Reassigning ‘green dot’ duties | By Lindsey Young
When the Vikings placed linebacker Jordan Hicks on Injured Reserve, it meant they’d need to transfer his “green dot” helmet duties to someone else. Hicks was designated on game days to wear the helmet fitted with a headset, meaning he received the calls from Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores and relayed them to the safeties and rest of the defense.
Flores spoke to Twin Cities media members earlier this week and acknowledged that rookie linebacker Ivan Pace, Jr., will primarily be the one to take over the responsibility. Anthony Barr was signed to the practice squad this week, but it remains to be seen if Barr would be activated to the active roster as soon as Sunday night in Denver. Pace stepped into the role when Hicks left the game with an injury, and he also wore the green dot helmet plenty during the Vikings preseason games.
“It’s good for them to have those reps during the preseason,” Flores said of Pace. “I thought he did a nice job of it in-game. I’ve gotta talk to Ivan a little bit more than I do Jordan, just because there’s some reminders that I know Jordan knows, and he’s passing out to his teammates, that Ivan in some instances just needs a little bit more. Like any young player. But I thought he did a nice job. I thought he did a good job of getting the calls out, executing the calls, playing fast. We’ll need more of that.”
Flores explained that typically two or three players wear the green dot helmet during practices, even though only one can wear it during games.
“Ivan will be used to that. It’ll just be different that he’ll be making the call to the rest of the defense,” Flores said. “And then we’ll have to practice with someone else, probably Troy Dye and B.A. (Brian Asamoah II) in that role, as well. That’s obviously a big part because you’ve got to get that information out, but then it’s the execution piece that’s really the most important. Telling the group, ‘Hey, we’re running Cover 3,’ is one thing. But then within a play, depending what they do, we can do this, this or that. Just our overall getting us in the right call between the actual green dot player and the other communicators – primarily the safeties. Just that cohesion’s gotta be right and something we’ll work on this week.”