Blake Cashman and Ivan Pace, Jr., were the hearts of Minnesota's defense, which led the league in takeaways, with 33, and allowed the lowest percentage of scoring drives in the NFL in 2024 at 31.6%.

Cashman, a self-proclaimed perfectionist, coolly handled his job as the first leg of Minnesota's communications relay, never switched off his go-go-go engine and clipped highlights with an astonishing casualness. He was the perfect person to conduct Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores' liberating scheme.

Also, he was the perfect foil to Pace, the second-year undrafted signing that's very much like a pit bull in that he plays aggressively and possesses a distinctive bite that surfaces especially on blitzes and run fits.

Unfortunately, their individual seasons, and therefore Minnesota's gelling to reach its full potential, were interrupted by injuries. Without Cashman, the Vikings lost back-to-back games in October; Pace, inadvertently, of course, put the LB room in a bind, missing six games because of various leg issues.

That intensified the adoption of a "next-man-up" mentality, and taught the defense different ways to win. The circumstances also played into Flores' creativity; outside linebackers Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner and strong safety Joshua Metellus played varying snaps at inside linebacker, for instance.

An obvious sub was veteran and first-year Viking Kamu Grugier-Hill, a core special-teamer that probably played more defense than expected when he signed with the team a month after Cashman last spring. Grugier-Hill managed 20-plus defensive snaps in three games (against Houston and at Green Bay and Chicago) and in those appearances produced eight tackles, two interceptions and three passes defended.

Brian Asamoah II was limited to defensive work with big leads in hand in Weeks 3, 14 and 15, but he selflessly approached an expanded role on special teams and chipped in a couple key impacts, including forcing a fumble on a Falcons kickoff return that helped swing a seven-point game into a 42-21 victory.

In totality, Minnesota's 2024 defense thrived with Cashman and Pace in the picture and got by without.

When one was hurt, there was a decline in defending tight ends and running backs in the pass game, an apparent drop-off in success pressuring quarterbacks on timed blitzes up the gut or games executed off the edge, and a struggle to regularly envelop rushing attacks. They were, after all, the hearts and souls.

Notable Numbers

94% – Cashman was on the field for this percentage of defensive snaps in the 14 games he played. The "Green Dot" signal-caller of Minnesota's No. 5 scoring defense was on the shelf for three games because of a turf toe injury he suffered in London against his original team, but, when he was available, he hardly left the field. Cashman played 100% of the snaps in eight different contests, handling his lowest share (80%) in his reemergence at Jacksonville. Overall, it was a huge spike in opportunities as Cashman was charged with playing 71% of possible snaps in the 14 games he flew across the field for Houston in 2023.

512 – The number of snaps Metellus aligned in the box, according to Pro Football Focus. Metellus manned the slot on 330, played 33 on the outside, 90 at free safety and 63 along the line of scrimmage. Metellus was tasked with extensive work as a LB because of injuries, but also fit there nicely due to his full-field range, strong tackling and sticky coverage. In his breakout 2023, he was in the box on 377 snaps.

15.0 – Percentage of Pace's run defense snaps reaping a "stop," defined by PFF as tackles that constitute a failure for the offense. Pace had 28 on 195 run defense ops. His percentage paced all off-ball 'backers that amassed at least 100 such snaps. In that same collection of players, Pace's 87.0 run defense grade ranked seventh overall. Cleveland's Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah led inside linebackers with a 91.7 score.

51 – Combined pressures from Cashman (31) and Pace (20) per PFF. Their heating up opposing passers was elite; the only inside linebacker teammates to acquire more pressures together were Washington's Frankie Luvu (36) and Bobby Wagner (28), totaling 64. Cashman and Pace rushed QBs on 176 and 84 snaps, and scored PFF pass rush grades of 72.0 and 83.9, sixth and second among ILBs with 80-plus ops.

(Note: Stats are through the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs if mentioned as courtesy PFF.)

Regular-season statistics

The Highest High

Cashman's rolodex of great plays included a relentless pursuit of Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers on a second-and-10 late in the third frame in London (after Cashman hurt his toe) that peaked with a leap at Rodgers' arm, affecting his delivery. It was the type of improbable human feat seen in superhero movies.

Exhibit B of Cashman's crazy good execution occurred in the final two minutes of his first game back from injury, when he notched a second sack of Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones – except, he grabbed his face mask. OK, let's redo that. On the very next snap, Cashman ran a game with Jonathan Greenard, sprung free off the edge and levied himself at Jones as he hurled a deep pass; the impact perturbed Jones and wobbled his throw, which was snatched in the end zone by Camryn Bynum. Game, set, match.

Minnesota won without scoring a touchdown thanks in part to Cashman's fantastic play and leadership.

We easily could keep rattling off snapshots of Cashman's sideline-to-sideline influence, but we'll nominate instead a 60-minute moment as the highest high experienced by Minnesota's off-ball 'backers.

Cue Cashman's homecoming.

In his first NFL home game in his hometown, Cashman piloted a golden defensive effort against San Francisco, piling up 13 tackles (five solo) to supplement a sack, tackle for loss and three pass breakups.

The excitement over Cashman's performance extended into the next week, when six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick tabbed Cashman his Week 2 "Football Guy" and sent him a classic grey hoodie with his B.B. initials printed across the chest. "Football Guy" is an outstanding and accurate way to describe Cashman, whose gaudy stat line turned out to be historic. Since at least 1999, he's one of only five players to pair 12-plus tackles in a game with one or more sacks and 3-plus passes defended.

It was done by Cashman's former head coach in Houston, DeMeco Ryans, in 2006, as well as LaRon Landry in 2009 and Vincent Rey in 2013. Josh Butler replicated the feat this season in career game No. 4.

The Lowest Low

Bouncing back, possessing a short-term memory, correcting mistakes, they're all tied together.

Unfortunately, none of it is applicable, not at a course-resetting level, after the clock strikes midnight.

It's one of the roughest parts about Minnesota's championship-sinking loss to Los Angeles and generally one of the hardest-to-swallow truths of great teams unmistakably playing beneath their standards; there's so many what-ifs – what if the Vikings nail this throw or break that tackle or convert on X down.

The what-ifs extended to every facet of the 27-9 Wild Card defeat. On defense and special teams, there were plays that could have swayed huge momentum that specifically featured Cashman and Grugier-Hill.

Begrudgingly, we're going to revisit those.

On the first Rams play of the second quarter, Jonathan Greenard curled Matthew Stafford to the ground and dislodged the ball. In a jiffy, Cashman continued the play made by his former Texans teammate, scooping the football, sprinting with it scot-free and scoring it. Bada bing, bada boom — a 26-yard TD!

The play would've positioned the Vikings to tie the game at 10-all pending a PAT. Maybe more importantly, it would've quieted Los Angeles' loud, early energy, and restored Vikings vigor and vitality.

Alas, Cashman's touchdown – and Greenard's strip-sack – was overturned to an incompletion. Although the Rams eventually punted, it was a favored break and a sizable win for them, preventing a tie at 10-all.

Also, it likely made Grugier-Hill's whiff on a too-close-to-understand-how-he-missed-it punt block try at the end of the Rams next series tougher to accept. Seriously, the ball escaped his triangled hands by a molecule. Later on, Grugier-Hill was vexed about not tackling the Los Angeles punter. What if? What if?

It's a cruel kind of fate for two haunting what-ifs to occur in a span of six minutes.

2 Pressing Questions for 2025

1. Can Pace improve enough in pass coverage to evolve into an every-down defender?

In two seasons, Pace has played 62 and 59 percent of the snaps on defense in 17 and 11 contests. Those numbers are buoyed by a series of games in 2023 when he was the lead communicator, subbing for an injured Jordan Hicks, and likewise in 2024 over three games when he accepted controls from Cashman.

Aside from the slim instance, however, Pace hasn't been tasked with every-down duties. A reason why is because he's not as versed in coverage as he is flying downhill, defending cutbacks and splatting runners.

In 2024, among 99 linebackers with 100-plus coverage snaps, Pace ranked 99^th per PFF, with a 29.3 grade. His coverage résumé featured 24 receptions allowed via 29 targets (82.8%), resulting in 292 yards and two touchdowns. It was messy after the catch, too. Pace missed eight tackles, giving way to 158 YAC.

Perhaps, health played a part? Because in 2023, Pace generated a top-15 coverage grade of 77.3.

Obviously, Pace has demonstrated swift reactions, good lateral agility and play recognition – traits that make him a stud against the run – but there's a power to be unlocked in pass coverage where he more often balances his quintessential urgency, which is unique to his game and of players appearing to play at a faster mph, with a patience that'll prevent him from overrunning option routes and improve his angles.

Here's our bottom line: With Cashman as a guide, Pace, who won't turn 25 until the tail end of next season, is set up to mature into an every-down player that's equally good at quelling the run and pass.

2. What will Minnesota do to strengthen its room of linebackers?

We know Cashman runs the show, and Pace skirts around blocks and shoots gaps with effortlessness.

Beyond that, here's an overview of details to consider:

• A fourth-year step up by Asamoah would be beneficial.
• As would adding a veteran, whether that's re-signing Grugier-Hill, a pending FA, or acquiring someone new. Maybe, it's casting another developmental player via the draft or pool of UDFAs.
• Minnesota carried a couple LBs – Max Tooley (26 years old) and Calvin Munson (30) – on its practice squad for a good portion of 2024. Their familiarity might merit consideration for 2025.

Lastly, we'll crisscross back to Metellus because the Vikings leaned a great deal on him in 2024 functioning as a box player, a quasi-linebacker if you will. Yes, Metellus does all the normal LB things well, but he's an untraditional body type; he's a strong safety in an exotic blitz defense that has capitalized on reps maximizing his versatility and instincts walked down from a deeper alignment.

Metellus' best tool in that space isn't strength or speed, and definitely not size as a semi-converted safety – it's mental capacity; his FBI (football intelligence) gives him an edge. His brain also happens to be the driving force of a peculiar career arc that ascended uniformly with Flores' hiring. An interesting layer to Metellus' future is his natural position may be up for grabs, with starters Camryn Bynum and Harrison Smith eligible for free agency. It's likeliest though that Metellus will be used everywhere, again, in 2025.