Category: Commentary

Bill Belichick sees Vikings as a top team in the NFC this season

Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick had some high praise for the undefeated Minnesota Vikings on the Pat McAfee Show.

With their win over the Houston Texans on Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings moved to 3-0 on the season and continued one of the biggest Cinderella stories of the early 2024 NFL season. By record, it’s not a stretch to say that the Vikings are one of — if not THE — best teams in the conference, perhaps in the entire NFL.

It’s one thing to see that from fans of the team, or a media outlet with “Vikings” in the name. But it’s another thing entirely to hear it from the mouth of one of the greatest coaches in NFL history. So if you don’t want to take it from us, take it from six-time Super Bowl Champion and three-time Coach of the Year legend Bill Belichick.

On the Pat McAfee Show, Belichick was asked about the Vikings and if they are “for real” and can sustain their success in the early portion of the season. Belichick responded saying you “definitely got to be on the look-out for them, but it’ll be interesting to see how they sustain this”, and went on to call the team “probably one of the top two or three teams in the league”.

Belichick, the head coach of arguably the greatest and most-sustained dynasty in NFL history, knows a thing or two about what it takes to become a great team in this league. The former Patriots head coach went on to heap praise on the Vikings’ quarter Sam Darnold — and perhaps got a little dig in at one of his former teams in the process — saying, “Everybody has liked Sam Darnold except for the Jets.”

Darnold is coming off just the second four-touchdown game of his career against the Texans and goes into next week riding one of the best streaks in his career. Minnesota has another tough task on Sunday, as Darnold gets his first taste of the Minnesota-Green Bay rivalry.

It’s time to start taking the Minnesota Vikings seriously

After staring the season undefeated, it’s time to start taking the 2024 version of the Minnesota Vikings seriously as a playoff contender.

There’s an old saying that, paraphrased, says that “once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a pattern.” For the 2024 Minnesota Vikings, it was easy to ignore the team’s first win, over a rather hapless New York Giants team.

Then, the Vikings did it again the following week — in a rather convincing fashion — over a much better San Francisco 49ers team. Still, plenty of skepticism was warranted, as it’s still early in the season, and the 49ers were without some key players.

However, now that the Vikings have done it again and beaten an excellent Houston Texans team – and done so convincingly – it’s time to start accepting the idea that this might not be an accident. With three wins in a row, and two of them over two of the best teams in the NFL last season, it’s time to start accepting that this version of the Minnesota Vikings might just be “for real”.

Now, that’s not to say that the Vikings are a legitimate Super Bowl contender – at least not yet – but rather that it’s time to acknowledge that popular opinion on the team may have been wrong. Coming into the season, there was a lot of hesitancy to believe in the Vikings, largely due to the notion that famed NFL Draft bust Sam Darnold would helm them. Darnold was the third pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, but famously flamed out with the Jets, before struggling even more with the Carolina Panthers and being relegated to a backup role with the 49ers.

However, through the first three weeks of the season, Darnold has arguably had the best season of his career. The offense that head coach Kevin O’Connell runs with the Vikings has lent itself well to Darnold, and in turn, he’s having successes the likes of which he’s rarely – if ever – seen in his career. Darnold had just his second career game with four touchdown passes on Sunday against the Texans. Through three games, Darnold has a passer rating of 117.3, nearly 25 points higher than at any other point in his career.

With just two more touchdown passes, Darnold will have double-digit passing touchdowns for the third time in his career. The yardage numbers he’s putting up aren’t spectacular, but he’s making the plays he needs to make when he needs to make them, and he’s being efficient with the ball. What’s more, those numbers will only get better as the Vikings get back to full strength with a healthy Jordan Addison and tight end T.J. Hockenson down the road.

But the story of the 2024 Minnesota Vikings’ success isn’t just about the career resurgence of their quarterback. What makes the Vikings “for real” this season, and why their success can be sustainable, is the defense’s performance. Behind defensive mastermind coordinator Brian Flores, the Vikings defense is giving quarterbacks fits. On Sunday, the Vikings managed to end C.J. Stroud’s league-leading consecutive passes without an interception streak, turning him over not once but twice daily.

They’re also bringing a ton of pressure on opposing quarterbacks, disguising those pressures and the coverages behind them, and generally making life a nightmare for whomever they face. 

It is still early in the season – just three games. There is plenty of time for Darnold to turn back into a pumpkin. There’s plenty of time for opposing offenses to figure out the Vikings’ defensive schemes, and the NFL season is a long and brutal one – injuries will happen and could take a dramatic toll on the team.

However, as things stand right now, and the outlook going forward, it’s time to start thinking about the 2024 Minnesota Vikings as not only a potential playoff team, but a team who could win a game or two when they get there.

Vikings safety Harrison Smith has been playing with a torn muscle since 2015

One of the best safeties to ever play has revealed he’s been playing with a torn muscle since 2015 with the Vikings.

If you need any other reasons to think Harrison Smith is one of the toughest NFL players, here it is. Back in 2015, Smith returned from an MCL injury but he was also playing with another injury — a tear. Smith told Alec Lewis with The Athletic how he was playing with a torn gracilis in his left leg.

“This was my first game back from a pretty bad MCL injury,” he says. “I had also torn a muscle called the gracilis in my left leg. It’s still torn.”

“Yeah,” he says, “we just left it alone.”

The backstory: In early December 2015, the Vikings played the Seattle Seahawks. Smith had already hurt his MCL, and on one of the first plays, he swooped in for a tackle for loss. “A sick TFL,” he says. The next play, on a pass to the flat, the muscle snapped, but Smith says it was “only 90 percent torn.”

Doctors said he could undergo surgery, but then he’d miss time. Smith says they also told him he could tear it himself and keep playing. He tried to tear it on his own by jumping up and down. The pain brought him to tears. He still practiced. “It hurt like a b—-,” he says. One afternoon, after a play in practice, he was walking backward and bumped into a teammate’s foot. The gracilis fully popped.

“I was like, ‘Oh, I’m good now,’” Smith says. “It was fine after that.”

Almost 10 years later, Smith is still going strong. A team captain and one of the best safeties in the league, Smith is a force to be reckoned with. While his time in the NFL is approaching, Smith will always be remembered as one of the best Vikings to ever play.

Smith leads all active players with 34 interceptions, 766 tackles, 175 games started, 42 quarterback hits, and 12 forced fumbles.

Vikings unveil Jim Marshall Legacy Captains board at team facility

The Vikings honor Jim Marshall after he was a team captain for 14 straight years.

Jim Marshall is one of the greatest Minnesota Vikings of all time. He played 20 seasons as a pro, almost all of them coming with the Vikings. Marshall played as a Viking from 1961-1979 and was a 14-time captain during his playing days.

The former defensive end holds an NFL record for playing 270 consecutive games with one team. When you think of a team player and a leader, you almost certainly think of Marshall.

In honor of Marshall, the Vikings unveiled the Jim Marshall Legacy Display that will honor each year’s team captains. This year, the Vikings are honoring Harrison Smith, Josh Metellus, Harrison Phillips, Andrew DePaola, Sam Darnold CJ Ham, and Justin Jefferson.

The Vikings will play their first game on Sunday when they head to New York to face the Giants.

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin zigs when rest of NFL zags

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stays loyal to a tired philosphy while the NFL has been ruled by the passing game for years.

The NFL has changed dramatically from the ground-and-pound days. It’s all about scoring — stacking points and a lot of them — specifically through the air. What once was a game ruled by running backs is now all about the quarterback.

Head coach Mike Tomlin, as directed by Steelers President Art Rooney II, coaches a team with a run-heavy philosophy that prides itself on defense. This has been a Rooney family recipe for decades, but not everyone loves it as much as they once did.

Tomlin refuses to evolve. While he zigs, the rest of the NFL zags. This is part of why the Steelers haven’t succeeded in the postseason in eight years.

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The Athletic predicts two UDFA players making the Vikings final roster

There might be two UDFAs making the Vikings 53-man roster according to The Athletic.

With the Vikings’ preseason officially over after their win against the Eagles on Saturday, Minnesota will have to start making some tough decisions. The 53-man roster is looming, and the Vikings will need to figure out who they want to keep from their exceptional UDFA class.

According to The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, he has two UDFAs making Minnesota’s 53-man roster.

Lewis sees both cornerback Dwight McGlothern and defensive lineman Taki Taimani making the roster. McGlothern, the Arkansas product, was sensational for the Vikings this preseason. He had six tackles and took an interception 91 yards. While he may not crack the cornerback rotation, he will play a part on the special teams unit if he makes the team. 

Taimani, the former Oregon Duck, also had a great preseason. The Vikings’ interior depth is light, and Taimani showed up when he got his chance, finishing with 10 tackles. Minnesota could use Taimani’s strength. 

Lewis also sees Edge rusher Gabriel Murphy making the team but being put on the IR to begin the season.

WATCH: Former Viking Andrew Booth Jr. struggling in Dallas

The former Minnesota Viking is having a not-so-great time with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Vikings made a one-for-one trade recently with the Dallas Cowboys when Minnesota sent cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. for cornerback Nahshon Wright.

While Wright may not have made the Vikings contenders, getting rid of the former second-round pick out of Clemson appears to be in the Vikings’ best interest. Booth Jr. is not only considered a draft bust, but he’s fighting for his life on the Dallas roster bubble.

Things are not looking good for Booth Jr. On Saturday, the Cowboys played the Los Angeles Chargers, and Booth Jr. was seen getting torched on a 78-yard touchdown pass. Quarterback Easton Stick found Simi Fehoko for a long touchdown, and Booth Jr. was on the wrong end of it.

Once Minnesota traded Booth Jr. away, the Vikings signed former All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gillmore. Gillmore will start alongside Shaq Griffin, and Byron Murphy will play at the Nickel.

Highly touted UDFA may find himself on the Vikings roster bubble

With some injury issues, the prized UDFA may see himself on the roster bubble heading into the season.

Injuries are part of the game- the Vikings might know better than anyone right now- but things become more complicated when you’re a UDFA. UCLA standout and undrafted rookie Gabriel Murphy was on a tear early on in training camp and in the preseason. But after suffering an undisclosed injury, Murphy hasn’t been seen for a little while.

Murphy appeared to be a lock to make the 53-man roster — en route to what Ivan Pace Jr. accomplished last season. However, the UCLA product is starting to look a little shaky. Alec Lewis with The Athletic thinks Minnesota could opt to place Murphy on the IR, which wouldn’t count against its roster limit.

Given Murphy’s potential, the Vikings probably won’t want to cut him and give him to another team. Plenty of outlets were clamoring that Minnesota got the steal of the free agent pool when it signed Murphy.

Even with signing two veteran Edge rushers and drafting Dallas Turner, depth is always a key to a position of need. Murphy has a chance to stick around Minnesota for some time if he can get healthy and play well.

Could the Vikings trade safety Lewis Cine?

The Vikings could look to move their former first-round pick.

The Vikings spent a first-round pick on safety Lewis Cine in the 2022 NFL Draft. The former Georgia Bulldog suffered a broken leg during his rookie season and has yet to fully bounce back for the Vikings. Following an impressive game against the Browns in which he had 11 tackles and an interception, Cine is full of confidence.

But even with his impressive performance, Cine is right on the bubble of making the Vikings 53-man roster. Minnesota already has at least Harrison Smith, Josh Metellus, and Cam Bynum ahead of him on the depth chart. You may even be able to add Theo Jackson into the mix as well.

Since it may be hard for Cine to crack the depth chart, Eric Edholm with NFL.com tabbed Cine as a trade candidate.

Edholm noted no team would likely give the Vikings the value they may want for someone they spent a first-round pick on, but Minnesota could see a Day 3 pick in return. If the Vikings would choose to move on from Cine, a fresh start might be in the best interest of both parties.

Where did ESPN rank the Vikings coaching staff among the others in the NFL?

The Vikings have one of the best coaching staffs in the league according to ESPN.

Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell is one of the young, bright minds in the NFL. Early on in his Vikings’ tenure with quarterback Kirk Cousins, he had success, and he made some magic happen last year when Josh Dobbs came over following Cousins’ injury.

O’Connell also has some good minds alongside him. While Wes Phillips, the offensive coordinator, won’t call all of the plays with O’Connell the offensive mind—he is a good coach—Brian Flores is widely regarded among NFL coaches on the defensive side of things.

It doesn’t come as much of a surprise that ESPN ranked the Minnesota coaching staff at No. 10 in the league. Benjamin Solak went through each team and ranked the head coaches, coordinators, and staff members on each team and the Vikings fell right at No. 10.

“I think [O’Connell] made the right decision for his QB, and he’ll push the boundaries of the offense when J.J. McCarthy finally hits the field… [Flores] is one of the league’s best defensive coaches.”

If O’Connell could somehow get the Vikings into a playoff spot in 2024, Minnesota’s ranking would rise even higher next season.