Vikings' Andrew Van Ginkel reveals Aaron Rodgers' message after pick-6
10/06/2024 03:08 PM
Not a lot of offense occurred during the Week 5 London game featuring the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings, making Andrew Van Ginkel’s defensive touchdown a marquee moment of the matchup. After the linebacker returned an interception 63 yards for a score in the first half, Van Ginkel claimed that Aaron Rodgers approached him with a message.
Van Ginkel said that Rodgers told him that “Christmas came early” for him, per Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune. In response, Van Ginkel noted that he simply thanked the former MVP.
ANDREW VAN GINKEL PICK-6!
: #NYJvsMIN on NFL Network
: Stream on #NFLPluspic.twitter.com/2FUojk8zLu— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2024
Van Ginkel’s score in the first quarter was the first touchdown of the game and came off a delayed dropback drawn up by defensive coordinator Brian Flores that was not picked up by Rodgers. The play gave Minnesota a 10-0 lead and set the tone for the rest of the game, ultimately leading to a 5-0 start for the Vikings.
Despite being primarily an edge rusher, Van Ginkel has already scored twice in the young season after returning an interception for a touchdown in Week 1 against the New York Giants. His two touchdowns are shockingly third on the team only behind receivers Justin Jefferson and Jalen Nailor.
Vikings ride defense to remain undefeated against Jets
Van Ginkel had the most impactful play of the game for the Vikings’ defense in Week 5 but was not the only player on the team who held a significant part in shutting down the Jets. Van Ginkel was one of three different players to record an interception of Rodgers in the game, joined by safety Camryn Bynum and cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
The Minnesota secondary limited Rodgers to just 244 passing yards on 54 attempts and completely shut down the ground game, allowing just 36 total rushing yards to Breece Hall and Braelon Allen. The pass rush also played a part in their dominance, pressuring Rodgers on nearly every dropback and sacking the 40-year-old three times.
Veteran safety Harrison Smith led the charge as one of five players with a team-leading six tackles in the game. Smith accounted for one of the team’s three sacks while playing a key role in limiting New York’s downfield offense.
The Vikings’ defense helped offset a subpar performance from the offense with quarterback Sam Darnold throwing for just 179 yards and no touchdowns. The offense had just one score in the game, a short plunge from fullback CJ Ham.
Darnold, the NFL’s leader in touchdown passes entering the week, ended the game without a score for the first time in 2024.
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