Greenard, the Vikings’ leading pass rusher, sacked mobile Bears QB Caleb Williams twice last week and said the team is in for more of the same challenge against Murray on Sunday.
The Vikings' Jonathan Greenard sacks Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams in the second quarter Sunday at Soldier Field. (Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard needed about nine seconds for his ninth sack of the season.
Greenard fought through a double-team by Bears tight end Cole Kmet and running back D’Andre Swift before delivering what defensive coordinator Brian Flores called the “biggest play” of the defense’s Sunday at Chicago.
He corralled Bears quarterback Caleb Williams when he over-danced in overtime, setting back Chicago’s offense and setting up quarterback Sam Darnold’s winning drive.
“That was a phenomenal play,” Flores said. “Didn’t have much rush on the play, so my eyes went downfield and that looked like it was covered pretty good, so I went back to the quarterback. It was a great play. Just really strain and finish. All the things we talk about as far as continually doing everything we can, never giving up on a play.
“Feels like there’s no way he’s going to get there, and he finds a way to the quarterback, gets him down on the biggest play of the game defensively for us. … He certainly showed up in a big, big situation, which he has really all year.”
Greenard, the Vikings’ leading pass rusher, can make a run at topping his career-high 12½ sacks last year with Houston as he enjoys a continued ascension in Minnesota. He has been one of the most consistent defenders on the NFL’s fifth-ranked scoring defense, living up to the four-year, $76 million contract he signed in March.
The Vikings sacked Williams three times Sunday, but Williams also scrambled for three first downs in key moments. This week’s quarterback won’t be any easier to chase down.
In comes Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, who by the numbers is the most effective scrambling quarterback in the NFL this season. Murray doesn’t scramble too often — as much as Sam Darnold this season, 23 times (14th-most in the NFL) — but he averages a league-leading 10 yards when scurrying out of the pocket, per Sports Info Solutions (SIS).
“It’s going to be the same thing this week,” Greenard said.
Greenard got an advanced scouting report last year, when his Texans beat Murray’s Cardinals at NRG Stadium in Houston. Murray ran for 51 yards and a touchdown, but his offense scored only 16 points.
The Cardinals offense, coordinated by former Vikings receivers coach Drew Petzing, is better this year with the steadiness of running back James Conner, the emergence of tight end Trey McBride and the addition of first-round receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
Murray is better, too, apparently.
“He’s just faster,” Greenard said. “As far as comparing him to last season, it’s just a faster version of him. They’re gelling, getting a little more confident.”
The Vikings deployed various methods of trying to contain Williams last week, including blitzes or dropping back and designating a spy like edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel.
One of Williams’ escapes came on a critical fourth down in the fourth quarter, when Williams looked to flee two different ways before choosing a third by hopping over Vikings edge rusher Jihad Ward, who lay on the ground, and outrunning a spying Van Ginkel.
“You gotta do a really good job of kind of keeping him in the pocket,” Flores said. “But then getting him down is a whole other set of issues. … We felt that last week, will make a couple adjustments. We were in some good positions on some of those things, and we just got to finish the play. But that’s much easier said than done.”
Williams also spun away from Van Ginkel when the Vikings defender got a free run at him. That was when Williams uncorked a 40-yard pass to Swift down the sideline.
“We learned a lot,” Van Ginkel said. “Obviously I did, just rushing Caleb; Kyler Murray is no different. Slippery is a good word. … When you do get free runners at him, you have to come to balance and make sure he doesn’t shake you. Playing Caleb obviously helped us.”
Flores-coached defenders pride themselves on playing multiple roles, but Greenard is so good at rushing the quarterback that it’s his clear focus. Only four NFL defenders have more pass rushes this season than Greenard’s 346 — 110 more than the next Vikings defender. And his team-leading 42 QB pressures rank 10th leaguewide, per SIS.
Greenard said stats might say he is doing well, but he is focused on improvement.
“I’m solid,” Greenard said. “Definitely know I can be better. Techniquewise, even though the stats show something, I’m not pleased with the technique aspect of it, and finishing and just being consistent. I’m still fixing that, channeling that, so that way I can just be the best version of myself.”
