Vikings snap counts, PFF grades vs. Colts: Bradbury, Ingram get high marks

Let's see what we can learn from the snap counts and grades from Sunday night's win.

Nov 3, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end Josh Oliver (84) catches a pass for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The Vikings peservered through an ugly first half and picked up a much-needed 21-13 victory over the Colts on Sunday night at U.S. Bank Stadium. It was a game that was a lot closer than it needed to be due to three Sam Darnold turnovers and a couple missed field goals, but it was a win nonetheless. Let's dive into Minnesota's snap counts and notable PFF grades to see what we can learn.

Vikings offensive snap counts vs. Colts (out of 73)

* QB Sam Darnold: 73
* C Garrett Bradbury: 73
* LG Blake Brandel: 73
* RG Ed Ingram: 73
* RT Brian O’Neill: 73
* LT Cam Robinson: 73
* WR Justin Jefferson: 72
* WR Jordan Addison: 67
* RB Aaron Jones: 55
* TE Josh Oliver: 41
* TE T.J. Hockenson: 33
* WR Jalen Nailor: 20
* TE Johnny Mundt: 19
* WR Brandon Powell: 19
* RB Cam Akers: 16
* FB C.J. Ham: 13
* WR Trent Sherfield: 10

Lots of interesting stuff here. Robinson debuted for the Vikings at left tackle and got the first game ball in the postgame locker room. Ingram remained at right guard despite the looming presence of Dalton Risner. Jefferson and Addison had big games.

At tight end, Hockenson made his season debut but played just 45 percent of the snaps, coming away with three receptions on four targets. It was a big game for Oliver, who caught a career-high five passes for 58 yards and his third touchdown of the season. Mundt remained involved as well and couldn't come down with a target in the end zone. I'd expect Hockenson's snap share to jump a bit next week against the Jaguars.

Akers has now clearly supplanted Ty Chandler as the Vikings' RB2. And after rushing for 46 yards on six carries, he's unlikely to give that role back anytime soon. Chandler didn't play a single snap.

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

1. Oliver — 94.3
2. Bradbury — 80.0
3. Jefferson — 79.1
4. Darnold — 76.1
5. O'Neill — 74.8

Five others — Hockenson, Addison, Ingram, Robinson, and Akers — also had grades above 65 on a night where the Vikings moved the ball with ease. The only thing that stopped them in this game were turnovers and sacks. Darnold's grade reflects how well he threw the ball all night, even with two rough interceptions.

Watching live, the eye test wasn't great for players like Bradbury and Ingram. Bradbury stepped on Ingram's foot when he was bowled over on the Colts' controversial fumble return touchdown. But he received an outstanding run blocking grade from PFF. Ingram's pass blocking grade was a season-high 77.6, which might help him hold off the threat of Risner for at least one more week.

Only Brandel got poor marks on the Vikings' offensive line. Jones had his worst grade of the season.

Vikings defensive snap counts vs. Colts (out of 54)

* S Harrison Smith: 54
* CB Byron Murphy Jr: 54
* LB Ivan Pace Jr: 52
* CB Stephon Gilmore: 50
* OLB Jonathan Greenard: 48
* S Josh Metellus: 44
* S Camryn Bynum: 44
* OLB Andrew Van Ginkel: 39
* DL Jerry Tillery: 36
* DL Harrison Phillips: 31
* DL Jonathan Bullard: 30
* OLB Dallas Turner: 26
* DL Jihad Ward: 23
* CB Shaq Griffin: 20
* OLB Pat Jones II: 18
* LB Kamu Grugier-Hill: 18
* DL Jalen Redmond: 7

Instantly, the number that jumps out is the one next to Turner's name. His 26 snaps were nearly as many as the 31 he played over the previous four games combined. Turner out-snapped Jones and had the best game of his career, recording four pressures on just 11 pass-rush snaps. He figures to remain a real part of the rotation moving forward.

If Blake Cashman returns next week, Pace would move back into more of a rotational role and Grugier-Hill would likely only see a few snaps. With Taki Taimani going on IR, Levi Drake Rodriguez was active for this game but did not play a defensive snap.

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

1. Phillips — 83.2
2. Bynum — 77.1
3. Ward —72.2
4. Greenard — 71.5
5. Turner — 71.3

Murphy, Griffin, and Metellus also received quality grades. Greenard had five more pressures and two late sacks, extending his streak of games with 5+ pressures to eight to begin the season. He now leads all of football with 48 pressures on the season, and his 7 sacks are tied for sixth.

The worst grades went to Van Ginkel, Tillery, and Bullard. Those last two names reinforce the Vikings' need to add a pass-rushing defensive tackle before Tuesday's trade deadline.