The Minnesota Vikings were dealt a major blow to their defense in the second half of Monday’s season opener against the Chicago Bears.
The Minnesota Vikings had the fifth-best scoring defense in the NFL last season, and star linebacker Blake Cashman was a big reason why.
The 29-year-old linebacker led the team with a career-high 112 tackles along with 28 pressures, 17 hurries, six QB hits, 4.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, eight passes defensed, and one fumble recovered, per Pro Football Focus, as the heart and soul of Minnesota’s defense.
It was the second straight season Cashman hit the 100-tackle mark, and it was the third straight season he recovered at least one fumble.
Cashman was having a solid performance in the Vikings’ Week 1 matchup against the Chicago Bears on «Monday Night Football», logging three tackles and one pressure, but he exited early in the fourth quarter after suffering a hamstring injury.
