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Vikings OLB Andrew Van Ginkel named NFC Defensive Player of the Week

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Published  December 24, 2024 12:15pm CST
Minnesota Vikings
FOX 9

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The Brief

    • Andrew Van Ginkel is the NFC Defensive Player of the Week after 5 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and 2 sacks in Sunday's 27-24 win at Seattle
    • It's the first honor of Van Ginkel's career. He has 11 sacks and two pick-6s on the season
    • The Vikings are 5th in the NFL with 44 sacks through 15 games

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - For the second time this season, the Minnesota Vikings had an edge rusher earn NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Andrew Van Ginkel got the nod this week, the first of his career, after five tackles, two sacks three quarterback hits and two tackles for loss in Sunday’s 27-24 win at Seattle.

Vikings locker room reacts to 27-24 win at Seattle

Vikings players Justin Jefferson, Andrew Van Ginkel, Theo Jackson, Cam Bynum, Josh Metellus, Stephen Gilmore, T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones react after Sunday's 27-24 win at Seattle and a 13-2 record with two regular season games to go.

Van Ginkel’s impact

Why it matters: The Vikings are fifth in the NFL with 44 sacks, and Van Ginkel has 11 of them. He’s the first player since Jason Taylor in 2006 to have at least 10 sacks in a season, and return two interceptions for touchdowns.

Earlier this season, edge rusher Jonathan Greenard got the NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Van Ginkel came to the Vikings on a two-year, $20 million contract.

By the numbers: Van Ginkel’s 11 sacks through 15 games is a single-season career-high, as are his 17 tackles for loss and two interceptions. He needs three tackles and three quarterback hits in the final two games to set new career-highs in those categories.

Five defensive players have won the weekly honor since the start of the 2023 season. It’s also the 14th honor for the Vikings in 49 games under Kevin O’Connell.

Home regular season finale Sunday

What’s next: The Vikings host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at 3:25 p.m. to close out the home regular season schedule. If they win their final two games, they win the NFC North, get the No. 1 seed for the playoffs and a first round bye. If they don’t win both games, they likely get the No. 5 seed and open the Wild Card Playoffs on the road.

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