When the Minnesota Vikings selected linebacker Brian Asamoah in the third round of the NFL draft, they did so in the way they want to shape the defense moving forward with a quick trigger and aggressiveness.
Asamoah has both of those and, while they can be a huge positive, it’s also why he hasn’t played a whole lot this season. That aggressiveness doesn’t always suit him well, as he would get a little overzealous in hitting the wrong gap.
That has shown some improvement from what we saw during the preseason and he made a huge impact in Saturday’s game against the New York Giants.
This is a relatively simple play. Tight end Daniel Bellinger motions into the backfield and runs a crossing route. Daniel Jones hits him with ease, but how Asamoah attacks Bellinger after the catch, gives the Vikings an element that they haven’t had in awhile.
He uses his explosiveness to catch up and violently attacks the ball. He scoops it up and that turnover set up a Vikings field goal.
Ed Donatell’s defense isn’t the most aggressive so adding that element could be a game-changer for this defense.