Awards etc
Levi Drake-Rodriguez was honored as NFC Special Teams Player of the week for his play in Detroit. He only played 17 snaps, but got his first sack as a pro and was noticed for his block of the Field Goal with just over 6 minutes left in the game.
While I'm giving out accolades, Blake Brandel (from Oregon St via Portland), was the ONLY Vikings OL who gave up ZERO pressures against the Lions, per PFF.
A few more callouts...up and down.
Top PFF grades on offense:
Aaron Jones 76.6
Justin Jefferson 72.8
Blake Brandel 68
Donovan Jackson 67.4
Christian Darrisaw 65.7
Worst offensive grades
RB Jordan Mason 55.2
G Will Fries 55.9
Best run blocking grades
TE T.J. Hockenson 80.4
G Donovan Jackson 69.5
TE Nick Vannett 65.2
C Blake Brandel 62.5
OT Brian O'Neill 61.6
Best pass blocking grades
C Blake Brandel 84.6
OT Christian Darrisaw 82.1
RB Aaron Jones 79.4
G Donovan Jackson 78.1
TE Nick Vannett 71.1
Worst run blocking grades
WR Jordan Addison 53.4
G Will Fries 55.7
Best defensive grades
LB Blake Cashman 90.8
DL Javon Hargrave 81.4
LB Andrew Van Ginkel 75.1
CB Fabian Moreau 73.4
S Harrison Smith 67.4
Worst defensive grades
LB Ivan Pace Jr. 31.4
DL Jalen Redmond 45.3
CB Isaiah Rodgers 48
CB Byron Murphy Jr. 49.2
Best run defense grades
LB Ivan Pace Jr. 37.8
DL Jonathan Allen 38.6
DL Jalen Redmond 43.8
DL Levi Drake Rodriguez 44.8
Edge Dallas Turner 52.9
Best pass rush grades
DL Jonathan Allen 80.1
LB Ivan Pace Jr. 79.6
DL Levi Drake Rodriguez 75
Best coverage grades
Edge Dallas Turner 77.7
LB Blake Cashman 71.5
CB Fabian Moreau 70.8
Montana Tom wrote:
A few more callouts...up and down.Top PFF grades on offense:
Aaron Jones 76.6
Justin Jefferson 72.8
Blake Brandel 68
Donovan Jackson 67.4
Christian Darrisaw 65.7Worst offensive grades
RB Jordan Mason 55.2
G Will Fries 55.9Best run blocking grades
TE T.J. Hockenson 80.4
G Donovan Jackson 69.5
TE Nick Vannett 65.2
C Blake Brandel 62.5
OT Brian O'Neill 61.6Best pass blocking grades
C Blake Brandel 84.6
OT Christian Darrisaw 82.1
RB Aaron Jones 79.4
G Donovan Jackson 78.1
TE Nick Vannett 71.1Worst run blocking grades
WR Jordan Addison 53.4
G Will Fries 55.7Best defensive grades
LB Blake Cashman 90.8
DL Javon Hargrave 81.4
LB Andrew Van Ginkel 75.1
CB Fabian Moreau 73.4
S Harrison Smith 67.4Worst defensive grades
LB Ivan Pace Jr. 31.4
DL Jalen Redmond 45.3
CB Isaiah Rodgers 48
CB Byron Murphy Jr. 49.2Best run defense grades
LB Ivan Pace Jr. 37.8
DL Jonathan Allen 38.6
DL Jalen Redmond 43.8
DL Levi Drake Rodriguez 44.8
Edge Dallas Turner 52.9Best pass rush grades
DL Jonathan Allen 80.1
LB Ivan Pace Jr. 79.6
DL Levi Drake Rodriguez 75Best coverage grades
Edge Dallas Turner 77.7
LB Blake Cashman 71.5
CB Fabian Moreau 70.8
That makes no sense.
Where is Wilson in the pass rush grades? And the low run defense grades when we shut them down? Silly stuff.
Also, Addison destroyed a safety or DB on Jones's big swing pass that was actually a rush. Go back and watch it, he waits for the guy to turn and then buries him. This distracts the guy covering him, also slows the LB who eventually gets Jones out.
greediron wrote:
That makes no sense.Where is Wilson in the pass rush grades? And the low run defense grades when we shut them down? Silly stuff.
Also, Addison destroyed a LB on Jones's big swing pass that was actually a rush. Go back and watch it, he waits for the guy to turn and then buries him.
It's PFF. Nobody really knows what's going on with those grades
Credit Vikings coaches and the incubator oline system.
Passing on jurgems and starting BB with no experience was a ballsy move. especially at Detroit with rookie QB.
A lotta eyebrows went up.
StickierBuns wrote:
If I'm Brandel, I'm pushing hard to stay at center from this point forward in his career. He'll benefit greatly from a whole offseason, OTAs, training camp and preseason focusing on and playing only center if that's what Minnesota chooses to do.
Completely agree. I mean this is only his third game playing that position. Big dude, too...6'7"
He knows all the other positions on the line, it sorta makes sense that he could grasp the blocking assignments.
But it's a totally different animal to understand snap counts and communication with the QB...two different one's in three weeks.
Mattyman wrote:
Credit Vikings coaches and the incubator oline system.Passing on jurgems and starting BB with no experience was a ballsy move. especially at Detroit with rookie QB.
A lotta eyebrows went up.
I don't see it as that ballsy. Brandel had started the last several games, Jergens is young, inexperienced. Why switch to inexperience when the line might be starting to solidify? Doesn't mean you don't go back to Kelly when he is healthy, that is switching to an experienced vet at the position.
greediron wrote:
Huge play. Kudos to LDR
Game changing play!
greediron wrote:
That makes no sense.Where is Wilson in the pass rush grades? And the low run defense grades when we shut them down? Silly stuff.
Also, Addison destroyed a safety or DB on Jones's big swing pass that was actually a rush. Go back and watch it, he waits for the guy to turn and then buries him. This distracts the guy covering him, also slows the LB who eventually gets Jones out.
Absolutely, makes no sense. Fries has graded out low all season but has been steady the whole time. I tend to think there may be a higher value placed on subjective analysis than objective analysis on PFF grades.
StickierBuns wrote:
If I'm Brandel, I'm pushing hard to stay at center from this point forward in his career. He'll benefit greatly from a whole offseason, OTAs, training camp and preseason focusing on and playing only center if that's what Minnesota chooses to do.
If he can learn the subleties of the position, he certainly has the physical attributes to be very good at the position. The interior line pushed the defense back against Detroit and physicly dominated them. That hasn't happened for a long time. He may have some center to QB exchange problems from time to time, but I have yet to see him pushed back into the QB by a big nose tackle on a bull rush. And he seems to be pretty good at getting out on the second level on run plays.
Vikings UDFA returner Myles Price has the highest kickoff return grade (@PFF) among all players in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/1KBfrTJ9Ce
— vikesinsider (@vikesinsider) November 5, 2025
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