The Detroit Lions traded for Everson Griffen to help them rush the passer better, and the good news is he is coming in extremely motivated to help the team do just that.
This week, Griffen’s re-appearance in Minnesota has been a hot topic. Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said that he considered Griffen a “good” player. The defensive end was none too happy about that portrayal from his old coach and wasn’t shy about letting Zimmer and the Vikings know how he felt.
Lions DE Everson Griffen didn’t like Mike Zimmer calling him a good player.
“Coach Zimmer wasn’t just a good coach, he was a great coach to me,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to playing the Vikings and showing them that I am a great player.”
Griffen said:
“I got a little frustrated when I read that comment. What Zimmer said about ‘Everson was a good player.’ Coach Zimmer just wasn’t a good coach, he was a great coach to me. For him to call me a good player that kind of hurts my feelings. On Sunday, I am really looking forward to playing the Vikings and showing them I am a great player. My mental health is strong, my physical health is strong and I’m ready to go out there and dominate.”
This week, Griffen has been showing why he is ready for battle in a big way, teasing Vikings fans ahead of the matchup. It feels as if the Vikings have been poking the bear a little bit, and Griffen might be super motivated to show why he isn’t washed up and is still a great pass rusher in the league.
Clearly, Zimmer’s comments weren’t a total slight at all, but if Griffen perceived it that way, it’s bad news for the opposition considering he didn’t need any extra motivation this week.
Everson Griffen Stats Prove Greatness
Griffen, to this point entering the 2020 season, has been one of the best players up front in the league with 355 tackles and 74.5 career sacks. He’s 32 years old and has been aging in the last few seasons, but has proven himself as a dynamic defender capable of wreaking havoc constantly. Griffen’s sack total of 8 from 2019 would have been the highest on the entire Lions defense as a whole.
This season with Dallas, Griffen hadn’t done much in a big way with just 2.5 sacks and 20 combined tackles, but he played for a team in Dallas that was struggling badly on the field. There’s no reason to think he couldn’t turn things around in a big way in a division he’s comfortable with.
It’s also true that Griffen has been a thorn in Detroit’s side. In his career, he has consistently exposed the Lions’ offensive line to the tune of 16 career sacks, the most of any team he has ever played in the league.
If that’s the work of a ‘good’ player, the Lions will surely take it.
Everson Griffen Could Play Huge Role vs. Vikings
The Lions have just placed Trey Flowers on the IR with injury, meaning the team will be down one of its best and brightest pass rushers. Having Griffen be able to come into the mix to offer a helping hand up front for the team is huge in this scenario, and could be just the reason the Lions made the trade after all.
Now that he is extremely motivated, it will be fun to see what Griffen does to try to exact some revenge on the Vikings and Zimmer.
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‘A Little Frustrated:’ Everson Griffen Rejects Mike Zimmer’s Praise