Getty Ivan Pace Jr. #40 of the Minnesota Vikings.
Week 14 was a good one for Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr.
The undrafted rookie finished the 3-0 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders with a career-high 13 total tackles, 1.0 sack, 1 tackle for loss, 1 quarterback hit, 1 interception and 1 pass deflection.
He earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts in the hard-fought victory.
He joins fellow undrafted rookies in New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito and Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey as Players of the Week in the NFC.
NFC Players of the Week! (Week 14)
The interception was Pace’s first of his career and sealed the victory for Minnesota. But this was the second week in a row that the former Miami (OH) Red Hawk recorded a sack. It was the third week he has had at least nine total tackles.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell praised Pace. Not only for his play this week but since stepping in for the injured Jordan Hicks at middle linebacker.
Vikings Coaches Praise Ivan Pace Jr.
“IP running the show as the green dot, his ability to just continue to improve,” O’Connell said via the team, praising Pace stepping up this season calling Pace an, “Undrafted free agent rookie that we’re really lucky to have and, quite honestly, don’t know where we would be without him.”
O’Connell credited linebackers coach Mike Siravo for developing Pace, noting it points back to defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ ability to have everyone playing at a high level right now.
Flores also had positive things to say about Pace’s play this season.
Dawg Mentality
“I feel like we talk about Ivan every week. And you can kind of see his improvement over the course of the year,” Flores said on December 12. “He’s done a great job. I mean, the kid works hard, it’s important to him. … It takes a little while to just get familiar with the NFL game, and the speed of it, and the wear and tear that happens to your body throughout the season.
“I think he’s he’s really feeling good, really feeling confident. I think Mike Siravo has done a great job of coaching him and the entire backer group. … And he’s excited, I’m excited about kind of where Ivan’s kind of progression has gone.
“We’ll continue hoping he continues to ascend. Hopefully, that wasn’t the best of Ivan Pace. He’s got room to grow and he’s working towards growing, for sure.”
Kevin O’Connell: Jordan Hicks ‘Ahead of Schedule’
Pace has been a revelation for the Vikings. Hicks went down with a severe leg injury that nearly led to the loss of the limb. But O’Connell delivered a positive update on the veteran that bodes well for the defense and the team as a whole.
Hicks is almost healthy enough to begin practicing with the Vikings mulling over when to open his 21-day window for activation off of injured reserve.
“We’re kind of in dialogue right now about whether that’s going to be at some point maybe this week or whether we’ll push it to next week,” O’Connell said. “But Jordan is probably ahead of schedule when considering the severity of what we felt kind of in the immediate aftermath of his injury.”
“So where he’s at now is very, very positive, and I think Jordan’s getting really close to maybe being able to start officially practicing, having his window back open,” O’Connell said. “That’s something I’m looking forward to as well. Getting him back in there next to IP with what IP’s done as well could be a real boost to an already strong group on our team right now.”
Hicks has not played since the Vikings’ Week 10 win over the New Orleans Saints.