Joe Berger was named the best run-blocking offensive lineman in the NFL by Pro Football Foucs.
The Minnesota Vikings spent much of the year wearing out the phrase “Next man up.” Injuries hit on both sides of the ball, the earliest of those being veteran center John Sullivan, pushed backups into action. In a pinch to shift around the offensive line, when Sullivan went down, swingman Joe Berger was the next man up.
The website Pro Football Focus, known for its controversial metrics for ranking and rating players that has been praised by some and denounced by others, consistently rated Berger as one of the top centers all season long and, when PFF named its All-Pro team last month, Berger finished second only to Travis Frederick of the Dallas Cowboys.