In ugly Vikings win, rookie linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. shines
LAS VEGAS — Ivan Pace Jr. knew the route that Davante Adams was going to run before he ran it. It was just about making the play when the ball came his way.
“I knew he was running the hitch…I knew he was going to throw it there,” Pace Jr. said in the winning locker room.
With the Vikings up 3-0 with 1:57 remaining and the Vegas Raiders attempting a late game-tying/winning drive, Pace Jr. picked off quarterback Aidan O’Connell on the opening play of the drive to put a bow on the grind-it-out victory. He did a backflip in the end zone celebrating the Minnesota Vikings’ first shutout since December 23, 2017 against the Green Bay Packers.
Besides his interception Pace Jr. finished the game with 13 tackles and a sack. He already entered the game as PFF’s No. 1 graded rookie linebacker — that grade just went up.
The football world has to be pretty stunned. How many UDFA rookies have you seen take over a game in the same way that Eric Kendricks did when he was an All-Pro? Well, let me tell you who isn’t shocked: Ivan Pace Jr.
“I got that dog in me man, that’s all I have to say, I haven’t ever been surprised, I know how good I am,” Pace Jr. said. “I’ve been showing the world since I was young that I was good. Now I’m here in the league and still proving it.”
“I don’t know if any of y’all saw but I said ‘all y’all F’d up when they didn’t draft me,’ and I’m showing them,” Pace Jr. added.
F’d up, indeed.
Pace Jr. has been at the center of a Vikings defense that has emerged as one of the best in the NFL. Against the Raiders they allowed just 202 total yards and 3-for-14 on third down. Pace Jr. led the stellar performance while taking on the defensive play calling duties as he fills in for injured veteran Jordan Hicks.
“I’d say there is no step back with anything, he has embraced [play calling] and is playing well,” safety Cam Bynum said. “He’s crazy. There is a screw loose. It’s one thing we saw early like, ‘OK this kid is wild.’ It was kind of surprising that he went undrafted seeing what he can do now. We got a steal out of him.”
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said that the leadership as the defensive play caller cannot be understated when talking about Pace Jr. because defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ defense asks a lot out of that role.
“One of the things that jumps out at you is just the communication, because I'm able to hear flow and the dialogue [Flores] has with IP [Ivan Pace Jr.] and then I'm able to then watch IP's dialogue with the huddle, he has great command,” O’Connell said. “He's answered the bell and filled in a huge role, especially in our defense, where there's so much personnel variation. 'What are they in offensively?' Making sure we had the proper checks or alerts that we put on things. It ebbs and flows, it's moving throughout the game, and [Brian] Flo [Flores] can sometimes decide to make tweaks and adjustments to try to stay out in front of things and IP handles it really well.”
The Vikings needed every check and alert throughout the game because the offensive side of the ball did not hold up its side of the bargain. In total, the offense produced less than 100 total yards passing and they only left Las Vegas with a win because of a late Nick Mullens-led drive got them into field goal position.
Following a 12-10 loss to the Chicago Bears at home last week, O’Connell said that he went over the film closely in search of ways that the offense could be better shaped to quarterback Josh Dobbs’ skillset. But in Las Vegas, there were no signs of improvement. In fact, aside from not turning the ball over — the offense went backward.
Before getting pulled early in the fourth quarter, Dobbs went 10-for-23 with for 63 yards and was sacked five times for minus 47 yards. So, quick math, on 28 total drop-backs the Vikings gained 16 net yards. His rushing was a non-factor as well, with 21 yards on five carries.
“There's probably plenty of guys in there thinking back on a few plays that will tell you that they can make that play, when given the opportunity,” O’Connell said postgame. “And then just as the game went on, just a couple plays here and there that probably Josh would love to have back. I felt like they were going to make it tough for him to try to really get up and out and attack.”
Kevin O'Connell 'encouraged about early news' on Justin Jefferson injury
Whether it was the gameplan or Dobbs or the Raiders, the uphill climb for the Vikings’ offense was made even worse when Justin Jefferson took a hard hit over the middle and did not return to the game. He was taken to the hospital to make sure there was no internal damage.
O’Connell admitted that JJ’s absence was significant to the struggles of the offense overall and seemed to feel that the players around Dobbs did not step to the occasion when given opportunities.
“It taxes everybody a little bit, but that's our job and the players understand that we're one snap away from needing that to happen,” O’Connell said. “Just thought overall if we make a couple of tough plays, a couple of contested catches there in the first half for Josh [Dobbs], or a chance to move, put our hands and finish a couple more catches maybe the day is a little bit different because you get a couple of those first-half explosives that we're in dire need of. But at the same time, our execution across the board just needs to be one where we can count on the ten other guys in the huddle to do their jobs.”
Jefferson ultimately returned to the stadium and flew home with the team but his status for next week is unclear.
In fact, the status of just about everything for next week is unclear.
O’Connell would not commit to a starting quarterback for next week despite Mullens eeking out enough offense in two drives (9-for-13 for 64 yards) to get the Vikings the 3-0 victory.
“Nick's got a great feel for our offense and when I was able to call it for him, and kind of communicate with him a little bit, he went out there and executed,” O’Connell said. “So, we'll take a look at it, I don't want to get into declaring anything for next week right now with the type of injuries and the way it's been on offense this season.”
Brian O’Neill and Alexander Mattison both left the game with ankle sprains. Mattison was in the midst of one of his best games, rushing 10 times for 66 yards.
“We're a week-to-week offense at this point,” O’Connell said. “We're going to find out who we're going to have available, figure out the best possible plan we can put together against a really good team at their place.”
Figuring out the best possible plan has proven difficult recently. The Vikings now have 23 total points in their last 10 quarters going back to the sputtering second half in Denver. And even in a game where the Vikings ran for 132 yards and passed for 99, they still dialed up more passing plans than runs. Explanations for the issues were muddled following the game.
“They can look like whatever we want them to look like on a chalkboard or when we install them but it's about making it come to life, taking the proper footwork, having your feet and eyes in the right spots, and then being accurate with the football,” O’Connell said. “I think across the board, not only that…but finishing plays and guys knew the challenge was to make some of those plays for Josh [Dobbs] and they wanted to. Maybe we were pressing a little bit.”
Dobbs did not have much to say about being benched and what his possibilities to play again look like going forward.
“We got the win so we will get back to work and figure out how we can be more explosive on offense,” he said.
It seems unlikely that the Vikings will stick with Dobbs considering Mullens moved the ball better but neither option is ideal heading down the stretch. While the Vikings are 7-6 and sitting in a playoff spot (with an assist by the Ravens beating the Rams) they are set to face a Cincinnati offense that has been rolling with Jake Browning. The former Viking posted 34 points against the Colts with 275 yards passing. Then the Vikings face Detroit and Green Bay at home before taking on the Lions on the road to wrap up the season.
“We have a lot to work through offensively, no question, but to come away with our seventh win, get back above .500, and have a chance here down the stretch is all you can ask for,” O’Connell said.
