Vikings snap counts and notable PFF grades from MNF win over Bears

What can we learn from this week's snap counts and PFF grades? Let's break it down.

Dec 16, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Trent Sherfield Sr. (11) against the Chicago Bears in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The Vikings took care of business on their home field on Monday night, beating the Bears 30-12 for their seventh consecutive victory. They weren't overly sharp on offense in a sloppy game that featured 19 combined penalties, but Minnesota did more than enough on both sides of the ball to get the job done against a bad team.

Like we do every week, let's take a look at the snap counts and notable PFF grades to see what stands out.

Vikings offensive snap counts vs. Bears (out of 77)

* C Garrett Bradbury: 77
* LG Blake Brandel: 77
* RG Dalton Risner: 77
* LT Cam Robinson: 77
* QB Sam Darnold: 77
* WR Justin Jefferson: 68
* WR Jordan Addison: 66
* RT Brian O’Neill: 63
* TE T.J. Hockenson: 50
* RB Aaron Jones: 47
* WR Jalen Nailor: 41
* TE Josh Oliver: 36
* RB Cam Akers: 21
* TE Johnny Mundt: 20
* FB C.J. Ham: 16
* RT David Quessenberry: 14
* WR Trent Sherfield: 12
* WR Brandon Powell: 7
* RB Ty Chandler: 1

O'Neill hurt his knee during the game and left the field two different times, but he was able to return both times. Afterwards, he said he'll be sore but everything is OK structurally and he doesn't expect to miss next week's game. That's great news for the Vikings, considering how important he is to their offense.

The rest of these numbers are fairly standard. Oliver will out-snap Nailor in certain matchups. Players like Akers, Mundt, Ham, and Sherfield all made an impact in limited action.

Top 5 PFF grades on offense (min. 20 snaps)

1. Oliver — 81.0
2. Mundt — 80.2
3. Hockenson — 79.2
4. Jones — 77.2
5. Jefferson — 72.6

Look at those tight ends leading the way! The Vikings' might have the best TE room in the NFL. Hockenson caught five passes for 52 yards, and as is often the case, three of those went for conversions on third down. Oliver and Mundt were big-time as run-blockers, helping pave the way for Jones' impressive night (106 yards and a TD on 20 touches). And Jefferson did his thing, like always, with a 7-73-1 outing that could've been even bigger if not for a rare drop of a potential 30-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

Vikings defensive snap counts vs. Bears (out of 68)

* S Camryn Bynum: 62
* LB Blake Cashman: 58
* S Josh Metellus: 57
* CB Byron Murphy Jr: 56
* CB Shaq Griffin: 56
* S Harrison Smith: 55
* OLB Jonathan Greenard: 52
* OLB Andrew Van Ginkel: 47
* DL Jihad Ward: 36
* OLB Dallas Turner: 34
* DL Jonathan Bullard: 33
* DL Harrison Phillips: 31
* CB Fabian Moreau: 31
* DL Jalen Redmond: 28
* DL Jerry Tillery: 21
* Pat Jones II: 20
* S Theo Jackson: 13
* LB Kamu Grugier-Hill: 12
* OLB Bo Richter: 10
* CB Dwight McGlothern: 10
* LB Brian Asamoah II: 9
* S Jay Ward: 9
* LB Jamin Davis: 8

For the second consecutive game, the Vikings got to empty their bench and give young players some valuable reps at the end of a three-score win. McGlothern looked sharp in his limited action, as did Richter. Speaking of young players, 34 snaps is the most Turner has seen since Week 1, and he also recorded his first sack since the opener on a nasty move in the fourth quarter. He played more than Jones, which is notable. Gabriel Murphy was not elevated from the practice squad after playing 28 snaps last week with Jones out.

Ward, Tillery, and Redmond all made their presence felt in this game. Tillery got a game ball from Kevin O'Connell after factoring in both of the Vikings' 4th and 1 stops in the first half. Stephon Gilmore might make his return next week in Seattle, which would push Griffin, Moreau, and McGlothern one spot down the depth chart.

Top 5 PFF grades on defense (min. 20 snaps)

1. Metellus — 82.8
2. Redmond — 79.2
3. Turner —71.2
4. Greenard — 69.1
5. Moreau — 68.1

Smith, Griffin, and Cashman also finished just off of the list. O'Connell said on Tuesday that he's going to give Metellus a game ball for his performance. The Vikings' do-it-all safety lined up all over the place and led the team with ten tackles. Redmond continues to be very impactful at DT. Greenard made one of the biggest plays of the game and dropped a humorous line afterwards. Moreau was solid in fill-in duty.

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