Tag: Josh Metellus

5 takeaways from the Vikings win over the Bears on Monday Night

The Minnesota Vikings had a lot to play for, and they put their foot to the floor and never let up after a strong first half. Brian Flores had Caleb Williams in pieces mentally from the pressure and coverage they were giving him. On offense, Kevin …

The Minnesota Vikings had a lot to play for, and they put their foot to the floor and never let up after a strong first half. Brian Flores had Caleb Williams in pieces mentally from the pressure and coverage they were giving him. On offense, Kevin O’Connell and Wes Phillips used a trial-and-error approach before finding some footing.

Either way, you look, the tone was set in the first quarter, and the Vikings never looked back as the Bears had no chance.

The Bears were held scoreless in the first half, and in the second half, they could never find the endzone. The Vikings played for a lot on Monday Night, and they delivered for everyone from Randy Moss to their fans.

Here are five takeaways from the one-sided meeting between the Vikings and Bears on Monday night.

Brian Flores saw what the Bears and Caleb Williams gave him in their first matchup, and he must have said to himself, “That is not happening again.” He shut out the Bears offense in the first half and smothered them in pressures all game. He also dominated them on third down and was able to force turnovers to leave Caleb Williams and this offense feeling lost from the first whistle. Flores is in his bag right now, and the Vikings will be lucky to keep him on staff in 2025.

When Brian O’Neill left the game, we saw the pressure immediately come from the Bears’ front seven. The team cannot overcome an injured Brian O’Neill this late in the season, so it is paramount that if he does miss time, they figure something out. Whether it be they line up Johnny Mundt or Nick Muse on that edge to help David Quessenberry out or give Sam Darnold more safety valves. Either way, this offensive line has proven to be more important than the quarterback because without one you can’t have the other.

Both members of the turnover dance duo, Camryn Bynum and Josh Metellus, are set to be free agents in 2025. The Vikings can afford one high-price safety, but can they afford two? Metellus is playing at a Pro Bowl level in 2024, and his versatility only increases his value. It will be interesting to see how he performs down the stretch because he is getting paid, but by whom?

The Brian Flores defense came into Week 15, leading the NFL with a 39% blitz rate. That aggressive defense allows for the offense to be aggressive. The defense is forcing turnovers and stopping teams on third downs, and when you have that, the offense can take more chances. The Vikings went for it more on fourth down; they are pushing the ball down the field, and being able to do those things against the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles can make a difference in those expected playoff matchups.

The offense struggled in the first half and into the third, but everything settled down once they started leaning on Aaron Jones. They were using him at running back, receiver, and even tight end in certain alignments including one that saw him convert a third and 16 on a run after the catch. Sam Darnold is great, the wide receivers are elite, and they have a top five tight end but it is the veteran running back who makes all the difference in the world for this offense.

WATCH: Vikings use teamwork to intercept Brock Purdy

The Vikings used teamwork to intercept Brock Purdy on Sunday.

As we mentioned after CJ Ham blocked the 49ers’ punt early in the first quarter, the Vikings would need to make more game-changing plays as the game moved on in order to beat the 49ers.

Minnesota did just that. And it was a pretty cool one.

Purdy, inside San Francisco territory, throws to the middle of the field. Linebacker Blake Cashman initially gets a hand on the ball, tips it to Josh Metellus, who tips it in the air, where safety Cam Bynum gets a hand on it. Finally, Metellus comes down with the interception.

After Minnesota got the ball, now deep in San Francisco territory, Sam Darnold found wide receiver Jalen Nailor for a 10-yard touchdown pass. Nailor split two defenders and was wide open in the endzone for the Vikings to take a 20-7 lead over the 49ers.

Darnold is up to 204 yards, two scores, and one interception in the game.

Pair of Vikings listed among the league’s most underrated players

Running back Aaron Jones and safety Camryn Bynum were listed among the most underrated players in the NFL by CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin.

Despite losing their starting quarterback mid-season, the 2023 Minnesota Vikings came surprisingly close to making the playoffs. One of the major contributors to them falling short was an inability to run the ball on offense all year. Conversely, the play of their defense was one of the key factors in the Vikings even having a chance to make the playoffs at all.

The Vikings made moves in the off-season to address the lack of a running game, and it should come as no surprise that one of those additions, running back Aaron Jones, is listed by CBS Sports’ NFL analyst Cody Benjamin among the most underrated players in the league entering 2024.

Jones has a long history of being productive in the NFL, notching 1,000+ yards in three of the past five seasons, and also adds an element to the passing game out of the backfield that was missing in the Vikings offense last season. Though he’ll be 30 by the end of the season and does have an injury history, he “retains top-flight speed”, writes Benjamin.

Part of the problem with the running game last season was the lackluster blocking up front. Even if that situation doesn’t improve, Jones should be able to make more of it than any of the Vikings’ running backs last year, including Ty Chandler, who can now provide a nice change-of-pace to Jones rather than be relied upon for the bulk of the carries.

On the other hand, the Minnesota Vikings’ defense remains largely the same, and that’s a good thing. They kept Minnesota in a number of games they really had no business being in last season, and it was largely due to Minnesota’s other underrated stud: Safety Camryn Bynum.

Bynum has blossomed into the perfect safety complement to long-time stalwart Harrison Smith. As Smith reaches the twilight of his career, it’s time for Bynum to step up and take charge of the Vikings’ secondary. He’s done that with his play over the last two seasons, accounting for four interceptions and 15 passes defended.

The range that Bynum has from the safety position really opens up other defenders to play to their strengths. Smith can be more of a factor up towards the line of scrimmage. Josh Metellus can be moved all around the field and be a chess piece in defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ defensive scheme. Corners can be more aggressive and take chances, knowing they have a rangey safety covering their back.

With these two commanding presences on each side of the ball, expect the 2024 Vikings to be competitive all year long, even with an uneasy situation at quarterback. They did it last year, don’t be surprised if they do it again this year.

Vikings safety trio’s overall ratings revealed for Madden 25

Minnesota Vikings fans now know what the Vikings safeties are rated when Madden 25 launches.

Death, paying taxes, and Harrison Smith’s high ratings in the Madden video game franchise are certain in life, and they’ve happened once again this year. The popular video game franchise has released overall ratings for different positions daily.

The safeties overall ratings were revealed and once again, Smith is considered one of the top in the game. He is considered the No. 11 safety in the game with an 87 overall rating. But Smith is a strong safety and there are only four strong safeties who are rated higher than him.

Vikings starting free safety Camryn Bynum is the 31st-ranked safety in the game. When Madden 25 launches, he will have an 81 overall rating. Then Minnesota’s Swiss Army knife, Josh Metellus, has a 77 overall rating and is considered the 53rd-ranked safety in the video game.

These ratings are subject to change as the year goes on. Madden will continue to update ratings based on how players perform.

Despite their trio of safeties, PFF is not kind grading the Vikings’ secondary

Despite having one of the better trio of safeties, PFF is not high on the overall secondary room of the Minnesota Vikings.

Pro Football Focus liked the Minnesota linebacker room but did not like the Vikings defensive line whatsoever. Now onto the secondary rankings, once again, PFF is not high on this group for Minnesota either.

Despite having three good safeties in Harrison Smith, Cam Bynum, and Josh Metellus, PFF has ranked the Minnesota secondary at No. 27 in the NFL.

Defensive coordinator Brian Flores introduced an exotic defense in 2023, and it came with mixed results. Safety Camryn Bynum was the top-graded player in the secondary (73.2), while Harrison Smith’s 68.9 grade was the fourth-best on the team. Here, you get solid but not great players in the secondary, but no superstar players are taking this unit to higher levels.

Going away from the grades, Bynum led all corners and safeties last year with 104 tackles, and Metellus was 10th in the NFL with 86 tackles. While that’s just two players within a whole secondary unit, it feels like Minnesota has a top-10 safety room with some work-in-progress at corner. Byron Murphy is a legit corner for the Vikings, but when you get past him, there are some major concerns.

Minnesota signed Shaq Griffin, who had a few good seasons in Seattle. After Griffin, you get Andrew Booth Jr., Akayleb Evans, and Makhi Blackmon, who have potential but are very unproven.

Is safety the strongest position group for the Vikings?

Position can have a sort of renaissance that sometimes occur when they bring in a new coordinator, for the Vikings safeties that happened.

Position groups can have a sort of renaissance that sometimes occurs when they bring in a new coordinator for the Vikings safeties that happened. The talent has always been there on paper, but in 2023, we saw them take a big step forward, and others have noticed.

Mike Clay of ESPN says the Vikings’ safety group is the biggest strength on the roster. The group, led by Harrison Smith, has also seen the emergence of Camryn Bynum and Josh Metellus.

“Minnesota is the only team with three safeties on the roster who played at least 900 snaps last season. Harrison Smith, Camryn Bynum and Josh Metellus (who got some work at slot corner) were all on the field for at least 94% of the Vikings’ defensive plays, and the trio combined for 342 tackles. Smith is still playing solid ball as he enters his age-35 season.”

The defense really shined during the 2023 season with the emergence of Bynum and Metellus. Smith was an established difference-maker on that side of the ball, but the youth infusion will lead this defense into the next generation.

The team brought in more youth in the draft and in free agency. They brought in a franchise rookie quarterback who is poised to be the guy for the next ten years, with a strong defense led by the safeties they can have faith in things going the way they want.

Vikings safety Josh Metellus to host first youth football camp

Minnesota Vikings defensive back Josh Metellus will host his first-ever youth football camp Friday, June 21st in Eagan, MN at TCO Stadium.

Part of the privilege of playing in the NFL is the opportunity to give back to your community and to help pass on your knowledge to future generations. For many players, this comes in the form of hosting football camps, either in their team’s city and surrounding area or where they grew up. For Minnesota Vikings defensive back Josh Metellus, his first camp will be in the greater Twin Cities area.

Metellus was a key component of the Vikings’ defensive resurgence last season. In Brian Flores’ defensive scheme, Metellus played all over the field and made huge contributions to the team. Metellus had a career season in 2023, finishing the season with 116 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and one interception.

Now, Metellus has the opportunity to host his first-ever football camp. The camp will take place in Eagan, MN, at TCO Stadium—where the Vikings hold their training camp and off-season activities—on Friday, June 21st, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The camp will be open to all ages, featuring performance training and lunch. T-shirts and free giveaways. Tickets to the camp are free and can be reserved today on the Eventbrite website.

Minnesota Vikings trio ranked among top 32 safeties by PFF

The Vikings’ solid trio of safeties are all ranked in the top 32 by Pro Football Focus with one perhaps not getting the credit he should.

The Vikings’ cornerbacks had their ups and downs in the 2023 season. But one fairly steady thing was the safeties.

Harrison Smith, a veteran of the league, has been a force ever since he arrived. He had yet another productive season, recording 93 tackles, three pass breakups, and three sacks. It was just the second season in his career he didn’t record an interception.

Camryn Bynum had himself a breakout season last year. The Cal product had 137 tackles, nine pass breakups, and two interceptions.

Then you have Josh Metellus, the do-it-all player. Last year, he went from being a special teams star to playing just about any position Minnesota needed on the defense. Metellus had 116 tackles, 2.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and one interception during a huge season.

Heading into the 2024 season, all three are ranked in Pro Football Focus’ top 32 safeties.

Smith came in at 16th overall:

At 35 years old, Smith, who is arguably the best safety of the past 10 seasons, might not be the player he once was, but he still plays at a high level.

Across the first eight weeks of the 2023 season, he ranked 17th both in PFF overall grade and coverage grade. He allowed just 8.3 yards per reception in 2023, the fifth-lowest mark among safeties.

Metellus, the Swiss army knife, was ranked 19th overall:

Metellus flashed ability on his way to an 85.1 PFF overall grade in 2022 in a limited role, but 2023 represented a new challenge. It was the first time that Metellus logged more than 300 snaps, and he immediately topped 1,000. He did not disappoint in an increased role, as he was among the NFL’s more versatile safeties and led the position with 116 pass-rush snaps. He was one of just five safeties to earn coverage, pass-rush and run-defense grades all above 64.0.

PFF ranked Bynum as the 25th-best safety, perhaps underrating him:

Although he went through a sophomore slump in his first full season as a starter in 2022, Bynum bounced back and finished 2023 as the 22nd-ranked safety in PFF grade.

Bynum’s 85.7 overall grade after the first 14 weeks ranked fourth at the position. He also tied for the most forced incompletions over the season (nine) and could have had an even better season if he capitalized on a league-leading three dropped interceptions.

Josh Metellus named Vikings most underrated player

The Minnesota Vikings defense saw a transformation last year under Brian Flores, Josh Metellus was a major factor in that.

The Minnesota Vikings defense saw a transformation last year under Brian Flores. Josh Metellus was a major factor in that. Despite that difference he made, the Vikings safety flew under the radar of most fans.

However, Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire wasn’t letting him slip by.

Over the holiday weekend, Farra listed every team’s most underrated player, and he landed on Metellus for the Vikings. He cites his production and versatility: “The key to being a standout defensive back in today’s NFL is versatility, and that’s true no matter where you line up. It’s certainly been the case for Josh Metellus of the Vikings.”

The Brian Flores factor was also discussed.

“He’s great at making the most of Brian Flores’ blitz looks by either hammering home to the quarterback, or dropping into coverage.”

The 2024 Vikings will need their defense to pick up the slack. The offense may not find its footing with either a rookie quarterback or Sam Darnold under center. This defense is primed for another year of growth, with Metellus potentially leading the way.

NFL bans the hip-drop tackle, and Josh Metellus is among the players who are livid

The NFL has banned the hip-drop tackle, and Minnesota Vikings safety Josh Metellus is among the players who are livid.

The NFL has formally voted to make the hip-drop tackle illegal and a 15-yard penalty.

Here are the detailed rules for how it will be enforced:

This could get very messy. When the NFL made pass interference reviewable, it ended up being a one-year disaster and was removed from the game swiftly.

Needless to say, this isn’t being taken well by numerous individuals in both the media and in the league. One of those very upset with the move to ban the hip-drop tackle is Minnesota Vikings safety Josh Metellus.

The NFLPA has voiced its opposition to the rule change, and now we are starting to hear from the players who it impacts the most. The hip-drop tackle in itself isn’t a malicious play, but it does result in injuries. The big issue is that the NFL is now asking the officials to make an immediate determination on whether a tackle qualifies.

This change to the game is going to be a fascinating storyline to watch, and it will come with players being very frustrated about it.

[lawrence-related id=92369,92190,92368,92362,92360,92356,92350,92327,92324,92316]