Though he might not be a household name at this point in his career, Van Ginkel has become so important to everything the Vikings do on defense. He has been very effective as a pass rusher, whether he’s using his speed off the edge, or his strength up the middle. He has also been very reliable whenever asked to drop in coverage.

Van Ginkel had his third multi-sack game of the season; it's his first-ever Defensive Player of the Week honor.

After two critical fourth quarter sacks to help seal the Minnesota Vikings 27-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon, edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel has won the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award.