Not much has been familiar for Yannick Ngakoue as the former Jaguars star transitions to a new playbook, technique and team. But the Vikings defensive end hopes his second game — against a familiar foe in his former AFC South rival Indianapolis Colts — gets the "bad taste" out of his mouth from the first one.
After failing to sack Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers during a 43-34 loss in Week 1, Ngakoue and the Vikings defense face one of the league's best offensive lines Sunday, according to coach Mike Zimmer, featuring Pro Bowlers in left guard Quenton Nelson and center Ryan Kelly.
"They try to get their hands on you and just try to swallow you up," said Ngakoue, who has 6.5 sacks in eight games against the Colts.
"I've just got to try to bring that same intensity that I've brought these last four years into this game. Not just that, but just trying to inform the guys that I'm playing with, you know, how they can beat certain guys that are their matchups."
Reviving the pass rush against the Colts might be even harder amid a recent NFL officiating trend that set at least a 20-year low in Week 1 offensive holding calls last weekend, according to ESPN's analysis.
The only player called for offensive holding during the Vikings' opener was Packers receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. It was one of 18 such calls around the league, down 78% from Week 1 in 2019, and defensive minds such as Zimmer already thought officials didn't flag holding often enough.
"Yeah, that's difficult," Zimmer said, "but quite honestly, there could be holding on a lot of plays. Guys get their hands outside the framework and don't bring them back in time. That's always difficult. You just kind of go with it, just understand that's how it is, and you have to fight through it."
The Vikings defense will continue to play without star defensive end Danielle Hunter, who will remain on injured reserve through at least the next two games against the Colts and Titans. Meanwhile, Ngakoue is still ramping up to form. He was credited with one quarterback hit in 27 pass rushes and no tackles against the Packers and said he hopes another week of practice will make a difference after his Jacksonville holdout kept him from practicing until Sept. 3.