NFL scouts say that it usually takes a defensive end three years to make an impact for their team. In the case of Ray Edwards, it took four years but the Vikings don’t mind.
After racking up 13 sacks in his first three seasons in the NFL, Edwards now has 11.5 sacks through 17 games this year. He gained national attention last Sunday by sacking Tony Romo three times in Minnesota’s 34-3 win over Dallas, while also compiling five tackles and two tackles for loss.
His performance ignited a Minnesota fan base that has seen the former 2006 fourth round pick mature into legitimate pass-rushing threat opposite Jared Allen on the Vikings’ defensive line. His development this season has been especially noteworthy, because at one point this summer it appeared that nickel specialist Brian Robison would push Edwards for more playing time.
Edwards suffered a knee injury in the win over the Cowboys, but is expected to play this Sunday against the Saints. That’s great news for the Vikings and troublesome for a New Orleans team that struggled defending a potent Dallas pass-rush in a Week 15 loss to the Cowboys. If Edwards and Allen can be as productive as they were in the Divisional Round, the Vikings have a shot to contain the Saints’ explosive offense.
That said if Edwards is hobbled this weekend, then it could make for a long day for Minnesota’s secondary. Drew Brees excels at getting the ball out of his hands in a timely manner, so it’s key for the Vikings’ ends to attack the edge and force Brees to move up in the pocket. If they can do that, Minnesota will be able to crash the pocket and not allow Brees to set his lower body and deliver accurate passes to his receivers.
Considering he hasn’t practiced all week, it’ll be interesting to see how effective Edwards is come Sunday. Because if the Vikings have any hope of slowing down the Saints, they’ll need all of their defensive weapons to be healthy and productive.
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