Apparently, The Vikings Have a Specific Player for “Sledgehammer Reps”

All gas, no brakes. Brian Flores is an aggressive playcaller who covets chaos. Kevin O Connell did his weekly chat with Paul Allen earlier in the week. Along the way, Coach O Connell got into what makes the Vikings defense special. Some of these reflections led to praising a backup backer, Ivan Pace, as Minnesota s designated player for sledgehammer reps. Putting Mr. Pace onto the field means forfeiting some of that unpredictability in favor of leaning into the aggression. Sometimes, that s exactly what The Mad Scientist is looking for in his defense. The Vikings Ivan Pace as a Sledgehammer The linebacker position is arguably the deepest on Minnesota s roster. LB1 Blake Cashman is playing elite football while LB2 Eric Wilson has continued with his physical, versatile role. Neither appears likely to cede playing time unless there s a health issue. Do note, though, that Jake Golday the 2nd Round draftee from the 2026 NFL Draft earned his most playing time of th