Trio of Vikings veterans helps turnover-starved defense get three vs. Commanders

A similar sentiment echoed throughout the Vikings locker room postgame Sunday, particularly from the mouths of Vikings defenders.

Why do opposing offenses even chance throwing a screen when Andrew Van Ginkel is on the field?

Surely, the Commanders have seen the tape of the seventh-year outside linebacker against the Jets last season or any of the number of times he’s come close to exactly the play he made when he picked off Jayden Daniels in the third quarter on a target to Terry McLaurin.

“The offensive coordinators need to take a look in the mirror and just realize if Gink’s over there, the play should be a different play,” safety Josh Metellus said.

Van Ginkel was one of three Vikings veterans who’ve faced challenges this season — he missed five games between a concussion and a neck injury — to earn a takeaway as the Vikings shut out the Commanders a week after they’d been shut out themselves.

Fourteenth-year safety Harrison Smith and 10th-year defensive lineman Javon Hargrave got the other two turnovers. Smith picked off Commanders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota the drive after Van Ginkel’s interception, and Hargrave forced and recovered a fumble on Mariota.

The Vikings’ only two home victories this season have been bolstered by turnover-heavy performances by the defense. In Week 3, the Vikings forced five turnovers in their 48-10 victory over the Bengals with Carson Wentz at quarterback.

“We haven’t created as many turnovers as we’ve wanted,” Smith said. “We’ve played pretty good ball in a lot of situations, just haven’t been able to get the tipped balls, the forced fumble recoveries. The classic Gink — I mean, he’s good for two of those at all times. I was hoping he would score there. That’s such a good play.”

Van Ginkel said he, too, was hoping for a score, looking up at the big screen in U.S. Bank Stadium trying to gauge how close McLaurin was behind him. He lamented postgame not stiff-arming the wide receiver to try to extend the play.

Smith’s interception, his 38th to extend his lead as the league’s active interception leader, was his second takeaway this season after starting the year sidelined by a personal health matter. He had a fumble recovery in the Nov. 2 victory over the Lions.

Though he said he didn’t want to give away too much of the scheme, Smith said the Vikings were playing a variant of Cover 2 when he picked off Mariota’s pass intended for Treylon Burks. Smith said he “let the athleticism take over,” picked up 11 yards on the return and joked postgame he could “probably do a little better.”

The Vikings defense forced the Commanders to punt the next drive, and then Hargrave sealed the game with a hustle play — literally and figuratively — chasing down Mariota on a third-down scramble to end Washington’s final drive of the game.

He had his role scaled back by the Vikings temporarily around midseason but had six tackles against the Packers two weeks ago and made three Sunday in addition to his takeaway.

Hargrave was shown on the big screen smiling following the play where, he said, the ball “just fell in my lap.”

The Vikings defense didn’t need a boost; it has been the demonstrably better side of the ball in recent weeks. But when three guys the Vikings paid to be playmakers this season make big plays, it emanates confidence that can affect the entire team.

“You play complementary football and you get one, they come in bunches,” Metellus said. “It was great to see the guys go out there and do what we talked about all year and finally get those off the board. … Well-needed in a year like this.”

There’s no guarantee, and no precedent this year, for the Vikings defense to be able to stack back-to-back turnover-heavy games.

It’s part of the reason Van Ginkel said he’s only surprised “to a certain degree” that he’s still given opportunities to make the play that’s now nearly synonymous with his name.

When the Vikings defense gets going, opposing offenses have to choose their battles: protect the quarterback or the ball. The Vikings had two sacks Sunday, too.

“With how much we blitz and how much we put pressure on the quarterback, offensive coordinators, they have to do something to get the ball out quick,” Van Ginkel said.

“If they don’t, they’re gonna get sacked,” he continued. “It’s just kind of what it is.”