Former UNC football player Ty Chandler is enjoying Year Two with the Minnesota Vikings, nabbing his first 100-yard game on Sunday night.
Though the UNC football team only enjoyed Tennessee transfer Ty Chandler for the 2021 season, his impact was immediately felt.
Chandler was brought in to replace the loss of 1,000-yard backs Michael Carter and Javonte Williams, the latter of whom now starts for the Denver Broncos. Chandler greatly exceeded expectations in Chapel Hill, finishing with 1,092 rushing yards and second-team All-ACC honors.
Chandler’s successful collegiate career caught the attention of NFL scouts, with the Minnesota Vikings making him their fifth-round, 2022 NFL Draft selection. He was originally brought in to provide backfield depth, but with Dalvin Cook now a New York Jet, Chandler is now Minnesota’s number two back.
Though the Vikings lost a 21-20 heartbreaker against the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football last weekend, Chandler enjoy his best game as a pro. He carried the football 10 times for 73 yards and caught four passes for 37 yards, leading all Minnesota running backs/pass-catchers in scrimmage yards.
"I'm excited to see him grow and make plays for us." – QB Josh Dobbs on RB Ty Chandlers performance tonight. pic.twitter.com/eFZm5sbIZE
Chandler is already receiving praise from veteran teammates in his second NFL season, including current starting quarterback Josh Dobbs. While coaches make the ultimate decisions on who plays, your starting quarterback speaking highly of you bodes well for future opportunities.
After only registering eight carries in his first eight games this year, Chandler now has 25 in his past two. He also hauled in four passes for 37 yards against the Broncos, both season-highs.
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The grades are in from Pro Football Focus and reflect well on the offense, despite the turnovers
The Minnesota Vikings couldn’t pull out the victory against the Denver Broncos on Sunday night falling by a score of 21-20. The loss drops the Vikings to 5-5 in one-score games after going 11-0 in one-score games in 2022.
Even with the turnovers, the Vikings had chances to win. They could have gone up nine instead of five but they kicked a field goal. They could have driven down the field and won the game with a field goal, but they stalled out.
Yes, there were some missed penalty calls and the defense played well, but the Vikings can only blame themselves.
Throughout the game, there were multiple good and poor performances. Here are the studs and duds from Sunday’s game.
Check out the top waiver wire targets in fantasy football for Week 12.
The fantasy football playoffs are right around the corner, and managers will need to utilize all aspects of the waiver wire entering Week 12 with most trade deadlines arriving this week.
After four teams were on a bye in Week 11, there will be no teams getting the week off. Keep in mind, though, that six teams will be on a bye in Week 13, so some moves may need to be made ahead of time.
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!
We also will be taking a look at some deeper players to stash and the top streaming options for the upcoming week.
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.
After a heartbreaking loss to the Denver Broncos, multiple players saw their stocks rise and fall
All good things must come to an end.
The Minnesota Vikings fall just short to the Denver Broncos 21-20 in front of a raucous Mile High crowd.
The Cinderella run that had the Vikings win five straight games, despite losing Justin Jefferson until further notice, despite losing Kirk Cousins for the season, is over.
The Broncos take the mantle of the feel-good NFL story, as they extend their improbable win streak to four games.
Even though the Vikings still sit at the sixth spot in the playoff race, this loss hurts. With a win, you go into next week against Chicago with a bit more confidence. However, after losing this game in the fashion that they did, next week’s pre-bye week game holds even more weight.
As for this game, some players of this game saw their stocks rise despite the loss. However, plenty of players in this game saw their stocks fall.
Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.
SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks
Pass-Rush
TD
Trevor Lawrence
262-17
4
Brock Purdy
333-14
3
Justin Herbert
260-73
2
Josh Allen
275-15
3
Lamar Jackson
264-54
2
Running Backs
Yards
TD
Saquon Barkley
14-83
4-57
2
Jaylen Warren
9-129
3-16
1
Jahmyr Gibbs
8-36
6-59
1
Christian McCaffrey
21-78
5-25
1
Gus Edwards
12-62
2-8
2
Wide Receivers
Yards
TD
Calvin Ridley
7-103
2
Tyreek Hill
10-146
1
Tank Dell
8-149
1
Keenan Allen
10-116
1
Brandon Aiyuk
5-156
1
Tight Ends
Yards
TD
George Kittle
8-89
1
David Njoku
7-56
0
Stone Smartt
1-51
1
Dalton Schultz
2-32
1
Logan Thomas
5-58
0
Placekickers
XP
FG
Tyler Bass
2
4
Cairo Santos
2
4
Jason Meyers
1
3
Justin Tucker
4
2
Jason Sanders
2
2
Defense
Sack – TO
TD
Bills
6-4
0
Giants
4-6
1
Cowboys
6-2
1
Cardinals
4-3
0
Bears – Comm
2-4
0
Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts
QB Geno Smith – Elbow
RB D’Onta Foreman – Ankle
RB De’Von Achane – Knee
RB Aaron Jones – Knee
RB Kenneth Walker – Oblique
WR Darius Slayton – Arm
WR Cooper Kupp – Ankle
WR Tyreek Hill – Wrist
Chasing Ambulances
QB Geno Smith – Injured his elbow and left the game. Drew Lock played for two series in the fourth quarter, but Smith returned for the final drive and got the Seahawks in position for a 55-yard field goal that was missed and prevented a win. Smith has bruised triceps, and his status for Thursday night isn’t certain. Lock would replace him if needed.
RB D’Onta Foreman – He injured his ankle early in the game but returned. He later reaggravated the same ankle and was held out for the rest of the contest. He’ll be examined on Monday to determine the severity. Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson take up the slack if Foreman misses any time.
RB De’Von Achane – The rookie hurt his knee when he was tackled, and HC Mike McDaniel said that Achane wanted back into the game, but was held out because “I was a little worried with the rust.” Which sounds more proactive and preventative than reactive to a serious injury. Practice reports will indicate how much of a setback Achane has (or doesn’t have). Raheem Mostert just handles all the touches if Achane isn’t back this week at the Jets.
RB Aaron Jones – He was no longer on the injury report from his season-long hamstring issue but then injured his knee in the win over the Chargers. He was carted to the locker room, though HC Matt LaFleur said he didn’t believe the issue was severe. AJ Dillon takes over in any absence of Jones, though earlier this year, it happened, and Dillon wasn’t much of a factor. Jones himself said he feared it was an ACL at first but that he didn’t think it would be anything serious. He’ll have an MRI on Monday to determine the prognosis.
RB Kenneth Walker – Injured his oblique and was in a lot of pain. HC Pete Carroll said that Walker’s injury was significant and that he may miss games. Zach Charbonnet will replace him for any missed time, and the Seahawks did not bump up any other backs’ workload. Charbonnet will see a workhorse role if Walker is out.
WR Cooper Kupp – He only caught one pass before the injury when he was blocking for Royce Freeman. HC Sean McVay said after the game that Kupp wanted to return but that he wasn’t 100% healthy, and they held him out. McVay said he did not know how severe the ankle injury might be. We should know more on Monday. Austin Trammel replaced him for the rest of the game. Puka Nacua caught his first touchdown in five games.
WR Tyreek Hill – Left the game in the second quarter with a wrist injury that sent him to the locker room, presumably for X-rays. He returned in the third quarter but then had no catches in the fourth quarter when the Dolphins went to a run-heavy script to finish the game. Apparently, there were no fractures, but it is unknown what soft-tissue injury may still exist.
Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables
QB Trevor Lawrence – He was the top fantasy quarterback for the week despite having been given up on by fantasy owners tired of single-touchdown efforts with 200 yards or so. He threw for 262 yards and two scores to Calvin Ridley and ran in two scores – his first rushing touchdowns of the year. That did reflect a down game for Travis Etienne.
QB Tommy DeVito – Another player that entered Sunday with no expectations and yet left after passing for 246 yards and three touchdowns in the win over the Commanders. The game was still almost entirely about Saquon Barkley as a rusher and a receiver, but DeVito was not a liability like he had been the previous week when he had totaled just 86 passing yards.
RB Devin Singletary – Dameon Pierce disappointed this year and is currently out on injury. But Singletary took the primary role in Week 10 and ran for 150 yards and a touchdown. Yesterday, he gained 112 yards on 22 rushes and another score. His only two starts resulted in the only 100-yard games by a Houston rusher this year. The Texans’ next games are at home versus the Jaguars and Broncos.
RB Ty Chandler – He is still the No. 2 guy in Minnesota, but he just rushed for 73 yards on ten carries at the Broncos and caught a season-high four passes for 37 yards. He had 14 touches to only 15 for Alexander Mattison.
Bears backfield – Khalil Herbert returned from injured reserve and ran 16 times for 35 yards in the loss to the Lions. Roschon Johnson gained 30 yards on six runs, while D’Onta Foreman only ran for 14 yards on six carries but bulled in the score. Foreman injured his ankle, and his status for the matchup with the Vikings this week won’t be known until later, but Foreman is the best back for inside and goal-line work as the most physical rusher. And the Bears are willing to use all three backs, and they still combine for less than what Justin Fields (18-104) turned in as the leading rusher.
QB Jordan Love – Granted, it came at home against one of the worst secondaries in the NFL, but Jordan Love turned in a season-best 322 passing yards and two touchdowns for his best performance of the year. It was his first 300-yard game and primarily relied on the wide receivers who caught both touchdowns.
WR Tank Dell – The Texan’s rookie now owns three 100-yard games and he just turned in a season-best eight catches for 149 yards and a touchdown – his third straight game with a score.
WR Odell Beckham – He played back on Thursday, but he’s one to remember for free-agent pickups. He was just another over-the-hill player latching on to what he described as potentially his final year, and for the first half of the season, that looked like a reality. But he scored in Weeks 9 and 10 with around 50 yards in each. And against the Bengals, he caught four passes for 116 yards. He injured his shoulder, but it’s been described as not an issue. The loss of Mark Andrews means other receivers have to step up. Beckham looks like the most likely of the bunch.
WR Jayden Reed – The Packers’ wideout turned in marginal stats this year but then posted 80+ yards in three of the last four games and scored in both Weeks 10 and 11. Romeo Doubs has been the primary target in the red zone, but now Reed is scoring weekly and gains more yards than the other Green Bay receivers.
Huddle player of the week
Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Calvin Ridley – He was much-maligned after six sub-40-yard performances that left him unreliable for a fantasy start. Facing the Titans seemed like just another chance to be disappointed but Ridley led all NFL receivers with seven catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns, plus an 18-yard run. That happened on many, many fantasy benches this week, but there had to be a few fantasy owners that started him from a lack of other options and discovered that they had “the guy” for the week.
Salute!
Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry
Chris Spooner looks at the good, bad and ugly from the heartbreaking loss to the Denver Broncos.
The streak is over. We all knew it was going to come to an end eventually, but the Minnesota Vikings’ five-game win streak ended in heartbreaking fashion last night against the Denver Broncos by a score of 21-20.
Minnesota had been in control for much of the game, seemingly making all the plays when they needed to. The ground game showed signs of life for maybe the first time all season. Josh Dobbs was making plays with his arms and legs, sometimes in spectacular fashion. Through three-and-a-half quarters it looked like the Vikings were going to come away with yet another victory.
Then it all fell apart.
The Vikings’ defense faltered at the end, allowing Russell Wilson and the Broncos to march down the field and score the go-ahead touchdown. Then Dobbs and the offense had one more opportunity to pull a rabbit out of their hat, but the magic had faded.
It’s a heartbreaking way for the streak to end, but all good things must end eventually. Now it’s on to next week, an important division battle on Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears — a game that may see the return of wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
But before we get to Chicago, let’s take a look at the good, bad and ugly from yesterday’s loss to the Broncos.
Josh Dobbs continues to defy logic as the Vikings take the lead at Mile High Stadium.
Josh Dobbs shows off more of his insane play-making ability that has made this story for the Minnesota Vikings so great. Dobbs shakes off the would-be sack to find tight end Josh Oliver wide open near the front pylon to give Minnesota the 7-3 lead.
Dobbs was assisted by an insane rushing game on this drive as Kevin O’Connell firmly established the run game, running the football seven out of the ten plays on that drive.
Alexander Mattison and Ty Chandler combined for 47 of the team’s 65 yards on the ground, while Chandler added nine more yards through the air.
This game started on a sour note, as Dobbs got hit, somewhat controversially, and fumbled away the opening possession, that set up the Denver field goal.
This 10-play, 65-yard drive was a perfect response for the Vikings to establish an offensive identity on the road.
Stay tuned with Vikings Wire for more live game updates.
Four New Orleans Saints defenders were fined for a combined $44,000 after last week’s Minnesota Vikings game:
Four New Orleans Saints defenders were fined more than $44,000 after last week’s Minnesota Vikings game, the NFL announced, stemming from penalties issued during the Week 11 matchup.
Here’s who received fines from the league office in New York:
