Vikings defensive back George Iloka served an important role against the Texans.
With Minnesota S Harrison Smith ejected, Iloka filled in at safety. He wasn’t perfect, but he helped the Vikings get a win.
That’s mostly the extent to which Iloka has impacted Minnesota this season. Bleacher Report thinks Iloka’s best playing days are behind him, listing him as a player who’s past his prime. Here’s what the outlet said about Iloka:
“Iloka was expected to help offset Minnesota’s secondary purge—Mackensie Alexander, Trae Waynes and Xavier Rhodes all departed in the offseason—but he hasn’t exactly been a key contributor. He appeared in just four games before being placed on injured reserve with a torn ACL.
In his four appearances, Iloka played just 45 total defensive snaps, with 43 of them coming in a single game. At 30 years old, his time as an NFL starter appears over.”
I don’t think it’s entirely fair to have expected Iloka to be a big contributor, but I think it’s safe to say he isn’t one of the better defensive backs on the team. Maybe he’ll have a resurgence once he comes back from the reserve/injured list.