Vikings defense has had a big boost this season from the indefatigable Jonathan Greenard

Published Dec. 4, 2024 6:07 p.m. ET

Associated Press

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Jonathan Greenard was gassed, gasping for breath and gulping some water late in the game on Minnesota's sideline, having chased around Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray to the point of sheer exhaustion after fighting through an illness all week.

The Cardinals faced fourth down in those closing seconds on Sunday, trailing by one, and Greenard needed a break.

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell let defensive coordinator Brian Flores see the formation the Cardinals sent out and deftly called timeout.

The Vikings badly wanted Greenard, who'd been battling an illness all week, back in the game.

“'You ready to go? You ready to go? You ready to go?'” O'Connell asked, smiling later as he reflected on his eagerness and the rarity of using a timeout to give a defensive player a rest. “No doubt, he was going back on the field and going to have a really impactful snap.”

Greenard and the rest of the pass rush put enough heat on Murray to force a hurried throw that Shaquill Griffin intercepted to seal a 23-22 comeback victory that stretched Minnesota's winning streak to five.

“He’s playing some high-level football. I don’t know where we’re at with postseason accolades, but he should be in the conversation for a number of those,” Flores said. “I feel like I say this every week: We’re lucky to have him.”

Greenard is tied for fourth in the NFL with 32 pressures, according to Sportradar tracking. He's also tied for fourth in the league with 10 sacks.

“He’s always popping off the tape, no matter what week it is,” teammate Harrison Smith said. “Especially in crunch time.”

Those basic statistics only begin to show the impact Greenard has made on the Vikings, who made him their top priority in free agency this year once it was clear Danielle Hunter priced himself out of the plan.

Greenard has not only blossomed into one of the league's most effective edge rushers after four injury-limited seasons with Houston, but he has also been a major part of Minnesota's success against the ground attack to the tune of an NFL-leading average allowance of 81.3 rushing yards per game.

“The underrated part is just the all-down aspect of the physicality, setting edges, playing blocks and making some plays at or behind the line of scrimmage that set up his chances to then rush the passer,” O'Connell said. “He’s played a ton. We’re trying to be aware of just how much he’s played and see if we can give him some spurts here and there where we can kind of keep his play count where we want it, but at the same time he’s one of our best players. As I like to call him, he’s the closer.”

Never was that nickname more evident than against the Cardinals.

Pushed wide on his rush by left tackle Paris Johnson Jr., Greenard stabbed at Murray with his left hand to graze just enough of the ball to poke it loose. Murray fell on it to maintain possession, but the sack put the Cardinals in an uphill third-and-13 play.

This time, Greenard deftly slid to the inside to keep full vision on one of the NFL’s most elusive quarterbacks. Pressure by Patrick Jones prompted Murray to take off as he barely avoided another sack, and Greenard was in ideal position to minimize the scramble.

Once Murray hesitated to try to juke him and approaching cornerback Byron Murphy for more yardage, Greenard caught up and corralled him — inbounds, forcing the Cardinals to burn another timeout — for a 3-yard gain. Afterward, Greenard drew a straight line from those plays back to his offseason training.

“If your tongue ain’t on the ground after your workouts, I feel like you’re not doing enough, especially the guys on the quarterbacks,” Greenard said.

With the U.S. Bank Stadium crowd roaring, Greenard doubled over and asked to be subbed out.

“I just wanted to show that I’m running my tail off to that football. It just so happened that he cut back and I was like, ‘Oh, perfect,'” Greenard said. “That was tough.”

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL