Category: Minnesota Vikings

Vikings’ Justin Jefferson makes history in first half vs Lions

Justin Jefferson joined a short list of elite receivers during the first half of Sunday’s game against the Lions.

Justin Jefferson joined elite company once again with yet another record-setting season.

With two catches for 37 yards in the first half against the Detroit Lions, Jefferson became the fifth player in NFL history with three seasons of at least 100 receptions and 1,500 yards. That group includes Hall of Famers Andre Johnson and Marvin Harrison and potential Hall of Fame receivers Julio Jones and Antonio Brown.

Jefferson will have plenty of time to continue building on this. He will be 26 when the 2025 season begins and has plenty of football ahead of him. And as long as Kevin O’Connell is calling plays, the offense will continue to run through Jefferson.

If he keeps breaking records and plays for several more seasons at this level, Jefferson will join the receivers mentioned above in the Hall of Fame. Right now, he’s hoping to help the Vikings navigate the playoffs and try returning to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1976 season.

NFL Gameday Morning makes case for Kevin O’Connell as Coach of the Year

NFL Gameday Morning made its case for Kevin O’Connell to win the 2024 Coach Of the Year award.

The momentum for Kevin O’Connell to win the 2024 Coach Of the Year award continues. On NFL Gameday Morning, Steve Mariucci played the role of O’Connell in accepting the award during a hypothetical ceremony.

“I am truly honored and actually surprised [to receive] this award,” Marriuci said, as if he were O’Connell. “Because when you think about it, we were 7-10 last year, [and] didn’t make the playoffs.”

Mariuuci highlighted the improbability of the Vikings’ quick turnaround after moving on from Kirk Cousins. After signing Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy, Mariucci said that O’Connell and the Vikings would “rebuild around [the] rookie quarterback.”

The Vikings are 14-2 and Darnold was named to his first Pro Bowl this week. No one could have predicted this success going into the season. But it’s impossible to ignore what O’Connell has done to get the Vikings to this point.

“But you know what? This team [is] going for his 15th win tonight. So maybe I’m not so surprised about getting [this award].”

 

O’Connell is the clear frontrunner for the award heading into Sunday night’s game. While a loss to the Detroit Lions likely wouldn’t sway voters, a victory that clinches the NFC North title and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs would guarantee his win.

Vikings fans have recognized O’Connell’s brilliance since he arrived in 2022. Seeing the national media finally giving him the recognition he deserves is gratifying.

We now know where the loser of the Vikings-Lions game will play

The rest of the playoff slate is set heading into Sunday night’s Vikings game against the Lions. Where will the loser play next weekend?

We know where all but one playoff game will be played ahead of the Minnesota Vikings’ matchup with the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers locked up the NFC South with a 27-19 victory over the New Orleans Saints. This secured a home playoff game for the Bucs. But they still had to wait until the afternoon game between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks to see what seed they would hold in the playoffs.

Sean McVay chose to rest starters for Week 18, prioritizing player health over playoff seeding. The Rams already secured a playoff spot but their seeding remained in question. Although they had a chance to win at the end, they lost 27-25 to the Seahawks.

This locked the Bucs into the NFC’s No. 3 seed. They will host the Washington Commanders next weekend for Super Wild Card Weekend.

The Rams, now locked into the NFC’s No. 4 seed, will host the loser of the Vikings-Lions game. LA handed the Vikings their last loss of the season back on Oct. 24 and took the Lions to overtime in a Week 1 loss in Detroit.

Whoever wins Sunday night’s game gets the luxury of not only home-field advantage, but they will also avoid a first-round matchup with a team that matches up well with them.

NFL Insider suggests teams may attempt wild trade with Vikings this offseason

Instead, Jay Glazer suggested that the Vikings head coach, Kevin O’Connell, may be a surprise candidate for the teams. 

With Black Monday right around the corner for NFL coaches and teams, rumors are already swirling about who will be coaching where next season.

When a team has a season like the one the Vikings are having, they can expect some players on their staff to be interviewed. NFL insider Jay Glazer was discussing coaching candidates on the Fox Kickoff Show, but he didn’t mention defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

Instead, Glazer suggested that the Vikings head coach, Kevin O’Connell, may be a surprise candidate for the teams.

“There are multiple teams that are actually considering to try and trade for Kevin O’Connell, and the reason why? Next year, the last year of his deal, they have had no contract talks at all. Look, there might be a team out there saying, ‘Why not take a shot?’ Maybe the Vikings don’t let it happen, but also, Kevin O’Connell has the card saying, ‘I’m not going to re-sign there, so you might as well get something for me.”

O’Connell may be a surprise candidate, but what would a team have to offer the Vikings? Especially if O’Connell were to win the Coach of the Year Award like he is expected to. Vikings fans can probably take a deep breath about the idea of losing O’Connell, but anything is possible in the NFL.

Jay Glazer’s segment can be found in the post below, which discusses all the coaching candidates.

 

Notable Vikings fan wins WWE title, team offers their congratulations

Another Minnesota athlete joined the ranks of champion when she won a WWE title, and the Vikings made sure everyone knew it. 

The state of Minnesota has a long, proud history of successful athletes. Whether in hockey, football, or wrestling, the land of 10,000 lakes has produced some of the best the sports world has ever seen.

On Friday night, another Minnesota athlete joined the ranks of champion when she won a WWE title, and the Vikings made sure everyone knew it.

Tiffany Stratton, who was born and raised in Prior Lake, Minnesota, won her first WWE Women’s Championship on Friday Night Smackdown. She was trained by another Minnesota sports legend, Greg Gagne, and has become a staple at Vikings games over the course of her career.

As a result, the team made sure to let everyone know how proud they were of their superfan, who had earned this major career milestone. The team posted a picture of Stratton on the sidelines from a game earlier this year, wearing a custom Vikings championship belt.

Now, Stratton has a belt of her own that she has earned. Is it the Vikings turn to earn a title of their own on Sunday Night Football, where they can win the NFC North?

 

The Vikings are a lock for the playoffs. Who could they play there?

Who could the Vikings potentially face in the NFL playoffs this year?

The Minnesota Vikings are going to the playoffs regardless of Sunday night’s outcome against the Detroit Lions. Seeding is still on the line, though. A victory would give them home-field advantage and a bye week as the NFC’s No. 1 seed. But a loss would drop them to the No. 5 seed, forcing them to play on the road in the wild-card round.

If the Vikings secured the No. 1 seed, they would play the lowest-remaining seed in the NFC playoffs. This could be any team in the playoffs besides the Philadelphia Eagles, who are already locked into the No. 2 seed.

It remains to be seen where the Vikings will play if they end up with the No. 5 seed. Six of the seven NFC teams are determined, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons battling to win the NFC South.

The Bucs host the New Orleans Saints this Sunday. Atlanta will face the Carolina Panthers. Tampa Bay will clinch the NFC South with a win, while a loss and Atlanta win would get the Falcons in. If the seeding doesn’t change, the Vikings would currently head to Tampa Bay or Atlanta.

But the Los Angeles Rams could complicate things. Although they haven’t secured the No. 3 seed, head coach Sean McVay confirmed they will rest their starters against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 18.

This is a surprising decision, considering the Rams could drop to the No. 4 seed with a loss and a Bucs win. That would lead them to host the loser of the Vikings-Lions game. A Rams win in Week 18 would lock them into the No. 3 seed.

A Vikings victory in the wild card round could potentially set up a rematch with the Lions. If the Washington Commanders and Green Bay Packers, who are both locked into either the No. 6 or 7 seeds, were to lose, the Vikings would be the lowest-remaining seed. That would send them to Ford Field for the second time in three weeks.

If either the Commanders or Packers won their games, the Vikings would travel to Philadelphia as the highest-remaining seed. This might be the least desirable outcome, as the Eagles have ended promising Vikings seasons before.

An NFC North rematch could still happen if the Vikings get the No. 1 seed. The Lions would travel to Minnesota if the above scenario were to play out for them. But if the Packers won and were the lowest-remaining seed, the Vikings would host them for the second time in four weeks.

There is an outside chance the Vikings, as the No. 5 seed, could host a playoff game in the divisional round. If they win, and the Packers and Commanders win their games, the Vikings would host the No. 7 seed.

Week 18’s matchup against the Lions determines who will get the NFC’s top seed. But it may not be the final time the Vikings and Lions face off this season.

Vikings CB Byron Murphy Jr. earns bonus from Pro Bowl selection

Byron Murphy Jr. earned a bonus for his first career Pro Bowl selection this week,.

Cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. was among six Vikings selected for the 2025 Pro Bowl. This is the first time he has received Pro Bowl honors in his six-year career.

The selection also helped him gain some extra cash. Thanks to an incentive on his contract, Murphy will make an extra $250,000 for making the Pro Bowl, Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune tweeted on Tuesday.

It’s been a career year for Murphy. Quarterbacks have a 78.0 passer rating throwing at Murphy this season, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). His six interceptions are tied for third in the NFL and are the most by a Vikings cornerback since Jimmy Hitchcock picked off seven passes in 1998.

Minnesota needs Murphy to be at his best this Sunday. As the Vikings’ primary slot cornerback, he will be tasked with covering Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Lions’ wideout has lined up in the slot on 51.4% of pass plays, the highest on the team. If Murphy can contain St. Brown and even force a turnover, the Vikings could emerge as NFC North champions.

Sam Darnold has a chance to win Comeback Player of the Year after all

Sam Darnold’s Comeback Player of the Year hopes stay alive as AP confirms ballots won’t be rejected, despite debates over eligibility rules.

Sam Darnold could still win Comeback Player of the Year. According to Pro Football Talk, the Associated Press won’t reject ballots with Darnold’s name on them.

It was believed going into the season that Darnold wouldn’t be eligible for the award because he wasn’t coming back from injury or other physical ailments. He spent the 2023 season backing up Brock Purdy in San Fransisco after flaming out with the Jets and Panthers. Coming back from underperforming on the field wouldn’t qualify.

Buzz about Darnold’s potentially winning the award began when he won the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Month. He was meeting the expectations of a starting NFL QB for the first time in his career.

In October, Rob Maaddi of the AP went to social media to clarify what attributes qualify a player for the award.

“[T]he spirit of the award is to honor a player who has demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity by overcoming illness, physical injury or other circumstances that led him to miss playing time the previous season.”

But now it appears the AP won’t hold voters to those guidelines. They will expect voters to adhere to these standards but won’t reject ballots that stray from the “spirit of the award.”

It may not matter in the end. Joe Burrow would be an MVP frontrunner if the Bengals were a better team, but he has recovered from a wrist injury that prematurely ended his 2023 season. By definition, he would be the ideal candidate for the award.

Still, Darnold has been the league’s feel-good story of 2024. And it looks like he has a chance to win some hardware for his accomplishments this season.

 

Kevin O’Connell is the favorite to win the Coach of the Year award

Kevin O’Connell is the runaway favorite for Coach of the Year after leading the Vikings to a 14-2 record.

Kevin O’Connell is now the runaway favorite to win the NFL’s Coach of the Year award after leading the Minnesota Vikings to a 14-2 record. They are one win away from winning the NFC North and securing home-field advantage in the playoffs.

O’Connell’s odds of winning Coach of the Year are -1200, according to BetMGM. Dan Campbell is the only head coach who has any shot of catching him, but he is still a long shot at +600. Andy Reid and Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn are tied for third with odds of +4000.

This isn’t the first time O’Connell has been a candidate for the award. He finished sixth in voting after leading the Vikings to a 13-4 record in 2022. Fellow first-year head coach Brian Daboll won the award when he led the New York Giants to a 9-8 record.

A loss to Campbell and the Lions this Sunday likely won’t affect O’Connell’s odds too much. But a victory would all but clinch the award.

Sam Darnold is finding success against the blitz in 2024

Sam Darnold headlines six Vikings named to the 2025 Pro Bowl. His league-best stats against the blitz could play a key role in Week 18.

Few quarterbacks have been better against the blitz in 2024 than Sam Darnold. His success against it is part of why he was one of six Minnesota Vikings selected for this year’s Pro Bowl.

Per Pro Football Focus, Darnold has thrown 12 touchdowns with no interceptions against extra rushers. And his 9.9 yards per attempt and 130.8 passer rating against the blitz rank first in the league.

Darnold will likely see more blitzes in Week 18 when the Vikings play the Detroit Lions. According to NFL’s Next Gen Stats, only the Vikings and Broncos blitz more than the Lions, who bring extra pressure on 36% of dropbacks.

Darnold was at his best when facing the blitz during his first matchup against Detroit in Week 7. He completed 8/10 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown when the Lions blitzed. His lone interception came when the Lions didn’t bring extra pressure.

Will defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn keep sending extra pressure, knowing how effective Darnold has been this year? Or will Glenn try throwing Minnesota off by sitting back and rushing four? This adds intrigue to a game with significant playoff implications.