Monday, October 7th, 2024

Van Ginkel pick six like ‘Christmas come early’

Craig Llewellyn

Editor

Van Ginkel pick six like ‘Christmas come early’

Craig Llewellyn NFL

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel proved to be the hero of the hour as the team preserved its unbeaten start to the season with victory over the New York Jets in London.

Van Ginkel, who has starred with numerous teams around the NFL during his career, may not have claimed the decisive score at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, but his touchdown off an errant Aaron Rodgers pass gave the Vikings a much-needed boost when their vaunted offense appeared to be sputtering in the London drizzle.

“It’s a great feeling, obviously, when you can make a play like that, it can change the game,” Van Ginkel confirmed. “It’s exciting, but I’m just glad I caught the ball and the rest is history. Once I got out of that first tackle, I just started running. I saw Harrison Smith had a huge block and, if he doesn’t make that block, I don’t think I score, so it’s a shout out to him and all the guys behind me, who just blocked the skill players so they couldn’t catch me.”

“I couldn’t believe it happened. Aaron told me, too, that Christmas came early for me. Just [to pick off] a guy of that calibre, that level, I’m just thankful, grateful, for all the hard work and dedication that ‘Flo’ [Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores] puts in, putting us in the right position to succeed. The rest you’ve just got to make it come to life.”

Flores, who first crossed paths with Flores at the Miami Dolphins between 2019-21, has received great credit for turning the Vikings defense into one of the more formidable units in the current NFL, and Van Ginkel is quick to heap more praise upon his DC after making his second pick six of the season.

“I think I had great coaches: obviously, Vic Fangio and then reuniting with Flores,” he reflected. “These are two great coaches. They scheme well. They prepare you well. In certain formations, different looks that the offense give you, they don’t give you answers, but they allow you to anticipate and play fast. [The London score] was something that I just read and caught the ball.

“There’s a couple different answers when we show that all-up look. I was just kind of reading the guard, and he came at me, so I dropped and tried to get into that pocket where, basically, the hot throw is. It’s something that we planned on and expected, reading the quarterback’s eyes, kind of anticipating — or expecting — where the ball should go.”

In particular, Van Ginkel admits to enjoying the flexibility Flores’ system gives to the entire defense, a system that has made it one to fear over the past couple of seasons.

“I love it!” he enthused. “[Flores] holds us to a high standard, but puts us in position to make plays, play fast, physical and at a high level. Just the way that he works, the way that he kind of leads the room, just gives us confidence to play fast and go out there and anticipate and make plays. He does a great job of teaching the big picture. [Josh] Metellus or I could be at different positions, but we’re kind of doing the same thing. [Flores] kind of teaches it in ways that defenders are just kind of Xs on the field. You could be here, you could be over there, you could be in the D-line, you could be inside backer. At the end of the day, it’s kind of spots and positions and zones and coverage where you’re dropping to.

“Most of all, he keeps talking about this thing called ‘joy’ and just love playing [the game]. We’re ultimately playing a kids’ game and, if you’re not enjoying this, you’re not in the right sport or job.”

To make the moment all the more memorable for Van Ginkel, the London crowd showed up for the entire Vikings team.

“I think it goes back to the Vikings atmosphere at home — we kind of got that sense here with the Skol chant,” he noted. “It’s the best atmosphere and, when you get a crowd like that going and get them hyped, it’s exciting. We’ve got fans all over the world, and I’m excited — no, I’m thankful — to be a Viking because we’ve got the best fans in the world.”

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