[OC] Vikings Defensive Player of Game 1
Before the season kicks off, I'll be taking a look at the Vikings' best offensive and defensive player each game and highlighting exactly why and how they had such a good game. For simplicity sake, I'll be choosing whoever PFF rated as the best player on each side of the ball that week. Right now that's the easiest way to do it, but I'm open to other suggestions like possibly a vote for the upcoming season.
Our first week we played the Tennessee Titans and our defense put on a show, basically winning the game off of points they scored alone. Eric Kendricks and Danielle Hunter both scored defensive TDs, but the player with the highest grade on D was a player with a little more consistency and a little less flash: Harrison Smith. Harrison Smith is the undisputed best player on the entire Vikings roster. He's the definition of a versatile safety, capable of performing any task you could ask of a safety at a high level. Versus the Titans, Harrison really exemplified the word "safety". On at least four separate occasions Smith made the tackle to prevent a much bigger gain after another Viking had whiffed on a tackle.
Here is a screenshot of a 2nd down play where the Titans ran a QB draw. This is the point Smith recognizes the play and starts coming downhill. Mariota hasn't even tipped off he was going to run yet, but Smith was able to read the center and the fact that the D was in poor position to stop that play and is able to prevent the first down.
On this play it's 3rd and 2 in the 2nd quarter. Anthony Barr goes on a blitz but fails to notice the RB leaking out of the backfield. This gives Marcus Mariota an easy read on his hot route and now we're in a situation where the Titans have their 6'4 245lb alien RB running free down the sideline. Smith, however, picks this up immediately and is able to bring down Derrick Henry pretty easily for a 12-yard gain.
Smith and Henry actually had several meetings this game with Smith often coming out on top. Here are two plays where Smith lines up on the edge and is able to shoot in the backfield and bring down Henry. The first one is for no gain on 3rd and 1 and the second one is a TFL on first down.
Just a reminder for those reading this, Derrick Henry and Harrison Smith are both 6'2. Smith, however, weighs 218lbs while Henry checks in at 247lbs. That's basically a 30-pound difference... And Smith is bringing him down with relative ease. That's not something you see often from NFL safeties.
In coverage, Harrison Smith was a blanket. On many occasions he clearly took away Mariota's first option, forcing him to go (unsuccessfully) somewhere else with the ball. He was only thrown at once while being the main defender in coverage and Smith forced the incompletion.
This play really highlights how versatile Smith is. He lines up on the left edge threatening to blitz then just before the ball is snapped he gets back to play a deep quarter role. Once back there he picks up the WR running the dig and breaks on the ball as it's thrown leading to an incomplete pass. This isn't a play many DCs would ask their safety to make, but Smith does it with relative ease.
Although the stat sheet shows Smith had zero picks this game, he actually had one called back because of an extremely soft roughing the passer penalty. On this play Smith is playing a deep half role. The ball is actually pretty badly thrown behind the WR, but Smith broke on it as soon as the QB threw the ball and instead of playing the man, he locked on to the path of the ball and made a spectacular catch for the pick.
Throughout the game, Smith was clearly the best player on defense, with his presence being felt all across the field. This is not even taking into account that he is the leader on the back end making sure all the DBs are on the same page. He made a handful of splash plays in both the run and pass game and even though he didn't produce one of the two TDs we scored on D, he played a massive role in limiting the Titans' offense and securing the Vikings' first win.
Our first week we played the Tennessee Titans and our defense put on a show, basically winning the game off of points they scored alone. Eric Kendricks and Danielle Hunter both scored defensive TDs, but the player with the highest grade on D was a player with a little more consistency and a little less flash: Harrison Smith. Harrison Smith is the undisputed best player on the entire Vikings roster. He's the definition of a versatile safety, capable of performing any task you could ask of a safety at a high level. Versus the Titans, Harrison really exemplified the word "safety". On at least four separate occasions Smith made the tackle to prevent a much bigger gain after another Viking had whiffed on a tackle.
Here is a screenshot of a 2nd down play where the Titans ran a QB draw. This is the point Smith recognizes the play and starts coming downhill. Mariota hasn't even tipped off he was going to run yet, but Smith was able to read the center and the fact that the D was in poor position to stop that play and is able to prevent the first down.
On this play it's 3rd and 2 in the 2nd quarter. Anthony Barr goes on a blitz but fails to notice the RB leaking out of the backfield. This gives Marcus Mariota an easy read on his hot route and now we're in a situation where the Titans have their 6'4 245lb alien RB running free down the sideline. Smith, however, picks this up immediately and is able to bring down Derrick Henry pretty easily for a 12-yard gain.
Smith and Henry actually had several meetings this game with Smith often coming out on top. Here are two plays where Smith lines up on the edge and is able to shoot in the backfield and bring down Henry. The first one is for no gain on 3rd and 1 and the second one is a TFL on first down.
Just a reminder for those reading this, Derrick Henry and Harrison Smith are both 6'2. Smith, however, weighs 218lbs while Henry checks in at 247lbs. That's basically a 30-pound difference... And Smith is bringing him down with relative ease. That's not something you see often from NFL safeties.
In coverage, Harrison Smith was a blanket. On many occasions he clearly took away Mariota's first option, forcing him to go (unsuccessfully) somewhere else with the ball. He was only thrown at once while being the main defender in coverage and Smith forced the incompletion.
This play really highlights how versatile Smith is. He lines up on the left edge threatening to blitz then just before the ball is snapped he gets back to play a deep quarter role. Once back there he picks up the WR running the dig and breaks on the ball as it's thrown leading to an incomplete pass. This isn't a play many DCs would ask their safety to make, but Smith does it with relative ease.
Although the stat sheet shows Smith had zero picks this game, he actually had one called back because of an extremely soft roughing the passer penalty. On this play Smith is playing a deep half role. The ball is actually pretty badly thrown behind the WR, but Smith broke on it as soon as the QB threw the ball and instead of playing the man, he locked on to the path of the ball and made a spectacular catch for the pick.
Throughout the game, Smith was clearly the best player on defense, with his presence being felt all across the field. This is not even taking into account that he is the leader on the back end making sure all the DBs are on the same page. He made a handful of splash plays in both the run and pass game and even though he didn't produce one of the two TDs we scored on D, he played a massive role in limiting the Titans' offense and securing the Vikings' first win.
