Tag: ty chandler

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.

Report: Vikings expected to sign free agent RB Cam Akers pending physical

According to a report from Pioneer Press writer Charley Walters, the Minnesota Vikings intend to sign RB Cam Akers, pending a physical.

A familiar face could soon be joining — or rather, re-joining — the Minnesota Vikings backfield. According to a report from Pioneer Press writer Charley Walters, the Vikings are poised to bring back running back Cam Akers, provided he passes a physical.

Akers remained with the team for the 2023 season after a late-September trade with the Los Angeles Rams brought him to Minneapolis. Like most Vikings running backs in 2023, Akers struggled to gain yards.

In six games with the team, Akers ran the ball 38 times for just 138 yards and one touchdown before being lost for the season with a torn Achilles — just one week after starting quarterback Kirk Cousins suffered the same injury.

Adding Akers to the Vikings backfield could spell the end for at least one running back on the roster. Free agent acquisition Aaron Jones will be safe and, presumably, the team’s starting running back. Ty Chandler should also be secure as a change-of-pace back to spell Jones.

Beyond that, though, the situation at the position gets interesting. Currently, the Vikings have Kene Nwangwu, DeWayne McBride, and Myles Gaskin on the roster. Nwangwu’s roster spot is likely also safe due mainly to the special team’s contributions he brings to the team.

It’s hard to imagine the Vikings going into the season with six running backs on the roster, which likely spells the end of the road for either McBride or Gaskin — or perhaps both. One of them could wind up on the practice squad, but it’s unlikely both do.

McBride was drafted by the Vikings in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft and spent all of last season on the team’s practice squad. Gaskin was originally a seventh-round selection by the Miami Dolphins in the 2019 NFL Draft and spent his first four seasons in Miami — including one year as a starter — before joining the Vikings for a portion of last season.

Vikings hoping to be energized by new running game in 2024

The Minnesota Vikings know a quarterback’s best friend can be an effective running game, and in 2024, they hope to give that to the offense.

The Minnesota Vikings know a quarterback’s best friend can be an effective running game, and in 2024, they hope to give that to the offense.

Alec Lewis of The Athletic wrote in a recent column about the impact that Aaron Jones could have on a Vikings team that never quite found it’s footing in the run game last year. Now, injuries caused problems but Alexander Mattison never took off like the team expected him to. After 700 yards on the ground and averaging less than four yards per carry, the team looked elsewhere for a solution.

That somewhere else happened to be a former division rival and a thorn in their side, Aaron Jones.

Lewis wrote about the presence of Jones, the team getting healthy, and the revamped offensive line all making an impact.

“Accounting for those factors, the Vikings’ best hope might hinge on improvement from the OL and newly acquired RB Aaron Jones. The former seems like more of a prayer, while the latter appears possible. There might not be a better petri dish for running back value than Minnesota’s current circumstances.”

With Sam Darnold and rookie J.J. McCarthy expected to start, the passing game may need extra help. Having teams stacking the box to open up the passing game can only happen with an effective run game.

Zulgad: Four things the Vikings should have learned from watching wild card weekend

From running the football to fixing QB, Judd Zulgad highlights 4 things the Minnesota Vikings should learn from wild card weekend

Unlike a year ago, the Minnesota Vikings were on their couches for the NFL’s Super Wild Card weekend, watching the Texans, Chiefs, Packers, Lions, Bills and Buccaneers advance.

So what did the Vikings learn in watching the six games? Here are four possibilities.

2023 Minnesota Vikings: Stock up, Stock down

With the 2023 season coming to an end, let’s see whose stocks rose and whose stocks fell for the Minnesota Vikings heading into the offseason.

What a ride the 2023 Minnesota Vikings gave us. From starting 0-3 and potentially selling the farm to winning six of the next seven, the 2023-2024 Vikings were a roller coaster of emotions from start to finish.

With the ride ending and everyone lining up to buy their reaction photos, let us recognize that there was a lot on the line for some of the players and coaches on this team beyond the box score. Some were making a case that they belong, not only in Minnesota but in the NFL. Others were looking to make their case for more money/more responsibility beyond 2024. For some, they reached and exceeded their goals this season, causing their stock to rise significantly. Others missed their marks and may find it more difficult to sell their stocks in the upcoming off-season.

Let’s look at some stocks that rose and fell along this rollercoaster of a season for the 2023 Vikings.

Revisiting preseason bold Vikings predictions: What did we get right

Tyler Forness reflects on his 2023 bold predictions and what he got right and wrong with analysis on each

The 2023 season for the Minnesota Vikings is over. The team finished 7-10 this season and had a real chance to make the playoffs when they were at 7-6 but lost their final four games.

Before the season, predictions for the team were all over the place. Some thought they would get the NFC North title for the second consecutive season while others thought they would take a sharp nosedive and finish as low as fourth in the division.

Before the season began, I made six different bold predictions that felt very plausible at the time. Let’s take a look at those and what happened with each.

Good, bad and ugly from Vikings 30-20 loss vs. Lions

The Minnesota Vikings folded under the pressure of a must-win situation and missed out on the playoffs. Chris Spooner looks at the good, bad, and ugly from the Vikings 30-20 loss against Detroit.

Well folks, we’ve finally reached the end of the season. With the loss today against the Detroit Lions, the Minnesota Vikings have missed the playoffs and their season is officially over.

Even if the Vikings had won today, they didn’t get the help they needed to make the playoffs, as both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New Orleans Saints won their games, eliminating the Vikings once again for good measure.

It’s been a frustrating season to say the least, but the fact that Minnesota even had a chance at the playoffs in the final game of the season, given all they’ve had to go through this season, is a remarkable feat in and of itself. It’s important to remember that as we reflect upon the season that was and look ahead towards the season that will be.

But before we get into our off-season coverage, let’s take a minute to look back on the final game of the season against Detroit. Despite the loss, there were a number of good things for the Vikings to take into the offseason, as well as a number of issues they’re going to have to correct for 2024.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the good, bad and ugly from the Vikings 30-20 loss to the Lions.

Vikings vs. Lions: 4 offensive keys for week 18

One last shot. Can the offense help keep the Minnesota Vikings’ slim playoff hopes alive?

One last chance. The Minnesota Vikings have one last chance to cash in on their slim playoff hopes as they face the Detroit Lions on Sunday at noon CST.

The Detroit defense has been a solid unit, but not a dominant one. They are a good complement to their gound-and-pound offense with their physicality and focus on stopping the run.

Minnesota’s offense has been a whirlwind of change, starting three different quarterbacks in the last four games, including now-starter Nick Mullens, who was benched in favor of rookie Jaren Hall after the last meeting against the Lions. Now, with the season on the line, Mullens is back in charge and hoping to lead the Vikings to that final wild-card spot.

To do that, he will need to follow these four keys to success.

Vikings vs. Packers: 4 offensive keys for week 17

Jaren Hall gets the start. What does the offense need to do to be successful with Hall at the helm?

We’ve reached do-or-die time for the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings take on the Green Bay Packers at 7:20 p.m. CST in primetime on Sunday Night Football. The winner gets to sleep peacefully, knowing that they have one more week to make a push for the playoffs. The loser goes home and likely eliminated from contention..

Green Bay’s defense under Joe Barry has been an uninspiring unit. They’re 17th in points allowed, 25th in EPA allowed/play and 30th in defensive DVOA. There has not been much to celebrate. This unit has been one of the more disappointing in the league.

The Vikings are not doing enough to win on the offensive side. They are scoring, averaging just over 24 points a game since Kirk Cousins has been out, but they can’t finish the job. Most of that is because of the lack of consistency at the position.

Josh Dobbs gave the performance of his life for six quarters. After that, he turns into a pumpkin for three straight games, including a game after the bye week. Nick Mullens gave it his best effort, and while the ball was moving, he didn’t perform at the level necessary to keep his job.

Now Minnesota turns to Jaren Hall, the only quarterback with a starting record above .500, to try to spark this offense to the playoffs.

Can he do it? He has the capabilities. He and the rest of this Minnesota offense must follow these four keys to success.

Fantasy football waiver wire: Week 17 free-agent forecast

Check out the top waiver wire targets in fantasy football for Week 17.

The majority of fantasy football leagues come to an end this week. It has been a long and grueling process to the point, and most of us have been left with disappointment with championship week upon us.

However, there are still plenty of vital matchups taking place, and the waiver wire should be a busy marketplace in Week 17 after the events that unfolded on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Before we get to it, I’d like to thank you for sticking with us all season. We wouldn’t be here without the readers, and even though the suggestions haven’t always worked out, we’re appreciative of the time you’ve spent with us this season.

We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in Yahoo leagues, using the 75% rostered mark as the threshold. If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11). Your questions and comments are always welcome!

Because it’s Week 17, there is no need for stashing players so we’ll only look at the top streaming options for the upcoming week along with the top waiver adds.

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.