Vikings' Andrew Van Ginkel calls out 'dirty' play by Lions

Van Ginkel was not pleased with Kalif Raymond's blindside block in Sunday's game.

Vikings OLB Andrew Van Ginkel at Ford Field. | Images Courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

Vikings outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel was not happy with a blindside block from Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond during Sunday's game in Detroit.

Late in the second quarter, Van Ginkel's pass rush was immediately cut short when Raymond came from the side and blasted him to the ground. Fortunately for the Vikings, Van Ginkel — while still on the turf — happened to be in perfect position to take down Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs for a one-yard loss on a screen pass.

.@Vikings @Lions @AndrewVanGinkel gets blindsided to the ground but his awareness and instincts allow him to still get a TFL on Gibbs. #Skol defense really showed up & showed out #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/UbXTjttlWv

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) November 5, 2025

Despite the play going well for Minnesota, Van Ginkel was upset afterwards. Speaking to reporters in the locker room at TCO Performance Center on Wednesday, he explained why.

"I kinda thought it was a dirty play," he said. "Obviously, getting hit on the side, I'm just going to pass rush and all of a sudden I get whiplash because a guy blindsides me. I'm not gonna go into too much detail about it, but I wasn't too pleased with it, and I think that it's something that the league should look at, if it's something they need to take out of the game. Because we can't be doing that."

It wasn't just something Van Ginkel noticed on film afterwards. In the moment, he was frustrated to be hit like that.

"I knew instantly," he said. "When you're pass rushing like that, you're not anticipating someone blindsiding you from the side. I'm trying to get off the ball, get on a good pass rush. I had no clue he was there. How are we supposed to protect ourselves in those cases?"

No penalty was called on the play. Here's what the NFL rulebook says about illegal blindside blocks, which are a 15-yard penalty:

"It is a foul if a player initiates a block when his path is toward or parallel to his own end line and makes forcible contact to his opponent with his helmet, forearm, or shoulder, unless the contact occurs in close-line play prior to the ball leaving that area."

Van Ginkel returned to action on Sunday after missing four games with a neck injury. He was all over the field in his 39 snaps, offering a reminder of his importance to the Vikings' defense. Head coach Kevin O'Connell said he showed that specific play in a team meeting as an example of Van Ginkel's instincts.

"I showed the team of a clip of him today, he got hit from outside, got knocked from kind of a blindside block on a screen, and he's on the ground but still recognizes that Gibbs had the ball on a screen and he makes the play," O'Connell said.

"Obviously, we all see the intercepting a screen for a touchdown or picking off a hot throw in a (cover) zero, but it's all of those little ones that he does. And then it's just the communication, everybody's on the same page. We had way more snaps with Andrew Van Ginkel on the field where all 11 guys did their jobs and knew exactly what the call was. He provides so many layers of things to our defense that allows (Brian Flores) to be who he wants to be as a play-caller. Gink helps everybody else around him, not only himself, play at a high level."

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