Tag: Za’Darius Smith

5 stats to know heading into Week 4 Vikings vs Saints

There are quite a few stats worth mentioning when discussing these two teams

The Minnesota Vikings take on the New Orleans Saints on Sunday morning in London.

The Vikings have a benefit of not only having nine home games but one of their eight road games is a neutral site contest.

As we begin to analyze the game against arguably the Vikings fans most-hated team in the Saints, there are a lot of intriguing angles to discuss.

Here are 5 stats to know going into the pivotal matchup.

4 pivotal matchups to watch in Lions vs Vikings Week 3

These four matchups will be key in a Minnesota Vikings victory on Sunday

The Minnesota Vikings take on the Detroit Lions on Sunday in a game that provides some very even and intriguing matchups.

Not only do the Vikings need a win in order to go 2-1, but it would also put them at 2-0 in the division which would give them a huge advantage moving forward.

We highlighted earlier today 5 players that needed to have a good game to get a win on Sunday, and these four matchups are just as critical.

5 reasons for optimism as Vikings face Eagles in Week 2

The Vikings have a lot of reasons for optimism

The Minnesota Vikings are riding high after beating the rival Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon. They were confident, calculated and played a nearly flawless game in getting above .500 for the first time in nearly 1,000 days.

As the Vikings roll into Lincoln Financial Field to take on the Philadelphia Eagles, there is a lot to like with this Vikings team.

Here are five reasons to be optimistic moving forward.

Vikings PFF Grades: Best and worst performers in week 1 win vs Packers

The best and worst of the PFF grades from Sunday’s game

The Minnesota Vikings dominated the Green Bay Packers by a score of 23-7 in a game that never really felt close.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell became the fifth head coach in Minnesota Vikings history to win his debut for the franchise.

When the grades came in, they looked really good but there were some disappointing performances.

Here are the best and worst of Sunday’s PFF grades.

NFL Week 1 Most Disrespectful Plays: Titans’ Derrick Henry experiences what it’s like to be hit by Derrick Henry

A look back at the most disrespectful plays of Week 1, like a humbling hit for Derrick Henry.

The return of football doesn’t only mean the return of incredible touchdowns, excellent quarterback play, and electric atmospheres at opening stadiums. Football’s start to the 2022 season also means opening the door to some of the more “disrespectful” player-on-player, player-on-team, or team-on-team plays of the week.

To be clear, a disrespectful play doesn’t necessarily constitute as a blatant middle finger to an opponent or a team clearly calling out a rival in bold neon lights. It’s so much more than that. Yes, even football can be a subtle game of pettiness.

A disrespectful play can simply be a superstar quarterback playing to the whistle and perhaps adding a little edge on a savage stiff-arm in a clutch moment. It might look like a bruising bell cow running back finally getting a taste of his own medicine. Or it could be an entire team channeling some controlled rage over a former teammate who seemingly can’t stop talking about them in public.

Here’s a look back at the most disrespectful plays from Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season.

Studs and duds from Vikings’ week 1 victory over Packers

Lets take a look at the Vikings studs and duds from Sunday’s game against the Packers

The Minnesota Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers 23-7 in a game that never felt close.

The Vikings came out strong out of the block getting a touchdown on the opening drive to Justin Jefferson. Right after that, they dodged a bullet when Packers wide receiver Christian Watson dropped a surefire 75-yard touchdown pass. After that, the game never felt within the Packers reach.

There were quite a few players who played key roles in the Vikings victory over the Packers on Sunday.

Let’s take a look at the studs and duds from Sunday’s game.

WATCH: Aaron Rodgers hilariously fails to block Za’Darius Smith

Aaron Rodgers didn’t have much fun on this failed block attempt on Za’Darius Smith

There were a lot of memorable moments for Za’Darius Smith during Sunday’s 23-7 win over the Green Bay Packers but this might have been the best of the bunch.

Early in the first half, Smith got his first sack against his former team bull-rushing guard Jake Hansen right into quarterback Aaron Rodgers to earn his first sack as a Viking.

During the game, Rodgers turned himself into a blocker and tried to block Smith. Needless to say, it didn’t work out well for him.

Rodgers tried to put his shoulder into Smith and he no-sold it like Andre The Giant. Rodgers fell to the ground and they playfully exchanged words before moving onto the next play.

Needless to say, this game just meant more for Smith.

WATCH: Za’Darius Smith gets his first sack as a Viking

He was really excited to sack his former teammate

It’s no secret that former Green Bay Packers EDGE Za’Darius Smith was excited to play against his former team.

After being released this past offseason due to salary cap reasons, Smith signed with the Vikings on a three-year/$42 million deal to pair with Danielle Hunter. Together, they are one of the best pass rushing duos in the National Football League.

Midway through the first quarter, Smith was lined up on the inside over the right guard and just bull rushed guard Jake Hansen into his former teammate Aaron Rodgers for a drive-ending sack.

After the sack, Smith did an army crawl followed by the “feed me” motion. Needless to say, he was excited to get the sack.

Former Packers OLB Za’Darius Smith gets first quarter sack of Aaron Rodgers

Revenge came early for Za’Darius Smith. The former Packer sacked Aaron Rodgers to end a first-quarter drive during Sunday’s season opener.

It didn’t take long for former Green Bay Packers edge rusher Za’Darius Smith to reintroduce himself to Aaron Rodgers.

Smith, playing in his first game as a member of the Minnesota Vikings, sacked Rodgers on third down to end a first-quarter drive for the Packers on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Smith, an All-Pro for the Packers, beat right guard Jake Hanson for the sack on 3rd-and-8.

The Packers released Smith in March. Smith admitted his final season in Green Bay – which featured a significant back injury – contributed to his decision to sign with the Vikings, which will give him two chances to play the Packers this season.

Smith produced 25 sacks in his first two seasons with the Packers. He played in just one regular-season game in 2021, his final year in Green Bay.

The Packers have punted on two straight possessions to open the 2022 season. Christian Watson dropped what would have been a 75-yard touchdown, and Smith’s sack forced another punt.

3 bold predictions for the 2022 Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are up against a pivotal season. Here are three bold predictions for 2022.

The Minnesota Vikings are set to see the debut of the Kevin O’Connell era on Sunday afternoon against the Green Bay Packers.

With the Vikings having such a wide range of projections across the media landscape, nobody really knows what is going to happen with this team.

There are a lot of different predictions across the board and we are about to join them.

Here are three bold predictions for the 2022 Minnesota Vikings season.