Inside The Vikings

Vikings' Jonathan Greenard named NFC Defensive Player of the Month

Greenard had 16 tackles, eight for loss, four sacks, a forced fumble and a pass defended as Minnesota went 4-0 in November.
Nolan O'Hara|
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard celebrates his sack against the Chicago Bears during the second quarter at Soldier Field in Chicago on Nov. 24, 2024.
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard celebrates his sack against the Chicago Bears during the second quarter at Soldier Field in Chicago on Nov. 24, 2024. | Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

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Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings had a lot to be thankful for this November. In the most important statistic — wins — they went 4-0. Their defense held opponents to an average of 15 points per game during the month. And one of the key cogs of that unit, edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, got his flowers on Thursday, being named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month.

Greenard had 16 tackles — eight for loss — four sacks, a forced fumble and a pass defended over an impressive month of November. It was just a continuation of what's been an incredibly strong season for the first-year Minnesota Viking.

Signing Greenard to a four-year, $76 million contract this offseason has more than paid off for the Vikings. Overall this season, Greenard has 39 tackles, 10 sacks, three forced fumbles and two passes defended. His impact was clear in the first game of December, too, when he had Kyler Murray running around for his life on a critical and final defensive stand.

In addition to the double-digit sack total, which is nearing his career high of 12.5 that he put up last season with the Houston Texans, Greenard also leads the NFL with 60 pressures this season, according to Pro Football Focus. That mark is already for a career high for Greenard, and in 12 games. His previous best season-long mark was 53 last season.

Pro Football Focus ranks Greenard as the 16th-best edge rusher overall out of 114 with an 82.1 defensive grade.

Greenard has made a major impact in his first season with the Vikings, and he's getting national recognition as the NFC Defensive Player of the Month. Greenard continued the trend in the first game of December, and on Sunday, the Vikings will need him to disrupt their former quarterback Kirk Cousins, who will certainly be motivated to snap Minnesota's win streak when he returns to U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis with the Atlanta Falcons for a noon kickoff on Sunday.

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Nolan O'Hara
NOLAN O'HARA

Nolan O'Hara covers all things Minnesota sports, primarily the Timberwolves, for Bring Me The News and Sports Illustrated's On SI network. He previously worked as a copy editor at the St. Paul Pioneer Press and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota's Hubbard School of Journalism. His work has appeared in the Pioneer Press, Ratchet & Wrench magazine, the Minnesota Daily and a number of local newspapers in Minnesota, among other publications.

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