JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Welcome back to the party, Blake Cashman.
On the same day Minnesota re-gained its starting Mike linebacker, its defense turned in a game for the ages – the kind of super gritty and hard-fought win that should prepare the Vikings for greater successes.
Cashman had five tackles, one sack, two quarterback hits and a pair of tackles for a loss in Minnesota's 12-7 win over Jacksonville on a sticky, gray-skied November afternoon at EverBank Stadium. In what he labeled an awesome display of "total defense," the Vikings held Mac Jones and the Jaguars to 143 net yards.
"[I] cannot say enough about our defense and the way they battled," Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell said postgame. "Time and time [again] answering the call and getting the ball back in the second half."
Jacksonville's offense had six drives of three or fewer plays. It averaged 3.1 yards on the ground and 3.3 overall, and the Jaguars ended Week 10 with turnovers – one fumble and two picks – on its last three possessions.
It was Cashman's first game since Oct. 6, and he thinks it's the type of win that'll help in a playoff push.
"They pay dividends within the year, so I'm really proud of this team," Cashman said after the game in the visiting locker room with eye black smeared on his face. "Nobody flinched when we faced adversity."
Cashman was involved from the onset, and helped ice the game with 1:52 left when he executed a pass-rush twist with Jonathan Greenard and delivered a blind-side hit to Jones as he released a throw.
Jones' pass was intercepted at Minnesota's 1-yard line by Camryn Bynum, who rolled into the end zone.
"As I looked back and I saw the ball in the air, and Cam was out in front, I'm like, 'Beezy's picking that off,' and I think I might have turned around before the ball was even caught and started celebrating," Cashman recalled. "That's how much trust I have in my guys."
That trust, of course, is reciprocated.
Outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel succinctly described the significance of Cashman's return:
"That dude's a baller. He's the leader of this defense, and we have both faith and trust in him that he's going to do his job, and he does it at a high level. So having him back controlling the defense was huge."
Although perfectly worded, it's an understatement. The buck started and stopped with Cashman.
In the first half, the Jags offense gained 31 yards on 18 plays with Cashman on the field. Without him, the Vikings defense allowed a cluster of explosive plays in the first quarter. One-third of Jacksonville's nine plays on its 70-yard touchdown drive went for 18 yards or more. Cashman played 34 of 43 defensive snaps.
He was constantly around the ball. Except for the second drive when he paced on the sideline.
Cashman and fellow inside linebacker Ivan Pace, Jr., were both rehabbing injuries during the week – the former dealing with turf toe, which consumed his routine for 35 days; the latter a little bit banged up by a knee injury that forced him out of the game for a couple snaps against Indianapolis in Week 9 – and so the Vikings considered alternating green dots, Cashman said. But after the second drive they adjusted and opted for a "big nickel" package that allowed Minnesota to keep both players out there.
They each had five tackles; they each had one sack; and they each aggressively led the Vikings defense, which hunted the Jaguars to break even in the turnover battle after Sam Darnold was picked off thrice.
"Man, we don't flinch," Greenard stated. "We don't care what happens on offense. We don't care about what happens on special teams. We care about us on the defensive side. We know it doesn't matter what happened, we still have to go out there and put a fire out. So we take that mentality and then just carry on with it – 'cause somebody gotta do it and it's got to be us. … We're selfless players."
Outside of that consequential second drive, the Vikings engulfed Jacksonville's offense. In the first 45 minutes, the Jaguars totaled 119 yards, with 60 net yards (3.3 avg.) passing and 59 rushing (3.7 avg.).
With 1:42 left in the third quarter, Van Ginkel was blessed with a free path to the quarterback and knocked Jones to the grass with a two-handed shove. Van Ginkel's only gripe? He didn't dislodge the ball.
"It was just frustrating not being able to knock it loose," Van Ginkel said. "That would have been a game-changing play in their red zone. … Ultimately, I [got him] and they had a three-and-out right away."
In the fourth quarter, up 9-7, Cashman and Co. ratcheted it up a notch.
First, Harrison Phillips smothered a botched center-quarterback exchange like Minnesota's defense smothered Jacksonville. And then the 300-pound defensive tackle did the Griddy, relieving some of the pent-up angst in the first three-plus quarters. Five snaps later, recently signed kicker John Parker Romo nailed his fourth field goal in as many tries. On Jacksonville's next drive, Byron Murphy, Jr., recorded an interception for the third straight week – he said the Jugs machine every day after practice is working.
"That's the best [kind of win] – when you go out there and you've got to work for it," said Murphy, grinning about coming up clutch again. "That's just a defensive mindset. Whatever situation we're in, we're going [to get] a stop and make plays. Those types of games just show what type of team we are."
The final takeaway, which set up Minnesota to gain a first down and eventually run out the clock, underlined Cashman's chaos-creating return – and let Bynum break out another viral celebration.
This time, a literal breakdance, reenacting snippets of Australian break dancer Raygun's set at the Summer Olympics. Bynum said he had three possible cellys ready in case of a three-turnover game.
"I have to use them wisely, but trust me, I got a few more in the bank," Bynum shared.
Bynum said he jots down his goal to get at least one pick in his notebook each week. Not checking that off, or creating a turnover, feels like a disappointment. Cashman's pressure on that play was a key assist.
"You see the big difference he made," Bynum said of Cashman's return. "I know every single person that's locked in is capable on the defense, but having Cash' back specifically, he helped the game a lot."
Greenard, who came swooping in for a 3-yard loss of Jags RB Travis Etienne one play before Phillips laid his weight on the biffed snap, was thrilled to have Cashman in the fold and making "crazy game-changing plays." He noticed his effect on Jones as well as his communication to stifle the run game.
Etienne received the bulk of opportunties out of Jacksonville's backfield, rushing 11 times for 44 yards and a long of 18 after Tank Bigsby missed time with an ankle injury, but had virtually no luck finding a rhythm.
"I feel like that's what we took pride in and tried to change the game that way," Greenard said of turning the Jags away from the ground game after stuffing a handful of first- and second-down attempts.
None of it goes as well as it did defensively without Cashman.
"Early in my career I missed a lot of time, so I hate it," he said. "I don't like being deprived of football.
"We say whenever we get a new guy in the locker room or a guy that's been injured that's returning back to play, we always say, 'Welcome back to the party,'" Cashman continued. "So it felt good to be joining the party and to have the defensive performance like we had, which I think it took all 11 of us out there. Again, I'm really proud of the guys – and when we were making plays and it's coming from the d-line, the linebackers, the secondary, like there's so much genuine joy for each other to make plays, so I'm glad I was able to get healthy and get out there and be able to experience that with everybody again."
Greenard added what was on everyone's mind: "It was ugly, but I'm glad we got the dub."
