EAGAN, Minn. -- Nearing the end of the third quarter with the Green Bay Packers facing first-and-30 at midfield, Aaron Rodgers eyed his chance to cut into the Minnesota Vikings' 28-14 lead.

Rodgers had wide receiver Davante Adams lined up in the slot to his right and saw the matchup he thought he wanted. The plan was for Adams to scurry up the middle of the field and catch what would be his second touchdown pass of the game. But the Vikings, who were in Tampa-2 coverage, were ready with their secret weapon.

Even the FOX broadcast crew was caught off guard by who was running stride-for-stride with arguably the best receiver in the NFL and breaking up the pass.

"Was that Kendricks back there with them?!"

Rodgers knew better. After all, he's faced Vikings middle linebacker Eric Kendricks multiple times a year since Minnesota drafted him in the second round in 2015. He's seen Kendricks disrupt plays in coverage routinely.

Those types of athletic plays are where Kendricks thrives most, and it's his play-making ability that is helping hold together a Vikings defense that lost three cornerbacks to injury in Green Bay and played seven rookies.

"I feel like at this point you guys know that I'm covering a lot out there and I'm doing different things in pass coverage, and that's just who I am as a linebacker and that's what I have to embrace and know my role," Kendricks said. "I just try to stay calm in those situations and let the chips fall."

Kendricks is off to another strong start after an All-Pro 2019 season when he tied for the NFL lead among linebackers with 12 pass breakups.

Against Green Bay, Kendricks had a team-high 12 tackles, eight of which were solo. He ranks third in the NFL in solo (47) and combo tackles (78) and is tied for third with 19 run stops.

And he's doing it in a defense that has been decimated by injuries and other unforeseen circumstances. He no longer has Linval Joseph (and hasn't gotten to play with free-agent addition Michael Pierce, who opted out of the season) in front of him at nose tackle to clog up the run and keep him clean from blockers. His linebacker running mate, Anthony Barr, underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle after Week 2.

But Kendricks' production hasn't slowed. He made plays all over the field in Green Bay and has played an important role in helping take away intermediate to deep passes. Kendricks continues to demonstrate his versatility.

"He's been tremendous," co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Adam Zimmer said. "I think he's playing even better than he did last year. He might not have the same [pass breakup] statistics that he had last year -- he just got a few more opportunities. They don't throw his way very often because he's great in coverage.

"He is really instinctive, he anticipates routes. He's seen a lot of football now, so he can anticipate things before they happen. He studies extremely hard. I think he's playing as good as he ever has and probably better than he ever has. He's up there leading the league in tackles [second with 78]. It really seemed like he made every tackle in the first half last game just because he anticipated so many plays and he was able to flow. The defensive line did a great job keeping guys off of him. I think he's playing the best mike linebacker in the NFL right now, to be honest."

Those instincts are a quality that coach Mike Zimmer hopes his young corners and safeties can adopt this season.

"He anticipates things well and he sees things," Zimmer said of Kendricks. "That's kind of what I'm trying to get these DBs to understand. They have to anticipate some things once in awhile. It can't be paint by the numbers every single day."

Kendricks emerged as the anchor of the defense before this season, his sixth in the NFL. His leadership earns him high praise throughout the team, with none more doting than the quarterback he goes against in practice daily.

"I say that when my boys Cooper and Turner are old enough, I'm going to get them Eric Kendricks jerseys because he's the player I want my kids to wear the jersey of," Kirk Cousins said. "I just think he's as good of a linebacker as there is in the league, the way he can cover a Davante Adams down the middle of the field and also take on a pulling guard. To be that versatile and that athletic, it's special."