There is all this swagger coming from the Vikings now that a modern-day Purple People Eaters defense is upon us. And perhaps it is.
Carl Eller was a Hall of Fame defensive end for those famed Purple People Eaters, and he laughs over the phone when you ask him if it looks to him like the modern-day Purple People Eaters are intimidating quarterbacks.
“Yes it does,” Eller said.
When asked what his advice would be to opposing quarterbacks, he said: “Hey, bring lots of band-aids!”
Eller (133.5 sacks, according to the team), fellow Hall of Famer Alan Page (148.5 sacks), Jim Marshall (127 sacks) and run-stuffer Gary Larsen wreaked havoc on the likes of Johnny Unitas and Bart Starr from the late 1960s to the late ’70s. They were a quarterback’s worst nightmare.
“They came into the game rattled, because our reputation preceded the game,” Eller said. “And we could see they would come in, they would in many cases change their game plans, they would double up on me or they’d double up on Alan or something. They were prepared to stop our rush, that was the main thing. We said we don’t care what it is or what they do, we’re still going to get to the quarterback.”
The modern-day Purple People Eaters are eyeing their own legacy after turning Cam Newton (eight sacks, three interceptions) into Fig Newton.
“We feel like we can be one of the best ever to wear purple,” defensive end Brian Robison said. “That’s not taking away from the guys who wore purple before us, but we hold ourselves to that standard.”
In other words, Eli Manning better a) Duck, b) Get the ball out of his hand fast, or c) Count on the Big Blue People Eaters on Steve Spagnuolo’s side of the ball to show the national Monday Night audience why Jerry Reese withdrew $141.25 million from the John Mara-Steve Tisch Independence Bank to allow Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson and Michael Strahan to feel proud again. (And that’s not counting the $62.5 million ticketed for CB Janoris Jenkins.)
That’s the way Eller, Page, Marshall and Larsen feel these days about Mike Zimmer’s defensive line that has helped register 15 sacks, force nine turnovers, surrender a measly 43 points and devour Aaron Rodgers and Newton in successive weeks.
It is paramount for the Giants defensive line to show up as Big Blue People Eaters and give their bosses more bang for their bucks than they did against the Redskins, largely because of the battered state of their secondary, where the likes of Trevin Wade and Leon Hall are on call given the highly questionable status of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Eli Apple, and also because scoring could very well be at a premium in this one. The one saving grace is Adrian Peterson won’t be playing, which will help them hunt, hound and harass Sam Bradford.
The Big Blue People Eaters have pressured and hit the opposing quarterback, but the Joy of Sacks has been elusive. Olivier Vernon — five years, $85 million, $52.5 million guaranteed) and unanimously considered a beast — has one sack. Jason Pierre Paul — one year, $10 million, $8.5 million guaranteed — has one sack.
Their major value so far has been setting the edge and helping Damon “Snacks Harrison” (19 tackles) — $46.25 million, $24 million guaranteed — and Johnathan Hankins (11 tackles) push the pocket and stuff the run, though they seemed to tire when Redskins RB Matt Jones ground out 36 yards on the winning field goal drive last Sunday. Harrison promises any tackling issues are correctable and hardly cause for any panic, and YOU go ahead and tell him he’s wrong.
“You have got two very good defensive ends who set a firm edge and that is the number one thing in the game of football today, especially the way that these running backs are running straight towards the sidelines, trying to get the edge, so to have two very good defensive ends that can set the edge as well as JPP and Olivier do, it helps,” Harrison said.
By contrast, Purple People Eaters Everson Griffen (four sacks), former Giant strongman Linval Joseph (three sacks), Danielle Hunter (three sacks) and Robison (two sacks) have been downright ravenous and dominated offensive lines considered superior to Manning’s bodyguards.
“I know it’s a really good defensive front and we have our work cut out for us,” Justin Pugh said.
But with LT Matt Kalil (hip) missing, replaced by second-year tackle T.J. Clemmings, the Big Blue People Eaters need to make the Vikings offensive linemen feel the exact same way. Hankins was gone with a torn pectoral muscle, but JPP was part of that humiliating 49-17 rout last December at the Vikings’ old TCF Bank Stadium home.
The Big Blue People Eaters need to get after Bradford the way the Purple People Eaters got after Manning, who was sacked four times and hit seven other times in 33 dropbacks and intercepted three times with Odell Beckham Jr. serving his one-game Josh Norman suspension. It leaves Manning with a 3-5 career record versus the Vikes, with five touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
Eller said he recognizes the current Vikings offense is not a juggernaut. Have no fear, the Purple People Eaters are here.
“We felt like we could help the offense by scoring, or keeping the points low, or making big plays or any of that stuff. It was just a mindset,” Eller said.
That was then and this is now.
“I think they’ve kind of taken a sense of pride in their responsibility that they have a tremendous challenge ahead of them and they’re accepting that charge; I think that’s exciting,” Eller said.
From Day 1, Ben McAdoo has demanded a team committed to poise and discipline.
And how about a Front Four committed to hunger with America watching? Make the quarterback bring lots of band-aids.