Tag: Ben Leber

51 days until Vikings season opener: Every player to wear No. 51

Our countdown to the start of the 2023 regular season continues, as we look at every player to wear No. 51 for the Minnesota Vikings.

It’s the final countdown…

Well, sort of.

The Minnesota Vikings will kick off their 2023 regular season in 51 days at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 10.

From now until then, we will take a trip down memory lane and count each day by revisiting the players that have worn that specific jersey number.

Benton Whitley currently wears the number for the Vikings, but it’s changed hands a few times in team history. Jim Hough was among those to wear it for an extended period, wearing it for nine seasons.

With 51 days until kickoff, here’s a look at every player to wear No. 51 with the Vikings (via Pro Football Reference):

Former Vikings LB claims Mike Zimmer never liked Kirk Cousins

A former Viking raises questions regarding the relationship between Zimmer and Cousins.

Kirk Cousins will finally have an opportunity to thrive at quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings after the split with former head coach Mike Zimmer, according to NFL commentator Ben Leber.

During an appearance on CBS Sports Radio, the former Vikings linebacker claimed Zimmer never liked Cousins enough to give him a real opportunity to lead the team.

“I think he’s going to finally thrive, really thrive, in a system and a coach that actually respects him,” said Leber. “I mean, it’s not like I’m breaking news here that Mike Zimmer did not like Kirk Cousins. And I think that showed in the way that Kirk behaved and the way that he carried himself. The team was never given to him, or he was never allowed to earn the trust of the team, because the head coach I think just didn’t like him.”

There have been obvious clues to a disconnect between many of the personnel decisions made by former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman and Zimmer.

If Leber is right in his assessment, perhaps some of that plays into the equation as well. Of course, it would be great to hear Zimmer’s side of the story, but the former coach has gone radio silent since being fired by the team back in January.

Newly-hired head coach Kevin O’Connell has arrived with a more player-friendly coaching style, along with having actual experience working alongside Cousins during their time with the former Washington Redskins.

A higher altitude for the Vikings quarterback, who threw for 4,221 yards, 33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions in 2021, could potentially carry the team to the Promised Land in 2022.

Anything less could bring into question an offseason of Zimmer being painted as the bad guy in Minnesota.

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Why former Vikings LB Ben Leber thinks Kene Nwangwu and Ihmir Smith-Marsette are similar

Here is what former Vikings LB Ben Leber thinks of the two rookies.

Minnesota has done a great job of drafting running backs and wideouts recently.

The Vikings have taken running backs Jerick McKinnon, Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison, all of whom have panned out into at least decent players.

Sure, Minnesota whiffed on Laquon Treadwell, but the team also has nabbed stellar wideouts Stefon Diggs and Justin Jefferson.

This year, the Vikings took another running back and another wide receiver. Minnesota landed RB Kene Nwangwu in the fourth round and followed that up with WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette in the fifth.

Ben Leber, a former Vikings linebacker and NFL current analyst, thinks the two rookies have quite a bit in common:

“They both come from college cultures that they were never the true focal point. And I think you’re finding guys that are OK with the grind and are OK playing the role,” Leber said, per Vikings.com. “I don’t think that you’re going to see [Nwangwu] try to come in and be shocked by the fact that, ‘Hey, Dalvin’s the guy.'”

Nwangwu is thought of to be more of a special teams player. He was a stellar kick returner for Iowa State in college. But maybe he can be more than that.

Smith-Marsette enters a very different position group. Due to the workload of Cook and Mattison, the third running back might not have a massive role in the offense. The third wide receiver, however, will be on the field quite a bit.

Besides Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson, the Vikings don’t have positional strength at wideout, leaving a big role up for grabs. So Smith-Marsette and Nwangwu might be similar in that they’re OK with the grind, but Nwangwu might have to put in more of an effort to see the field a ton.

Former Vikings LB Ben Leber: Michael Pierce is a ‘big bowling ball that loves to stop the run’

Ben Leber had high praise for Vikings defensive tackle Michael Pierce.

Former Minnesota linebacker Ben Leber thinks Michael Pierce’s nickname is perfect for him.

Pierce, who has been called “The Juggernaut,” lives up to the style his nickname suggests, according to Leber. Here’s what else the former Vikings linebacker said about Pierce, as reported by Gabe Henderson of Vikings.com:

“He dropped off in 2019, and even he admits himself, he gained a little bit of weight, got a little bit complacent, but now he understands what it’s like to be a pro and have to take of business year round.”

Leber also compared Pierce to Linval Joseph, a veteran defensive tackle who left the Vikings in free agency this offseason.

“I think Linval Joseph, from years past, fresh into the season, was dominant. He did things strength-wise, that’s kind of hard to believe until you see it with your own eyes — the way he could bench press players. But at the end of the seasons, he got worn down, injuries became an issue and he wasn’t quite as effective. Where, I think Pierce, if he can get back to the way he played in 2018… I’m looking forward to what the juggernaut can do.”

How does Leber describe Pierce’s style?

“He’s a big bowling ball that loves to stop the run, so he’s exciting.”

Former Vikings LB Ben Leber on Kyle Rudolph: ‘He’s still a major factor in this offense’

“He shows this ability that he can make tough catches in traffic, showing off those big mitts.”

Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. is coming off a rookie season that has led to some thinking he might need a bigger role in 2020.

We broke down why that might happen. Bleacher Report listed Smith Jr. as the best sophomore tight end in the NFL.

But what about Kyle Rudolph? He has been a Vikings mainstay tight end since 2011. It’s been hypothesized that Smith Jr. could take the reigns as the main option at tight end, while Rudolph begins to only play in two tight end sets.

However, former Minnesota linebacker Ben Leber still thinks Rudolph is a major factor in the Vikings offense.

Here’s what Leber said to Vikings.com’s Gabe Henderson about Rudolph:

“You look at stats and you talk about his down year. It’s the lowest receiving totals he’s had since 2014. Numbers are numbers, but he’s had some pretty iconic catches last year, one of which goes down in the history books. He shows this ability that he can make tough catches in traffic, showing off those big mitts.”

Leber went on to say that Rudolph is one of the most reliable pass catchers in the NFL. It’s not just Leber who highly rates Rudolph. Sports Illustrated recently named him the Vikings most-underrated player.