Tag: Za’Darius Smith

5 Vikings make the Pro Bowl, 9 are alternates

The Vikings will end up well represented in the Pro Bowl

The NFL just unveiled the rosters for the 2023 Pro Bowl and the Minnesota Vikings have quality representation.

On the 2023 Pro Bowl team, the Vikings have five players that made the initial roster.

  • QB Kirk Cousins
  • WR Justin Jefferson
  • TE T.J. Hockenson
  • OLB Za’Darius Smith
  • LS Andrew DePaola

They also had multiple alternates, including four that are the first alternate.

The biggest surprise here is that after leading the NFC in voting for special teamers, Kris Boyd is only a third alternate.

Christian Darrisaw being a second alternate signifies that he was the fifth-best overall tackle, as they don’t classify left and right tackles.

When it’s all said and done, the Vikings will likely have 7-8 representatives for the NFL’s new rendition of the all-star game.

5 stats that show the Vikings defense is better than it seems

Despite the narrative surrounding the Vikings’ defense, they are a good unit

Let’s start with the elephant in the room: the Vikings’ defense is one of the worst statistically at allowing yards.

It’s become commonplace for Vikings fans to get really annoyed and stressed out by the performance of the defense. They continue to allow teams to stay in games despite not allowing teams to get to the red zone.

They are also allowing less than 24 points per game, ranking 21st in the NFL going into the weekend.

Things haven’t looked great for most of the season, but not all hope is lost with the ultimate bend, but don’t break unit. There are five statistics that show the Vikings defensive unit is better than they appeaer.

PFF Grades: Where the Minnesota Vikings stand after 12 weeks

The Vikings have some highly ranked players according to PFF

The Minnesota Vikings are sitting in a really good place with a 9-2 record and the ability to clinch the NFC North division this weekend with a win over the New York Jets. They need some help with a loss by the Detroit Lions and it would be great to have one hurdle finished so they can focus on getting prepared for the playoffs.

As they continue to work towards their goals of a Super Bowl title, it’s good to check on how things are going. One way to look at that is to see the PFF grades, as they grade out every player individually.

Here is how the Vikings stand after 12 weeks compared to the rest of the league.

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Kevin O’Connell updates the media on injured players from Sunday

The Vikings did not come out of the game unscathed on Sunday

The Minnesota Vikings are riding high after a 33-30 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. They came from behind after being down by 17 points, which is very impressive. What was even more impressive was how they did it with the injuries they sustained during the game.

The Vikings saw three starters go down with injury during the game in Christian Darrisaw, Akayleb Evans and Za’Darius Smith. Only Smith returned to the game and head coach Kevin O’Connell updated us on the injuries of all three.

Evans left the game in the second quarter and did not return while Darrisaw left with the Vikings down by 10 points. Smith returned to the game but kept cycling in and out with the injured knee.

We will keep you updated on the injury status of all three and the rest of the team throughout the week.

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Danielle Hunter’s statline finally matches his level of play

Danielle Hunter has been really good all year and this was his best statistical game

Fans have been really frustrated with Danielle Hunter’s season thus far. He was not producing anywhere near the level that he had in years past in terms of sacks and pressures.

Against the Commanders, Hunter had himself a nice game with seven tackles, two sacks, two quarterback hits and two tackles for loss.

What was the biggest difference for Hunter? He finally got to work one on one against the right tackle.

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Throughout the season, the opposing team has been sending both double teams and a running back or tight end to chip Hunter and sometimes it has been both.

With the emergence of Za’Darius Smith being dominant this season, the Commanders moved their focus more toward him and Hunter took advantage.

Even without the production numbers, Hunter is still making a major impact on this team.

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4 key matchups for Vikings vs. Commanders in Week 9

Here are four key matchups for this weekend’s NFC battle between the Vikings and Commanders.

The Washington Commanders [4-4] host the Minnesota Vikings [6-1] in an all-important Week 9 NFC battle from FedEx Field.

Kirk Cousins returns to Washington for the first time since leaving for Minnesota after the 2017 season. Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke began his career as an undrafted free agent with the Vikings in 2015.

With those storylines aside, this should be one of the more competitive matchups of the weekend. Both teams enter Week 9 on winning streaks, with the Vikings having won five in a row and the Commanders winners of three in a row.

We’ve identified four critical matchups for Sunday’s game.

5 Vikings to watch in Week 9 vs. Commanders

These five Vikings could determine the outcome of this weekend’s game against the Commanders.

In case you haven’t heard, the Washington Commanders [4-4] have a big game this weekend. The Minnesota Vikings [6-1] come to town in one of the weekend’s better matchups. This game could be important for playoff reasons come January.

These two teams are among the hottest teams in the NFL. The Vikings have won five in a row and haven’t lost since Week 2. The Commanders have won three in a row, with their last loss coming on a heartbreaker to Tennessee in Week 5.

Who has the advantage heading into Week 9? The Vikings are the early favorites, but this game could come down to the wire as both teams have played their share of close games this season.

Here are five Vikings who should play a large role in the outcome of Sunday’s game against the Commanders.

Vikings’ Thursday injury report shows improvement

The injury report is improved from yesterday

The Minnesota Vikings began the week with six players designated on their injury report. While Cam Bynum is technically still listed on the report, he did not have a designation as he returned from his personal matter.

Jalen Nailor (illness) and Dalvin Tomlinson (calf) both didn’t practice for a second-consecutive day. With Tomlinson nursing a calf injury, I don’t expect him to play and head coach Kevin O’Connell said that they would be taking things week-to-week with the star defensive lineman.

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Cameron Dantzler stayed limited with a neck injury and Za’Darius Smith practiced in full for a second-consecutive day.

The good news on the day was Adam Thielen (knee) practicing in full after being limited on Wednesday.

Things continue to look good for the Vikings injury-wise as they prepare for the Commanders on Sunday.

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Za’Darius Smith named NFC Defensive Player of the Month

Smith picked up some more hardware on Thursday

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Just a day after winning NFC Defensive Player of the Week for week eight, Za’Darius Smith picked up some more hardware as he was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October.

His month of October was excellent. Over four games, Smith torched defenses. He had 12 tackles, eight tackles for loss, seven sacks and PFF credited Smith with 22 pressures.

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The success of Smith should come as no surprise. The only real question came from his injury history. After two injury-plagued seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Smith has found a way to stay healthy.

His pairing with Danielle Hunter has been the catalyst of his success. Teams are paying so much attention to Hunter that Smith has destroyed offensive linemen in one-on-one matchups.

The kicker is that Smith is only a $3.16 million cap hit for the Vikings and $11.424 million on the Packers cap.

Smith has set himself up for a potential All-Pro season as he is currently tied for the league lead in sacks with 8.5.

Former Packers OLB Za’Darius Smith wins NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 8

After eight weeks, former Packers OLB Za’Darius Smith leads the NFL in sacks (8.5) and tackles for loss (13), and he won a weekly award for his effort in Week 8.

Former Green Bay Packers edge rusher Za’Darius Smith was named the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Week after delivering three sacks, four tackles for loss and a pass breakup during the Minnesota Vikings’ win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

No player had more sacks or tackles for loss in Week 8 than Smith.

The award is Smith’s first since Week 4 of the 2020 season when he produced three sacks, four tackles for loss and five quarterback hits during the Packers’ win over the Atlanta Falcons.

Smith, who played three seasons in Green Bay, has been a major addition for the Vikings in 2022. Despite playing in only seven games, Smith leads the NFL in tackles for losses with 13 and is tied for the NFL lead with 8.5 sacks. He also has 12 quarterback hits. Overall, Smith has a sack in six of seven games this season.

The Packers released Smith in a salary-cap move in March. The decision to part ways cleared over $13 million off the salary cap but also left almost $11.5 million in dead money on the team’s cap in 2022.

Smith played in just one game for the Packers in 2021 after needing back surgery to correct a significant injury. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro while with the Packeers.

The Vikings teamed Smith with former Packers outside linebackers coach Mike Smith, and the result – predictably – has been a bunch of disruptive plays.

In Week 1, Smith got some early revenge by sacking Aaron Rodgers during the Vikings’ blowout win.

Over three years in Green Bay, Smith delivered 26.0 sacks, 60 quarterback hits, 29 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles.

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