Formidable in the lineup or on the sideline, Everson Griffen invigorates the Vikings' pass rush

The Vikings began the season with a plan to limit Everson Griffen's workload, preserving him for passing situations while keeping the 33-year-old fresh on early downs. But the plan has run into two problems.

First, there is what the Vikings have seen on the field: Griffen banking around the corner of the offensive line, beating tackles with his spin move and holding his own against the run. There is also the less quantifiable — but not less formidable — force they must navigate on the sideline when they try to sit him.

"He doesn't want to come out," coach Mike Zimmer said, "and when the game's on the line, we don't want him out. Unfortunately, every game is on the line."

The Vikings, in many ways, are back to constructing their pass rush the way they did in 2019, counting on Danielle Hunter and Griffen to provide much of it while getting periodic contributions from their tackles. That they rank at the top of the league in sacks and pressures is a testament to the power of a pairing they thought they might never see again.

Hunter, having returned from a herniated disc in his neck and an offseason contract dispute, has six sacks in as many games, registering 14 pressures in 228 pass-rushing snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. But Griffen, who came back on a one-year deal after an August tryout, has been just as effective. He's registered four sacks and has 14 pressures in 152 pass-rushing snaps, starting the past two games and playing 78.8% of the Vikings' snaps in that time.

The Vikings' 21 sacks are tied with the Bears for the most in the league. Minnesota has pressured opposing quarterbacks 32.1% of the time, which is the highest rate in the league, according to Pro Football Reference.

"You know, it's not really lobbying [for more snaps]," Griffen said. "I'm out there doing my job and I've been playing well. They see that and they want me to help the team; it's all about helping the team. More reps I get, the more rhythm I get and the bigger impact I can make."

It's come a year after Yannick Ngakoue — who was traded after just six games with the Vikings — led the team with five sacks. The 2020 Vikings played without Hunter and Griffen, and spent 14 games without Anthony Barr.

This year, they've rebuilt the pass rush by dipping into their past. Though they'll face the NFL's top-ranked offense on Sunday night, their pass rush could help their secondary survive without Patrick Peterson, particularly if Dak Prescott's calf injury keeps him out or limits his mobility.

"When you can affect the quarterback, you can make a difference," co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson said. "The last game we played against Carolina, we did a great job of making him feel us, and we made some of his throws erratic. We made him go out on the run, and that's usually the equalizer. And that's the big key for us this week. We've got to make [Prescott] feel our presence, because if we don't, he'll kill us.

"He's a great quarterback, he knows where to go with the ball. He has a strong arm, he can make plays with his legs, and he's got a great amount of receivers that can make plays. Their tight ends make plays. So the front has to do a great job of making them feel our presence to give us a chance moving forward."

That could mean plenty of work for Griffen against Cowboys Pro Bowl tackle Tyron Smith, with whom Griffen played briefly last season after signing a one-year deal in Dallas. He got a rest day on Oct. 13 after playing 49 snaps against the Lions, and Zimmer said the Vikings have tried to limit Griffen's practice snaps during the week, knowing his experience in their defense means they can build in mid-week breaks to balance out the gameday load.

"We try to take care of him during the week the best we can," Zimmer said. "It's important. He's kind of the Energizer Bunny we have on the defense anyway."

Even though he played in Dallas and Detroit last year, Griffen continued to call the Twin Cities home, staying on the training and maintenance regimen he's built with acupuncturists, massage therapists and longtime movement coach Shawn Myszka.

When the Vikings looked into bringing him back this summer, Griffen said there was never a doubt he could still contribute to their defense.

"I take great care of my body. Every day I do something to try to keep this body up and running," he said. "I'm 33 years old and everybody [talks about that]. But I feel like I'm 26, 27 years old. My body feels good, man. I'm always doing something to make sure I can go out there and play at a high level."

The Vikings felt good enough about Griffen to grant Stephen Weatherly's desire for a trade, dealing the sixth-year defensive end during the bye week after his playing time had dwindled. Second-year man D.J. Wonnum has only seven pressures and one sack in 168 pass-rushing snaps, and third-round pick Patrick Jones, who is doubtful for Sunday's game with a knee injury, hasn't been active this year even when healthy.

But their defense is re-establishing its identity, Griffen said, and the work the Vikings have done up front has made things easier for a secondary that remains in flux.

"Not only does it help the sack numbers, it helps with coverage, it helps with hurrying the ball out a little bit more," safety Harrison Smith said. "You can't focus on 'D' [Hunter] quite as much, so it's big for us."

The plan, at this point, seems to be built around the reunion between Hunter and Griffen. So far, the familiar faces have produced some familiar results.

"When you know what you can do, the only thing you need is an opportunity," Griffen said. "They gave me an opportunity, and I'm here to do what I can do and ready to play ball."