Tag: Joshua Metellus

Vikings’ Camryn Bynum and Josh Metellus steal the show with celebration

The Minnesota Vikings earned another win on Sunday and they did so in impressive fashion, in terms of celebration.

The Minnesota Vikings earned another win on Sunday, and they did so in impressive fashion in terms of celebration. The rest of the game can be up for discussion, but the Vikings’ defense remained on point, both with their execution of the game plan and in celebrating turnovers.

In the second half of the game, the Vikings firmly influenced Aaron Rodgers and Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett in what they felt like they could achieve. Rodgers threw three interceptions against the Vikings defense with one going to Camryn Bynum.

He and Joshua Metellus have been known for having some excellent celebrations, but they decided to step up their game for the London crowd. They went back to the Parent Trap and did the celebration that the British version of Lindsay Lohan’s character does with her butler.

Bynum, as you can see by the tweet below, thought highly of it. How will they top it in Week 4 if they get a turnover?

https://twitter.com/Cambeezy_/status/1843014857983246399

Justin Jefferson and Harrison Smith healthy scratches from preseason opener

The Vikings announced that wide receiver Justin Jefferson and safety Harrison Smith both will be healthy scratches against the Raiders.

The Minnesota Vikings announced on Thursday that wide receiver Justin Jefferson and safety Harrison Smith both will be healthy scratches against the Raiders.

Coach Kevin O’Connell made the announcement during his media availability on Thursday. He mentioned that neither player has anything wrong with them, just that they are veterans and not needed for this preseason game, so there is no need to risk injury.

This allows other players to step up and get some reps in in their absence.

On offense, wide receivers Jalen Nailor and Brandon Powell will have more targets and snaps to compete for the WR3 spot. Nailor has had a strong camp, but Powell and his versatility seem to have the coaching staff holding out hope.

With Smith resting, Joshua Metellus is expected to start in his place, but we can also expect to see Theo Jackson in more.

It may diminish the viewing experience, but it gives much-needed reps to players fighting for specific roles, which helps the team in the long run.

Defense wins the day during first padded practice at Vikings Training Camp

The defense has been a question mark all offseason but so far in camp, especially with pads on, they seem to be leading the race.

The defense has been a question mark all offseason, but so far in camp, especially with pads on, they seem to be leading the race. The offense is loaded with star power like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Aaron Jones, but the quarterback play remains questionable.

Sam Darnold is what he is, but J.J. McCarthy will have some hiccups. But according to Will Ragatz, Brian Flores and defense have been full-throttle regarding aggressiveness and success. His recap of the first day of pads was blunt but clear: the offense has some work to do.

“Overall, this practice was mostly won by the defense, I thought. Flores is giving both quarterbacks all they can handle by sending his usual array of complex, aggressive blitzes. There was frequent traffic in the backfield. Outside of a big Aaron Jones run on the one of the day’s first reps, the offense couldn’t get a whole lot going in standard 11-on-11 action.”

It is very early in camp, but if the offense is going to struggle, then this defense is going to be tasked with handling a lot of tough offenses in 2024. The defense wasn’t expected to have such a role, but perhaps we will start to be more realistic about a journeyman quarterback and rookie quarterback with mechanics issues being corrected.

Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson gives rookie QB J.J. McCarthy glowing review

In an interview on Barstool’s “Bussin’ with the Boys” podcast, Minnesota Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson voiced his support for QB J.J. McCarthy.

Free agent acquisition Sam Darnold is heading into training camp as the presumptive starter at quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. This much we know.

We also know that rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy isn’t going to sit on the bench forever. He will take over at some point, and it seems like he’ll have the full backing of the locker room whenever that time comes.

Safety and defensive chess piece Joshua Metellus gave McCarthy his endorsement earlier this off-season, and now tight end T.J. Hockenson has chimed in with another ringing endorsement. During his interview on Barstool’s “Bussin’ with the Boys” podcast, Hockenson had this to say about McCarthy:

He’s been incredible. He’s grinding in the film room, he’s grinding in the classroom. He’s a baller on the field, obviously. But to have a guy, especially a rookie, come into a facility and to the league, you usually need to shut your mouth and go to work and that’s exactly what he did. He’s earned the respect of a lot of guys in there.

Making a change at quarterback mid-season can often divide a locker room and lead to a rift in the team. If McCarthy is to take over for Darnold at some point this season, it seems like team chemistry won’t be something head coach Kevin O’Connell needs to worry about.

Josh Metellus absent from executives’ safety rankings for ESPN

Despite a very strong showing in 2023, Josh Metellus was not recognized by NFL executives in a leaguewide poll held by ESPN.

Despite a very strong showing in 2023, Josh Metellus was not recognized by NFL executives in a leaguewide poll held by ESPN.

The ESPN rankings went live on Thursday, and just one safety was named from the NFC North. Xavier McKinney of the Packers came in at No. 10, and no others even received honorable mention.

Metellus benefited from the presence of Harrison Smith and Camryn Bynum’s breakout year, which allowed him to be used more creatively within Brian Flores’ defense.

Metellus saw the rankings and offered his reaction to them.

To say Metellus has some work to do is interesting. Of course, players want to keep improving, but when you look at his numbers from last year, Metellus ranked first among safeties in pressures (29), quarterback hits (7), hurries (19) and sacks (3).

Building on those numbers will be tough, but accomplishing that would make Metellus a star on defense in 2024.

Joshua Metellus has faith in rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy

Vikings defensive back Joshua Metellus had nothing but praise for quarterback J.J. McCarthy in a recent interview with Britain’s Sky Sports.

While he still may be stuck behind Sam Darnold on the depth chart for now, it seems like rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy is making quite the impression on his teammates. Last week free agent signee Blake Cashman voiced his strong support of the young quarterback, and now defensive chess piece Josh Metellus has echoed those sentiments.

In an interview with British sports network Sky Sports, Metellus had nothing but praise for the Vikings first-round draft pick, saying:

He’s gonna figure it out because he always does and I think he’s gonna be real good for the team. He brings a good energy, you can tell he’s a leader by nature so I think he’ll be really good for the locker room.

While we still don’t know when McCarthy will make his inevitable debut as the team’s quarterback, early returns suggest that he’s leaving quite a mark on the team as he prepares. Making a midseason switch at quarterback can be a risky proposition, but it seems like McCarthy will have the full backing of the locker room if he is put into the lineup this season.