Vikings defensive end Dallas Turner has blossomed into one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. He had two sacks on Sunday at Chicago, to go with the sack he had last week against the Packers.
The last sack came on the last play of the day, slamming the door on a potential game-winning touchdown from backup quarterback Tyson Bagent.
On the play, Turner bull rushed Bears tight end Colston Loveland, riding Loveland all the way to Bagent.
After the game, I asked Turner by phone why the Bears thought they could slow him down with a tight end. He said the attack crafted by defensive coordinator Brian Flores dictates the approach, by creating the kind of chaos that forces the offense into unfavorable matchups.
Turner said that, on several plays during the final drive, a tight end was trying to block him.
The effort was just the latest example of Turner’s arrival as an elite pass rusher. He said that his recent success is a “progressive thing,” based on the time he has spent in the Flores defense, and not the result of any specific moment where the light went on.
He turned the lights out for the Bears on Sunday, propelling the Vikings to 2-0 with an unlikely 9-3 win in Chicago — Minnesota’s seventh straight win at Soldier Field.
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