Tag: Za’Darius Smith

Vikings top-10 highest-rated Madden NFL 23 players

Here’s the top-10 highest-rated Vikings players on Madden NFL 23.

The Minnesota Vikings are entering the 2022 season with a sense of purpose, and that purpose can be felt through the Madden NFL 23 video game.

This is one of the more talented rosters the team has had in years, and they’re hopeful it translates into them mirroring the 2021 Cincinnati Bengals with a wildly unexpected Super Bowl appearance.

The team has three players with a 90-plus overall rating in the upcoming Madden NFL game. But there are obviously a couple of head-scratchers thrown in there as well, such as quarterback Kirk Cousins being given an 80 overall rating.

Ouch.

However, Vikings fans will be happy to know it was an even split between offensive and defensive players in the top-10 highest-rated players on the roster. Here’s who made the cut.

Did Za’Darius Smith send a warning to Aaron Rodgers and Packers?

Smith’s tweet will have Vikings fans hyped.

For any fan in need of some “meet at the quarterback” vibes heading into the 2022 season, look no further than the recent social media post from Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith.

In the post, Smith put up a picture of himself standing back-to-back with fellow multiple-time Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter, along with the date September 11, 2022.

It’s the official start date of the Vikings’ regular season, and they’ll be facing Smith’s former team, the division rival Green Bay Packers. That will be the date when he gets to shed the practice pads and hit Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers for real.

“I can’t wait to get a chance to face them the first game and see that look on Aaron Rodgers’ face when he see me on the other side of the ball,” Smith said back in May, during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show. “…It’s going to be a, ‘It’s good to see you again, but now, it’s not at practice.'”

Vikings legendary cornerback Patrick Peterson claimed he’s never been a part of a team with as dominant of an edge-rushing combination as Smith and Hunter in his career. That’s saying a lot coming from a guy that has seen plenty of football in his days.

Rodgers and the Packers will get to experience it first-hand when the teams collide in the season-opener at U.S. Bank Stadium. Change is coming for the Vikings with the many additions they’ve made in the offseason, including bringing in Smith.

And on September 11, it all comes to a head with one of the most dynamic pass-rushing tandems in the league coming face-to-face with one of the best quarterbacks to ever do it.

Grab some popcorn.

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Highlights and notes from Day 1 of minicamp

The last major spring practices are underway

After closing the curtains on organized team activities, the Minnesota Vikings finish things off with mandatory minicamp this week.

They kick-started the festivities on Tuesday with the team gathering on the practice field for another week of work. This is the time where we get the best glimpse of where things stand ahead of training camp later this summer.

The pads haven’t come on yet. So these practices are still more about drilling positioning and technique. But it doesn’t mean things aren’t getting competitive out there between the offense and defense, along with the ongoing position battles on the roster.

Here are some notes and highlights from Day 1.

Highlights and notes from Vikings final week of OTAs

The Vikings wrap up OTAs

The Minnesota Vikings closed out the final stretch of organized team activities last week with confidence and some concerns.

On one hand, the team is excited about the potential they have to turn things around immediately.

They have responded well to Kevin O’Connell as the head coach, and overall, there seems to be a much more loose and exciting vibe from the team, as opposed to how they looked towards the end of the Mike Zimmer era.

However, on the other hand, they’re being reminded of how quickly things can change on the football field. It takes more than talent to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Injuries have put countless championship teams in the grave before they even started.

Here are some observations as the Vikings wrapped up OTAs.

Patrick Peterson admits he’s never seen anything like Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter

Pat P. is blown away by the Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter combo

Minnesota Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson has been in the NFL for over a decade, and in all of that time, he has never been a part of a team with a pass-rushing combination quite like Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter.

Both men are two-time Pro Bowlers with the rare ability to wreck an entire offensive game-plan. That’s something the Vikings didn’t have last season. But more importantly, all of those Arizona Cardinals teams Peterson played for didn’t have it, either.

As a defensive back, the legendary eight-time Pro Bowler has a front row seat to something he believes is on the verge of being “special.”

“That’s going to be special man because I’ve never had the privilege to have two dynamic pass rushers coming off both edges,” said Peterson on All Things Covered. “Going through those six practices now, although we don’t have any pads on right now, so guys are getting their first two-step bursts and kind of shutting it down there, but just seeing how fast that pocket collapse, when we do have those team periods, it’s magical to watch.

“I’m happy to finally have an opportunity to experience some dogs that can really put some heat on a quarterback.”

Hunter amassed 14.5 sacks in back-to-back years the last time he was fully healthy for an entire season. Meanwhile, before an injury kept him out in 2021, Smith was coming off a 12.5-sack season in 2020.

Those two defensive monsters being up front will set the tone for the entire defense. It was a defense that was getting pushed around and bullied by nearly everyone they faced last season.

That obviously won’t be the case in 2022 with the Vikings now having two of the league’s biggest defensive bullies in the lineup.

Here’s to hoping the rest of the NFL is hungry. If Smith and Hunter can both stay healthy next season, they’re going to be handing out some serious sack lunches to opposing quarterbacks.

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Highlights and notes from Week 2 Vikings OTAs

Another week in the books for the Vikings

Another week is in the books for the Minnesota Vikings’ organized team activities.

Last week was all about integrating the rookies and veterans on the field together in helmets and shorts. This week consisted of more drills and an attempt towards putting a pretty bow on everything by seeing new concepts in action.

You still have to be careful to not overreact to some of the things emanating out of OTAs since it’s still so early in the process. We’ll have a real sense of where players are at once they’ve actually had time to digest things and the pads come on.

But the buzz in Minnesota right now is undeniable. There’s a different level of excitement surrounding this Vikings team—and for good reason. The hope is that big things are ahead under the guidance of head coach Kevin O’Connell, who knows what it takes to win a Super Bowl. And it all begins with preparation.

Here are some highlights and notes from Week 2 of OTAs.

Za’Darius Smith sets record straight on failed Ravens deal

Smith says his decision to pass on the Ravens had nothing to do with Von Miller’s contract

Za’Darius Smith was painted as enemy No. 1 after he reportedly backed out on an agreed upon deal to return to the Baltimore Ravens.

Pen was never put to paper, the deal fell through and the two-time Pro Bowl linebacker ended up signing a three-year, $42 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings instead.

Some believed Smith was seeking more money on the open market after seeing the massive deal Von Miller signed with the Buffalo Bills. However, during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, the veteran linebacker refuted the notion that Miller’s deal had anything to do with his decision to pass on the Ravens’ offer.

“I really didn’t even know about Von Miller’s situation. I think during the time, I was actually getting a massage when my agent was on the phone going back and forth,” said Smith. “I just received a text message saying that I had signed, and I never did agree to anything. And that’s how that worked out.

“…It would have been good to go back to Baltimore, but things wasn’t what it was supposed to be. That’s why I’m here now with the Vikings and just happy to be here with another opportunity to play football.”

Smith didn’t just net a lucrative deal with the Vikings, but he also put himself in a position to potentially compete for a playoff contender.

The NFC is no longer the Nightmare on Elm Street with elite quarterbacks living in every house on the block. Quite the contrary, the AFC is becoming a murderer’s row of elite quarterbacks.

One thing is certain: The Vikings are glad to have Smith on their side. The destruction he could cause with Danielle Hunter on the field is worth every penny.

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Highlights and notes from first week of Vikings OTAs

Week 1 of OTAs is in the books

The Minnesota Vikings put on their shorts and helmets before hitting the field for the first week of organized team activities this week.

Players were participating in a variety of drills and workouts, which will continue over the next couple of weeks ahead of mandatory minicamp in June.

There have been plenty of fun stories coming out of the early practices, including running back Dalvin Cook calling linebacker Za’Darius Smith “crazy” for his work ethic and the way he pushes his teammates. Even Smith himself admitted coach Kevin O’Connell had to tell him to take it down a notch, during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show.

The regime change in Minnesota has seemingly brought a new energy to the team as they work to end a three-year playoff drought this season. Here are some of the highlights and notes from the first week of OTAs.

Za’Darius Smith ‘can’t wait’ to see look on Aaron Rodgers’ face in Week 1

Za’Darius Smith is really looking forward to facing Aaron Rodgers

Za’Darius Smith isn’t shying away from the slated Week 1 matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers.

After spending the previous three seasons for the team in green, he’ll have a chance to see things from the purple side. But more than anything, he’ll have a chance to look into the eyes of legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers as an opponent this time instead of a teammate.

“I can’t wait to get a chance to face them the first game and see that look on Aaron Rodgers’ face when he see me on the other side of the ball,” Smith said, when appearing on The Rich Eisen Show. “…It’s going to be a, ‘It’s good to see you again, but now, it’s not at practice.'”

Smith admitted to wanting to return to Green Bay in the interview, but the two sides weren’t able to come to a contractual agreement. So the two-time Pro Bowl linebacker was released into the wild, where he was offered a chance to play for a division rival.

It was hard to pass up an opportunity to team with Danielle Hunter on the defensive side of the ball and likely even harder to turn down a chance to play the Packers twice a year.

Now, Smith can show his former team what they missed out on by not re-signing him. There will be no red no-contact jersey for Rodgers on September 11 when he stares across the line of scrimmage at a familiar face in the No. 55 jersey.

The only difference this time is the hits will be real.

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Za’Darius Smith reacts to blockbuster Vikings-Packers Week 1 matchup

Smith won’t have to wait long to face his former team.

Two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Za’Darius Smith won’t have to wait long to face his former team with the Minnesota Vikings slated to host the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season.

The football gods have a flare for the dramatics with the way this schedule came together. On one hand, it’ll be pretty awkward seeing Smith in purple attempting to wreak havoc on quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense.

And yet, on the other hand, the thought of him joining forces with Danielle Hunter and the Vikings defensive front is a dream pairing.

After hearing the news of the Week 1 matchup, Smith took to Twitter to post his immediate reaction.

Few things are more motivating than having an opportunity to beat your former team, and Smith will have a chance to do so right out of the gates.

However, stepping back from the personal storyline at play, this is a game that’s going to tell a lot about the Vikings’ newly-constructed defense. They’ve added Ed Donatell as defensive coordinator, along with injecting the secondary with talented young rookies, including Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth Jr.

Imagine starting an NFL journey with a meeting against one of the top-10 greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game.

Smith knows what the Vikings are up against because he’s seen it at practice day in and day out for the last three years. But this time, Rodgers won’t be wearing the red no-contact jersey.

This time, Smith has the green light to hit his former teammate.

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