THE VIKINGS DEFENSE IS FLAT
OUT ONE OF THE BEST LEAGUE THE
AND ONE OF THE KEYS EVERSON
GRIFFEN.
LAST WEEK IN ATLANTA WAS
NOTABLE BECAUSE OF WHAT HE DID
NOT DO.
FOR THE FIRST TIME ALL SEASON
HE DID NOT RECORD A SACK.
HE TALKED TO DAVID McCOY TO
DEMONSTRATE THE MOVES HE USES
TO STRIKE FEAR INTO OFFENSIVE
LINEMEN.
HOW MANY MOVES WOULD YOU SAY
YOU HAVE?
THREE, THREE EFFECTIVE ONES,
THREE THAT I USE ON A DAILY
BASIS.
IT'S A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO
HAVE A GUY AT THE TOP OF HIS
TRADE WILLING TO DEMONSTRATE
THE TOOLS IN HIS TOOLBOX, THE
MOVES HE USES TO BEAT OFFENSIVE
LINEMEN FOR ALL THOSE SACKS.
YOU DON'T NEED THAT MANY
MOVES.
EVERSON GRIFFEN WAS HAPPY TO
TEACH US THE KEYS TO HIS CRAFT.
MY FIRST ONE IS MY STAB.
QUICK, I STAB.
AND THEN MY SECOND ONE, I RUN
OFF THE BALL, I GET IN MY
STANCE, BOOM, AND THEN POWER,
AND THEN MY THIRD ONE IS I RUN
OFF THE BALL, AND THEN BOOM
BOOM, AND THEN I SPIN, SO IT'S
REALLY -- AND THEN I HAVE OTHER
MOVES, TOO.
I HAVE OTHER MOVES, BUT THEM
ARE THE THREE ONES I USE THE
MOST TO SET THEM UP FOR
ANYTHING ELSE I WANT TO DO.
KIND OF LIKE A PITCHER IN
BASEBALL MIGHT THROW A FASTBALL
TO SET UP A CURVE BALL.
FASTBALL, FASTBALL, I CHANGE
IT UP.
THE THING I FOCUS ON THE MOST
IS MY GET OFF, IF I CAN GET OFF
THE BALL BEFORE THEY CAN MOVE
AND I CAN GET ONE STEP IN
BEFORE THEY CAN GET ONE STEP
BACK, IT'S OVER.
I CAN WIN EVERY TIME.
I OWN THEM THEN.
POWER, STAB, SPIN, POWER,
STUTTER SPIN, YOU KNOW.
I DON'T NEED TOO MANY MOVES TO
WIN, YOU KNOW.
IT'S ALL ABOUT SETTING THE GUY
UP THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE
GAME.
A LOT OF IT IS READING WHAT
THE OFFENSIVE TACKLE GIVES YOU.
IF I'M THE TACKLE, BOOM,
BOOM, AND HE'S KICKING.
IF I GO TAKE THAT JAB INSIDE
AND HE SITS DOWN AND IF I TAKE
ONE MORE STEP, BOOM, IF HE
TAKES ONE MORE STEP THIS WAY, I
KNOW MY SPIN IS GOING TO BE
OPEN NOW BECAUSE NOW I GOT HIM
OVER EXTENDED.
AND YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED
TO KNOW HOW MUCH OF IT IS
PREPLANNED BASED ON FILM
STUDIES.
WHEN YOU WATCH A TACKLE ON
FILM, YOU KIND OF PICK UP WHAT
MOVE YOU THINK IS GOING TO WORK
ON THAT GUY FOR THE WEEK.
I BREAK THEM DOWN.
THEY MAKE A PASS RUSH TAPE FOR
US.
I SEE THE MOVES HE GETS BEAT
WITH.
I USE MY MOVES.
IF I SEE HIM GET BEAT WITH
POWER, SPEED, SPIN, THEN I'M
GOING TO USE THOSE DURING THE
WEEK, DURING PRACTICE TO BE
ABLE TO USE THAT DURING THE
GAME.
THAT PRACTICE HE SAYS IS THE
KEY TO IT ALL, AND HE CREDITS
DEFENSIVE LINE COACH ANDRE
PATTERSON FOR TURNING HIM INTO
THE PLAYER HE'S BECOME.
WE WORK ON GETTING YOUR BACK
HALF THROUGH, SO WHEN YOU RUSH
THEM, MOST OF THE TIMES THEY
TEACH -- THEY TEACH THIS.
TURN YOUR HIPS OUTSIDE, YOU
KNOW, WE DON'T TEACH THAT HERE.
COACH PATTERSON HE TEACHES WHEN
YOU GET ON TOP OF THE DUDE, YOU
TAKE THAT STEP UP THE FIELD,
AND THEN YOU'VE GOT TO GET YOUR
BACK HALF THROUGH QUICK, SO HE
TEACHES, SO WE GET OFF ON THE
BALL, WE TEACH BACK HALF
THROUGH, HOW FAST CAN YOU GET
YOUR BACK HALF THROUGH, AND I
THINK THAT'S WHAT SET US APART
FROM ANY OTHER GROUP BECAUSE WE
DON'T FOCUS.
THERE'S NO WASTED MOTION YOU
KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING?
WE DON'T HAVE TO GO FROM HERE
AND THEN GET BACK UP FIELD.
IT'S ALL ONE MOTION, SO WE GET
OFF ON THE BALL.
WHEN WE GET OFF ON THE BALL,
IT'S FROM HERE WE RUN.
THEN TAKE A STEP UP THE FIELD
AND THEN BACK HALF THROUGH.
WE DON'T THROW OUR HIPS
OUTSIDE.
EVERYTHING IS FOCUSED OBJECT
BACK HALF.
HOW MUCH HAS THAT CHANGED
FOR YOU OVER THE YEARS?
A LOT.
YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT CULTURES
THEY TRY TO BRING IN THEIR OWN
STYLES AND THEIR OWN TECHNIQUES
AND THEIR OWN WAY OF RUSHING
THE PASSER.
THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST WAY TO
RUSH A PASSER.
IT'S UNORTHODOX BUT IT'S
EFFICIENT AND IT WORKS.
THAT'S WHY HE'S THE BEST D-LINE
COACH IN THE WORLD MAN.
ALL THE SUCCESS YOU'RE
HAVING THIS YEAR, HOW MUCH OF
IT IS YOUR ATHLETICISM AND HOW
MUCH IS MASTERING YOUR
TECHNIQUE?
MASTERING MY TECHNIQUE.
HAVING TALENT ONLY TAKES YOU SO
FAR.
BECOMING A MASTER OF THE
TRADE DOING IT DAY IN AND DAY
OUT AND PRACTICING AND OWNING
IT AND BELIEVING IT TO THE CORE
OF YOUR BODY.
IT'S OVER AND OVER AND OVER
AGAIN.