives him a little shake, [Gladney] looks inside and then he gets beat to the outside, where that’s where he should’ve been all the way. There’s a lot of little things like that I’m trying so hard to get these young kids to understand not only about their position, but the guy they’re playing against, where their help is, you know, it just makes it tough.”

It should be pointed out that Gladney made his share of nice plays during the game, especially when he kept Robert Tonyan in bounds to run time off the clock in the fourth quarter. It was somewhat due to the Packers not being set to spike the ball, that play ended up running a lot of time off the clock. He showed his physicality and game awareness there. Now he just needs to put it all together.

Vikings lose three CBs in win over Vikings

The Vikings were already without two of their top corners heading into the game.

The Vikings beat the Packers 28-22 on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

Unfortunately, they lost three cornerbacks to injuries in the process.

Rookie Cam Dantzler left on a stretcher in the first half after suffering a scary neck and head injury. Reports came out that Dantzler had movement, but regardless, still a scary situation that will be monitored.

In the second half, second-year cornerback Kris Boyd left the game with a leg injury.

The Vikings also lost Mark Fields to injury, a player they had just brought up from the practice squad.

The Vikings were already without Mike Hughes and Holton Hill in the game.

It’s something to keep an eye on as the Vikings approach Week 9 against the Lions. Right now, the Vikings’ lead cornerback is rookie Jeff Gladney.

I would expect the Vikings to sign at least one cornerback this week given their injuries. We’ll keep you updated.

Gallery: Vikings upset Packers at Lambeau

The top photos from Sunday’s Vikings’ win over the Packers at Lambeau Field.

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The Vikings’ 2020 first-round draft picks are looking like long-term starters 

The Vikings’ season might be disappointing, but Justin Jefferson and Jeff Gladney have not been.

Silver linings are hard to find on a 1-5 team that had playoff hopes before the season began.

After making it to the Divisional Round last season, those hopes are all but gone in 2020. There have been plenty of reasons as to why the Vikings have gotten off to such a slow start, but their two first-round draft picks have shown flashes of becoming future stars. 

Actually, Justin Jefferson has shown more than just flashes, and has filled the shoes of Stefon Diggs better than expected. Through his first six games he has totaled 28 catches for 537 yards and three touchdowns. 

Those numbers would be impressive for a veteran receiver in the league. They’re even more impressive considering Jefferson didn’t play a big role through the first two games of the season. 

What makes Jefferson so good at such a young age is a combination of things. He has sticky hands, great at making contested catches and is fascinating to watch after the catch. The Diggs departure wasn’t easy for the Vikings fan base, but finding a gem like Jefferson has made the transition easier. 

Jeff Gladney also didn’t play much of a factor through the first couple games, but the injuries in the secondary forced him onto the field. Although he has gotten burned in coverage a few times, Gladney has shown off his physical playing style that should remind Vikings fans of some of the great corners that played in Minnesota before him. 

Being a willing tackler at the cornerback position isn’t always easy to find, but Gladney has ranked as the best at his position against the run, according to PFF. 

It was expected that the youth in the secondary would cause a slow start and it has done exactly that in the passing game. No preseason and a limited offseason didn’t give Gladney the typical amount of reps a rookie would usually have. It’s fair to expect him to show progress in coverage as the year goes on, but his run defense has already proven to be great. 

The Vikings have missed on some of their more recent first-round picks and it’s never a guarantee that they’ll pan out at the NFL level. However, their two 2020 selections look like future pieces they’ll be able to build around for many years to come. 

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer talks about starting two rookie corners

The Minnesota Vikings went with Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler for the starting corners on Sunday.

The Minnesota defense made its share of mistakes, but overall the group held Deshaun Watson in check enough to get the victory.

The Vikings did so by starting two rookie corners out wide: Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler.

With Mike Hughes ruled out for the second straight week, the team was left with few alternatives. Holton Hill, who still played, could have been an option, but he’s been burned quite often this season.

Dantzler started Week 1 but then missed the following two games with a rib injury. He ended up being ready to go this week.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer talked about what it was like to have two rookie corners in the starting lineup Sunday:

“You know they did pretty well,” Zimmer told reporters, via the Vikings. “They competed. You know obviously there are some plays that they would like back. Even for Gladney, he’s playing the nickel and he’s playing outside, so that’s kind of double duty for a young guy. But I think they both played well.”

It was good for the Vikings to have Dantzler back. The team needs him to have a big year if it has any hope of turning things around.

Report: Vikings CB Jeff Gladney to have ‘increased role’ against the Colts

Get ready to see more out of Vikings rookie cornerback Jeff Gladney.

Vikings rookie cornerback Cameron Dantzler started Week 1, while fellow rookie corner Jeff Gladney played sparingly.

Now that Dantzler is out, that’s expected to change. Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune reported that Gladney is expected to have an increased role tomorrow in Indianapolis.

“Without Dantzler (rib), Vikings’ corner rotation will again take on new look,” Krammer said on Twitter.

Gladney played in just nine snaps this past game against the Packers. He’s a physical corner, which might help the Vikings defense. Last game, Minnesota’s corners struggled to get off blockers, tackle and engage with wide receivers near the line of scrimmage.

PFF writer is expecting big things from Vikings CB Cam Dantzler

The third-round pick has had an impressive training camp so far.

By all accounts, Vikings rookie cornerback Cam Dantzler is putting together a very nice preseason.

With losses to three of their starting cornerbacks this offseason, having a third-round pick step up and play well would be huge for Mike Zimmer’s defense.

Pro Football Focus writer Michael Renner made 10 predictions for rookies heading into 2020. One was that Dantzler would finish with the second-highest PFF grade among rookie cornerbacks.

Here’s what Renner wrote about Dantzler:

Dantzler’s tape was far better than his 89th overall selection might suggest. His weight and 40-yard dash time obviously dropped him, but rave reviews from camp about the third-rounder abound. No corner in college football last year fared better against Ja’Marr Chase last season than Dantzler (2-of-4 targets for 13 yards with a PBU against LSU), so his NFL-readiness shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. The only question here is whether he’ll see the field enough with Mike Hughes, Holton Hill and Jeff Gladney all vying for playing time this fall.

The Vikings will need to rely on Dantzler and the three corners listed above. Hughes is in his third year, as is Hill. Both Gladney and Dantzler are rookies. This unit will go through growing pains, certainly, but the hope is that Zimmer can mold at least one into a star. Maybe that will be Dantzler.

Vikings’ CB group at 11th in NFL.com ranking

They might be young, but Cynthia Frelund is high on the Vikings’ cornerback group.

Heading into the 2020 season, most are down on the Vikings’ cornerback group.

And it makes sense.

After losing players like Xavier Rhodes, Mackensie Alexander and Trae Waynes, the Vikings will rely on players like Mike Hughes, Holton Hill, Jeff Gladney and Cam Dantzler.

Not exactly household names.

Cynthia Frelund over at NFL.com doesn’t seem to be worried, though. In her cornerback rankings heading into the season, she has the Vikings’ cornerback group ranked 11th in the entire league.

If the Vikings were to live up to these expectations, that would be huge for a Mike Zimmer defense that already has one of the league’s better safety and linebacker groups.

So far, it sounds like the rookies, especially Dantzler, have impressed in training camp. Of course, without preseason games, we aren’t able to see that as fans.

To round out the NFC North, the Lions rank 18th, the Packers rank 12th and the Bears rank 10th.

Who is the most ‘pivotal’ rookie for Vikings in 2020?

No, it’s neither of the team’s first-round picks.

The Vikings will be relying on plenty of rookies in 2020, but which one will be the most important to the team’s success?

The most obvious candidates are first-round picks Justin Jefferson and Jeff Gladney.

However, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein writes that the most pivotal rookie for the Vikings will be third-round cornerback Cameron Dantzler.

Here’s what Zierlein wrote about Dantzler:

Sure, Justin Jefferson or Jeff Gladney are the easy picks, but the right one might be Dantzler. The Vikings’ defense will be relying on a young group of cornerbacks, but I really liked what I observed from Dantzler on tape. If he can play at the level we saw against LSU and Alabama, Minnesota’s secondary may surprise some people.

Dantzler appears to be turning heads in training camp so far. Without Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes or Mackensie Alexander, the Vikings will need someone unexpected to step up. Maybe that will be Dantzler.

Dantzler already has said that he’s feeling more comfortable thanks to the team’s safety duo of Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris.

You can check out Zierlein’s list of most pivotal rookies here.