Tag: jonathan greenard

The Vikings defense is on a hot streak in securing turnovers in 2024

Minnesota has itself a very unique streak going on.

Not only are the Vikings rolling with a 12-2 record after defeating the Bears 30-12 on Monday Night Football, but Minnesota has a unique streak going. Following Jonathan Greenard’s forced fumble and Blake Cashman recovering it, the Vikings have now forced a turnover in all 14 games this season.

It’s the first time since 1992 (16 games) that a team has forced a turnover in every game. But in 2024, the Vikings are the only team who has forced a turnover in every game. Defensive coordinator has been a mad genius for the Minnesota defense. Flores knows how to disguise his coverages, and the individual players have really bought into what Flores is teaching.

Leading the Vikings defense, Byron Murphy Jr. has six interceptions. Greenard has forced four fumbles, and eight players have all recovered one fumble for Minnesota. It’s been a team effort to get those takeaways.

The Vikings will hope to continue that streak when they go to Seattle for a Sunday contest with the Seahawks.

Vikings’ Jonathan Greenard named NFC Defensive Player of the Month

Jonathan Greenard’s strong November not only won him the award from the league but also got the Vikings back on track. 

The NFC Defensive Player of the Month Award for November is heading north. Jonathan Greenard earned the award after a dominant month and is already poised for contention for the award in December as well.

Jonathan Greenard’s strong November not only won him the award from the league but also got the Vikings back on track.

Following a two-game losing streak, November was a perfect month for the Vikings. They are currently on a five-game winning streak, and Greenard has played an integral role in it. He accumulated a whopping 16 tackles, four sacks, and one forced fumble in the month of November.

Greenard signed with the Vikings this past offseason after they lost Danielle Hunter in free agency. They knew they needed help at the Edge, so they secured a four-year, $76 million contract.

So far, he has been worth every penny and he will have a chance to prove that again on Sunday when Kirk Cousins comes back into town.

 

Pro Bowl Voting is now open, vote for your favorite Vikings players

On Monday, the NFL announced that Pro Bowl voting is now open which means you can vote for your favorite Vikings players. 

The Pro Bowl has had its ups and downs over the years, but it has never ceased to give us memorable moments. From Sean Taylor derailing a punter on a trick play to Tyreek Hill and Justin Jefferson toying with defenders in flag football, we get memories out of these events, and you, the fans, get to decide who makes those for you.

On Monday, the NFL announced that Pro Bowl voting is now open, which means you can vote for your favorite Vikings players.

Most positions allow you to vote for up to six players in each of them. Some Vikings who could get your vote on offense are Sam Darnold during his breakout season. Aaron Jones already has over 1,000 yards of offense and deserves your vote. Of course, Justin Jefferson will always get some votes but don’t forget about Jordan Addison.

On defense, the edge-rushing duo of Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel has almost 20 sacks between them. Blake Cashman has proven to be a difference-maker on that side of the ball.

When you vote for these guys, make sure you don’t forget about Will Reichard, either.

Vikings DC Brian Flores is happy with Dallas Turner’s development

Some folks have also noticed that Dallas Turner has been rather silent on a team full of game-wreckers on the edge.

The Vikings’ defense is firing on all cylinders and is on pace for a record-setting year. The group and the performance that Brian Flores has gotten out of them is getting noticed by everyone around the league.

Some folks have also noticed that Dallas Turner has been rather silent on a team full of game-wreckers on the edge.

The first-round pick out of Alabama came in and had high expectations. People often forget that the development of edge rushers from college to the NFL takes time to fully turn into the gamewreckers they were in college. Brian Flores spoke to the media on Tuesday and shared his thoughts on his development.

“I think Dallas has done a great job… I think he’s an ascending player, he’s been great in meetings, when his number is called he’s showing up.. we’re constantly trying to figure out how to get him in. He’s in a really good spot”

We can use Jonathan Greenard as an example of how long it can take for players to develop. In the first three years of his career, he had a total of 10.5 sacks before recording  16.5 in his last 20 games over the last two seasons.

It will take some time with Turner, Flores has faith, so you should have some faith as well. In the meantime, enjoy Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard coming off the edge full-time.

Vikings’ Jonathan Greenard on Lions matchup: ‘It’s going to be a dog fight’

Minnesota’s Edge defender knows the Lions will put up a major fight on Sunday.

The 5-0 Vikings are back in action this week and it’s going to be big one. Minnesota has already knocked off powerful teams such as the 49ers, Texans, Packers, and Jets — to some extent — this season. But next up, Minnesota will host an in-division rival when the Lions come to town.

Vikings’ Edge defender Jonathan Greenard knows it’s going to be a tough challenge for both sides of the football. Since Dan Campbell became the head coach of the Lions, Detroit has played with a different kind of tenacity.

“We know this is a big game this week coming up,” Jonathan Greenard said, via KSTP’s Darren Wolfson. “It’s gonna be a crazy environment. We know they’re bringing it, they’re playing very very good ball. Lots of respect for this team. It’s going be a dogfight, 1000 percent.”

Lions’ star defender Aidan Hutchinson suffered a season-ending injury on Sunday and Detroit won’t have him for Sunday’s game against the Vikings. While that makes life a little easier for Christian Darrisaw and Co. it’s still not going to be an easy game for the Vikings.

ESPN recognizes Vikings strong offseason playing key role in start

The Minnesota Vikings and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have made free agency one of their key traits for team-building success.

The Minnesota Vikings and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have made free agency one of their key traits for team-building success. The 2024 season starting as great as it has speaks to his and his staff’s eye for talent.

Those outside the building are recognizing that trait.

Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN discussed what offseason acquisitions are making the most significant impact for their teams, and the Vikings mentioned three players. Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard, and Blake Cashman completely revamped this linebacker group for the Vikings. They made an impact in the first game and haven’t stopped since.

Constant pressures by Brian Flores with this group have the Vikings leading in this category. The other two can step up when one player gets out of the game. They are creating constant chaos, and it is reflected when you catch the opposing quarterback play.

This weekend, they will look to create more chaos in front of international fans as they face Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets.

Vikings edge Jonathan Greenard earns NFC Defensive Player of the Week

The first-year Viking had a huge game against the Texans and was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

It was sort of a revenge game this past Sunday for Jonathan Greenard when the Vikings hosted his former team. The Houston Texans came to Minnesota in hopes of taking down the undefeated Vikings, but after a dominant effort from the Minnesota defense, the Vikings remained unbeaten following a 34-7 win.

Greenard was absolutely fantastic against the Texans. He came away with a sack right away on his former teammate, C.J. Stroud. But that wasn’t going to be the first one. Greenard got to Stroud three times on Sunday and also recorded four tackles.

After his three-sack performance, Greenard was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week. It was a career-high in a single game for Greenard, and he led all defensive players with three sacks in Week 3.

The Vikings will now head to Green Bay for a divisional matchup against the Packers. It’s not known who will start at quarterback for the Packers. Either Mailk Willis or Jordan Love will be back there, but either way, the Vikings will want another massive game from Greenard on Sunday.

Vikings get good news on the injury front regarding Sam Darnold

The injuries are mounting for the Minnesota Vikings, but they got some good news on three players who missed Sunday’s game, and their QB.

The NFL season is the ultimate grind in sports, and no team comes through it unscathed. Injuries are a part of the game and something that every team has to deal with to varying degrees during the season. The injuries are starting to mount for the Minnesota Vikings, but they got good positive news on Monday.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell told the press on Monday that wide receiver Jordan Addison, linebacker Ivan Pace, Jr., and edge rusher Dallas Turner are all day-to-day with their injuries, but the coach “sounded optimistic on all,” according to Minnesota Vikings beat reporter Alec Lewis.

All three players missed Sunday’s win over the Houston Texans, but the Vikings were able to get strong contributions from players in their absence. Wide receiver Jalen Nailor stepped up in the absence of Addison, catching three of his four targets for 31 yards and a touchdown.

Linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill was one of the studs of the week for the Vikings in place of Pace, notching a big interception, defending another pass, and making several nice open-field tackles. At the same time, free agent acquisition Jonathan Greenard had a huge day against his former team, notching three sacks on the day and ensuring the Vikings didn’t miss their first-round pick, Turner.

The Vikings got more good news on the injury front, as the team revealed that quarterback Sam Darnold suffered a bruised knee in the game on Sunday and avoided any structural damage. Darnold isn’t expected to miss any time with the injury and should be good to continue a season that could wind up being his career-best when all is said and done.

‘It’s disrespectful’: Former Texans DE Jonathan Greenard calls out Houston’s offensive strategy

Former Houston Texans star Jonathan Greenard had a performance to remember Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium.

This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccurate headline

Jonathan Greenard likely didn’t need any extra motivation to play against his former team Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium. 

The Houston Texans gave him a bit more juice on the opening play. 

Greenard, who finished with three sacks in the Minnesota Vikings 34-7 win over the Texans, took on rookie tight end Cade Stover for a one-on-one matchup. C.J. Stroud connected for a 17-yard pickup, but the play was negated since Stover was called for a holding penalty against Greenard. 

That’s when the former third-round pick became locked in on winning every battle against Houston for the next four quarters. 

“First play of the game, they tried to block me with a rook,” Greenard told the Houston Chronicle following the game. “They tried to block me with a rookie tight end. It’s disrespectful. I ain’t never seen that.”  

Greenard, who arguably was the Texans’ top defensive player for two years under Lovie Smith and DeMeco Ryans, already felt disrespected by the AFC South champs after not reportedly getting an offer in the offseason. Even though he didn’t say anything publically, players knew the importance of Sunday’s victory to Greenard’s persona. 

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“He was amazing,” former cornerback Shaq Griffin told Vikings reporters. “He was absolutely amazing. I feel like it was the perfect time to get three in one day. I’m glad it was against the Texans. So I’m happy for him.”

After a breakout 2023 season that resulted in 12.5 sacks, Greenard inked a four-year, $76 million contract with the Vikings in March. Houston responded by signing former Vikings star Danielle Hunter on a two-year deal. 

Through three games, Greenard has 4.5 sacks to Hunter’s 1.5. The season is long, but the Vikings are certainly pleased with how Greenard’s looked to begin an undefeated season. 

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“J.G.’s been huge for us all year with pressure production, but I know all of us are happy to see him ring the bell three times there with three sacks,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said.

Greenard seems to be content with his decision to leave Houston, especially after the offense tried to block him with a fourth-round rookie tight end.

“I’m glad I’m here in Minnesota because obviously they respect me,” Greenard told KPRC 2 Sports‘ Aaron Wilson. “If anyone else want to do that, they can try.”

WATCH: Jonathan Greenard sacks his old teammate C.J. Stroud

The former Houston Texan got home against his former team on Sunday as the Vikings dominate the Texans in the first quarter.

The Vikings and Texans, in a roundabout way, swapped star edge rushers. Jonathan Greenard left Houston and came to Minnesota this offseason as the Vikings’ marquee signing, and Danielle Hunter left the Vikings and signed with the Texans.

On Sunday, both players had revenge on their minds. Hunter was back in Minnesota for another game, and Greenard would get a chance to go against his former team in his new stadium.

During Houston’s second drive, Greenard got home against Stroud, bringing the QB down for his first sack of the game. Greenard has made his presence known in the game. He has been a force getting off blocks.

The Vikings went down the field on their second drive for another score, putting them up 14-0.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1837907351892119875?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw