Courtesy of Minnesota Vikings Vikings defensive end Yannick Ngakoue was traded to the Ravens just six weeks into his season with the Vikings.
Vikings defensive end Yannick Ngakoue hasn’t been in Minnesota for even a month, but the former Jaguars Pro Bowler has taken matters personal when it comes to the Vikings’ 0-2 start to the season.
Ngakoue took to Instagram with a promise to fans and the city of Minneapolis, home to U.S. Bank Stadium where the Vikings will host the Titans in Week 3.
“God is Great and he is undefeated. We will turn things around for the city of Minneapolis! I promise,” he wrote with a photo of his sack on the Colts’ Phillip Rivers.
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Ngakoue a Bright Spot In Colts Loss
The Vikings defense looked a figment of its former glory last Sunday. Lethargic and uninspiring play led to the Colts running the ball down the Vikings’ throats, but Ngakoue was a bright spot in the Colts loss.
Ngakoue, who’s one of the NFL’s most disruptive pass rushers in the league, has a knack for forcing fumbles in pursuit of opposing quarterbacks. He ranked second in Jaguars history with 37.5 sacks in his first four seasons and played a hand in five of the Jaguars’ 12 defensive TDs since 2016. His 14 forced fumbles from 2016 to 2019 ranks fourth in the league.
His sack on Rivers was a strip sack that was recovered by the Colts but evidence of the force he can be when he reaches the quarterback. Ngakoue received an 82.2 Pro Football Focus position grade for his Week 2 performance, which ranked sixth among edge rushers last week. He produced four pressures on 25 pass rushes for a 90.2 pass-rushing grade.
His performance is encouraging after he failed to produce a single pressure versus the Packers in Week 1. Ngakoue is anticipating a rematch against Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari, saying “Bakhtiari is going to have to give me definitely a rematch when we play them again when we get to Green Bay. I feel like he had the upper hand. Like I said, I don’t make any excuses. He’s been in camp.” Ngakoue had just two weeks of practice this offseason after joining the Vikings in early September.
Becoming a Leader
GettyNgakoue is becoming a leader in Minnesota.
Ngakoue joined the Vikings anticipating that he and fellow Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter would wreak havoc in opposing backfields. But when Hunter was placed on injured reserve before the Packers game, the Vikings pass rush quickly became all about Ngakoue who is still becoming familiar with the team.
His progression on the stat sheet in Week 2 aligns with him embracing his new home and teammates as he continues to gel with the Vikings. When Hunter returns as soon as Week 4, the potential of the pass rush will soon see its beginning.
“When they talk about edge rushers, you want them to talk about Danielle and Yannick,” he said in his first press conference with the Vikings. “I’m just glad that we’re able to be on the same team and we can push each other each and every day. Our friendship will build as time goes on.”
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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.