What did Pro Football Focus think of how the Vikings performed on Sunday night at AT&T Stadium? Here’s a look at the player grades from the Vikings’ 34-26 win over the Dallas Cowboys:
Top 3 on offense (minimum 20 snaps)
J.J. McCarthy … 89.7
Jalen Nailor … 86.0
T.J. Hockenson … 82.4
Analysis: It was by far the highest grade McCarthy has garnered in his career so far. He was lights out after throwing an interception on his first pass of the game. It doesn’t appear that he got docked too much for that miscue after the ball got tipped at the line scrimmage. The body of work was stellar other than that as McCarthy was surgical while only missing a few layups that he’d like to have back. It makes sense that Nailor and Hockenson earned high grades because they were McCarthy’s favorite targets in the game.
Bottom 3 on offense (minimum 20 snaps)
Donovan Jackson … 46.2
Justin Skule … 57.6
Josh Oliver … 59.3
Analysis: It’s a little bit surprising to see a pair of offensive linemen near the bottom of the list considering that group up front did not allow a sack. There were clearly instances where the grading system felt Jackson and Skule got beat, even if it didn’t result in McCarthy being brought down for a sack. As for Oliver, he was much better as a pass catcher than a run blocker, which isn’t always the case with him.
Top 3 on defense (minimum 20 snaps)
Jonathan Greenard … 90.5
Fabian Moreau … 79.6
Eric Wilson … 78.7
Analysis: It was a dominant effort from Greenard rushing the passer as he was no match for whoever was tasked with blocking him. He finished with a sack in the game and could have had even more with how many pressures he generated. It was a solid showing from Moreau during his limited snaps in the slot. It was also a solid showing from Wilson as he continues to prove himself as a late bloomer.
Bottom 3 on defense (minimum 20 snaps)
Jonathan Allen … 27.6
Blake Cashman … 34.1
Andrew Van Ginkel … 53.0
Analysis: The fact that Allen and Cashman finished near the bottom of the list had most to do the defense being unable to stop the run for prolonged stretches. There were way too many chunk plays given up on the ground, and while that was an issue across the board, Allen and Cashman were deemed the biggest culprits in the struggles. That also cost Van Ginkel in the grading system.
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