MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Andrew Van Ginkel took two hard steps forward to fake a pass rush, then backpedaled left where he knew Aaron Rodgers would look to throw a quick slant with an unblocked backside blitzer coming in hot.
The disguise that defensive coordinator Brian Flores has taught the Minnesota Vikings so well even fooled Rodgers, the four-time MVP who has long been one of the league’s savviest quarterbacks.
Rodgers zipped the ball into Van Ginkel’s zone, and the sixth-year outside linebacker perfectly timed his leap to grab it and race 63 yards the other way for a touchdown that fueled an eventual 23-17 victory over the New York Jets last week in London.
Later in the game, in a moment between plays, Rodgers told Van Ginkel, “Christmas came early.”
Yes, this crop of 2024 free agents for Minnesota has been the gift that keeps on giving.
Van Ginkel is one of several thriving newcomers who were carefully identified by general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, coach Kevin O’Connell and their staffs, particularly Flores, as ideal fits. They have played a major role in the Vikings winning their first five games to enter their bye week as one of only two undefeated teams in the league and easily the biggest surprise success.
“I thought the dialogue from the coaching staff to Kwesi and his staff as far as the desire to get these players here was really, really good. It speaks to kind of what we’ve built in this building that we can have that kind of dialogue, and it also goes back to smart, tough guys that love football and want to be great teammates. Those guys,” O’Connell said, “tend to do pretty well here.”
The Vikings have never played a game in February, with all four of their Super Bowl appearances occurring well before the NFL stretched the postseason into its current monthlong format and instituted a 17-game schedule. If they manage to last that long this season, they can look fondly back at the work they did last March when the free agent market opened.
Instead of re-signing quarterback Kirk Cousins and/or outside linebacker Danielle Hunter at premium prices, the Vikings found a whole bunch of bargains.
Outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard was the most expensive with an annual average contract value at $19 million, but that’s still $5.5 million less than what Hunter cost Greenard’s former team, the Houston Texans. That allowed the Vikings to allocate some of those savings toward Van Ginkel, who left Miami. Another former Texans linebacker, Blake Cashman, also came in the first wave.
Quarterback Sam Darnold and running back Aaron Jones were snatched up for a fraction of the price that Cousins cost the Atlanta Falcons. Cornerback Shaquill Griffin, defensive lineman Jerry Tillery, backup outside linebacker Jihad Ward, backup linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill and backup wide receiver Trent Sherfield joined in the subsequent days.
Then came training camp, when cornerback Stephon Gilmore got the price ($7 million) he wanted for a reunion with Flores that gave the Vikings the shutdown outside coverage they’ve lacked for years.
“I think all these guys are really good football players that we brought in and how they meshed with the guys that were already here. It’s a credit to the locker room, much more so than just the scheme and what we ask them to do,” O’Connell said. “It’s what it’s like on a daily basis for these players to try to be the best versions of themselves.”
The free agent overhaul, plus drafting outside linebacker Dallas Turner in the first round, gave the Vikings a defensive lineup with five new starters and four new backups who regularly are in the rotation. The Vikings have allowed the fourth-fewest points per game (15.2) in the league and are fifth in yards allowed per play (4.8). They’re second in the NFL with 13 takeaways, which is attributable to Flores and his unpredictable scheme.
“He holds us to a high standard, and he puts us in position to make plays and allows us to play fast, physical, and play at a high level,” Van Ginkel said, adding: “He keeps talking about this thing called joy and just love playing it. We’re ultimately playing a kids’ game, and if you’re not enjoying this, you’re not in the right sport or job.”
There’s a player-friendly culture behind the talent and schemes at work, too, that Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell have tried to shape since they were hired in 2022. Jones noticed it immediately, even after leaving a well-run team in the Green Bay Packers that had plenty of success while he was there.
“It’s different than anything that I’ve been a part of, and I can’t put my finger on what it is that’s different,” Jones said. “I’ve been a part of some good teams, but this is a special team.”