Some Football Thoughts

Having this bye week before the start of the season feels a little odd. Here are some football thoughts on this last Sunday without NFL games until late February. Late February! 

1. The loss of tight end Irv Smith Jr. for the season is a tough one for the Minnesota Vikings. There might not be a player that I was more excited to see this season. The expectations for Smith were high. Through his first two seasons, as TE2 to Kyle Rudolph, he would often flash his potential. So much potential. Speed, athletic ability. Smith was going to be a unique weapon in the Vikings offense. He was primed for his time as TE1. It sounded like he was the best player in Vikings training camp not named Danielle Hunter. This is a big loss. He’ll be back. His breakout season will now be next season. At 23, he’s so young for a third-year player. At 24, he’ll be so young for a fourth-year player.

2. As a replacement for Irv Smith Jr., the Vikings did well to add Chris Herndon in a trade with the New York Jets. Like Smith, Herndon’s athletic ability is his strength. He can move around the formation. He can split from the formation. He can run similar routes. He can block. He’ll compliment Tyler Conklin well. Most importantly, the Vikings don’t have to change things to incorporate Herndon. It’d be nice if he’d been able to practice immediately. I’m guessing that it’s due to his vaccination status. I wish people would stop being so damn ignorant about the vaccine. 

3. Tyler Conklin has a terrific opportunity. He showed at the end of last season that he can be a productive tight end. Chris Herndon’s addition wasn’t to replace Conklin as the top player at the position. Herndon was added to compliment him, to form a tight end duo like the team had with Conklin and Smith. 

4. More tight end thoughts. Zach Davidson was released on Tuesday and signed to the practice squad on Wednesday. I’m glad that the fifth-round rookie is on the roster in some capacity. He’s an intriguing football player. 6’7” and extremely athletic. He was an effective punter in addition to big-play pass-catcher at Central Missouri. That position versatility in college was mostly a curiosity. I hoped that he’d make the 53-man roster. I hoped that mostly because of his potential and to avoid the possibility of another team stealing him. He’s really raw now but he has the unique attributes of an impact football player. Another team might see that potential. He’s still a Vikings player. Hopefully, he remains a Vikings player. 

5. Oh, to have some consistency in kickers. The Vikings haven’t had a consistent kicking battery since the days of Ryan Longwell, Chris Kluwe, and Cullen Loeffler. They’ve already swapped Britton Colquitt for Jordan Berry at punter. Greg Joseph’s job as kicker feels precarious. Nothing feels comfortable with the Vikings kicking game. Kicking has been tragic in Minnesota for too damn long. 

6. For no particular reason, I feel better about the Vikings punting with Jordan Berry. 

7. The Vikings have 27 defensive players on the roster. Seven of those players are linebackers. Those are lopsided numbers. I suppose those numbers will become more balanced as the season progresses.

8. Did the New England Patriots release Cam Newton for vaccination reasons? Does it really matter? Teams release players for a variety of reasons. Availability is one of them. It’s probably second to actual football ability among reasons for releasing a football player. Newton’s availability this season was set to be problematic. It was a problem last season. It was a problem in training camp. All because of COVID and his vaccination status. 

9. I didn’t see every preseason snap. In the snaps that I did see, Mac Jones outplayed Cam Newton. Jones’ play and Newton’s ignorance made it a very easy decision for the Patriots. 

10. Get Vaccinated! It’s not just a personal decision. We’re a social species. COVID requires a society. Getting vaccinated is a societal decision. If you care about a single person other than yourself, getting vaccinated is an easy decision. There shouldn’t even be a decision to make. It’s simply something that we do to function as a society again. And stop listening to idiots. Would you listen to an idiot when seeking plumbing, electrical, or car repairs. I suppose you would if you’re fine with shit work or shit advice.