It’s no surprise that Vikings running back Dalvin Cook and rookie wide receiver Justin Jefferson would gain some recognition for their play in Week 4 against the Texans.
Cook rushed for 130 yards and a touchdown to overtake the lead spot in the league in both rushing yards (424) and rushing touchdowns (6). Jefferson caught four passes for 103 yards, his second 100-plus yard receiving game in as many career starts for the rookie. Both Cook and Jefferson made The Athletic’s Week 4 Players of the Week list on Wednesday along with an unlikely, yet pleasant surprise third candidate.
Second-year center Garrett Bradbury was named the league’s top center this week. Here’s what Arif Hasan wrote on Bradbury:
This might be the turn Vikings fans needed in their interior offensive line. Consistently plagued with poor interior play, the Vikings drafted a center in the first round of the 2019 draft. Unsurprisingly, not much changed — rookie centers take some time to acclimate to the game. That said, they perhaps weren’t expecting someone who might have been one of the worst consistent starters in the league at the position. Recently, Bradbury has been playing much better and put together a resume-boosting performance against the Texans despite their willingness to move some of their devastating edge rushers inside. While Bradbury’s pass protection was clean and a breath of fresh air, he really stood out on the move as a run blocker and screen maven, doing an excellent job clearing the way for Cook and Alexander Mattison, a big part of the reason the Vikings have such a strong running game. If more of the same comes through, then they’ll have justified the pick.
He was also Pro Football Focus’ top-rated center in Week 4 with an 84.1 positional grade. He is currently ranked the ninth-best center of the season by PFF, allowing just two pressures through four weeks.
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Bradbury’s Improvement Evident
GettyGarrett Bradbury was a surprise on The Athletic’s Player of the Week list.
When Bradbury was drafted in the first round of the 2019 draft, the expectation of results was steep. He struggled as a rookie but has entered Year 2 with confidence.
Ranking in the bottom five centers in numerous PFF metrics through Week 4 last year, Bradbury has cracked the top 12 in pressured allowed, run blocking and overall grades.
Garrett Bradbury’s Grade and Rank Weeks 1-4
2019:
• 45.0 overall (32nd)
• 20.7 pass block (33rd)
• 53.4 run block (29th)
• 11 pressures allowed (30th)
2020:
• 71.2 overall (9th)
• 63.6 pass block (25th)
• 72.9 run block (10th)
• 2 pressures allowed (T-12th)
His play has anchored a struggling offensive interior with Dakota Dozier and Pat Elflein’s replacement, Dru Samia. Bradbury will likely see more improvements with the development of both Dozier and Samia.
Pass protection remains a pain point for the Vikings offensive line that has been built more towards running the ball.
Mike Boone Wins NFC Special Teams Player of the Week
GettyMike Boone was awarded NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after forcing a fumble against the Texans.
A play that turned the Texans game in the Vikings favor came on special teams as third-string running back Mike Boone came screaming down the middle of the field and laid a heavy hit on Texans returner DeAndre Carter that jarred the ball loose.
Dan Chisena recovered Boone’s forced fumble to give the Vikings possession, which the offense turned into a field goal and a 10-point lead in the second quarter.
Boone was awarded the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance on Sunday. He played 19 snaps on special teams but has yet to take a carry in 2020. He took 49 carries for 273 yards and three touchdowns in 2019.
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Trevor Squire is a Heavy contributor covering the Minnesota Vikings and journalism graduate from the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities. Connect with him on Twitter @trevordsquire and join our Vikings community at Heavy on Vikings on Facebook.
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3 Vikings Earn Player of the Week Honors, Including Surprise Lineman