Across The Pond

I’m not a fan of the NFL playing games “across the pond.” As soon as I say that or think it, I hear about UK fans of the Minnesota Vikings thrilled to finally see their team in person on Sunday. I know how they feel. I’m thrilled when the Vikings come to California. They did that twice last year and it was glorious. The overseas games are just so grueling and disruptive for an NFL team. The travel, the time change, the culture change, the routine change, everything. If playing in these games were easy there wouldn’t be so much debate as to how to deal with the disruption to a team’s weekly process. The Vikings play the New Orleans Saints in London on Sunday and each team is going about it differently. The Saints left on Monday. From Charlotte. They didn’t even return to New Orleans after playing the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. They’ve already been away from home for about a week. The Vikings arrive in London this morning. No one knows how best to handle these disruptive games and that’s the problem.

The London issue is such an issue that the Vikings made Tyler Williams, executive director of player health and performance, available to the media on Wednesday. He was peppered with questions. 

“The goal is to keep them on Central time as much as possible.” -Tyler Williams

The players sound like lab rats. Williams wants to minimize the toll, the disruption. He wanted this week to be as much like the other 16 game weeks as possible. Everything this week was routine until the end of yesterday’s practice. The team then boarded a plane bound for London at 6:30 pm CT. Nothing’s been routine since. Things won’t return to the routine until some time next week.

“Our goal is to hopefully get the players to sleep on the flight,” Williams said. “Get there, wake them up, move them, get the flight off us, go through what would be quote-unquote a normal Friday for these guys.”

The sleep part is key. They’ll do what they can to encourage sleeping on the plane. Cutting out screen time, limiting light exposure, and, if needed, take melatonin to encourage sleep. Not everyone can sleep on a plane. Only a few might get anything close to a restful sleep. 

Today is supposed to be a normal Friday for the Vikings. Just a normal Friday “across the pond.” 

“We’ll have an activation session with them right away, get some light exposure,” Williams said. “Maybe some caffeine, some tea, as they call it in London, some espresso.”

A normal Friday. 

Get plenty of sleep tonight. A normal Saturday. Walk-through. The normal Saturday evening. A normal Sunday. A normal game day. Beat the Saints. Come home. 

That normal game day is for a game that starts at 8:30 am CT. Normal.

Nothing is normal about any of this. 

Next week, the Green Bay Packers will experience a regular season overseas game for the first time. The league has been scheduling these games since 2007. It’s ridiculous that the coddled Packers have dodged this disruption for 15 years. They are the only team to be so “lucky.” This is the Vikings third trip across the pond. The Jacksonville Jaguars have played eight games in London. They are an outlier as their team’s owner wants his team in these games.  He wants the London market. The Las Vegas/Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins have played five games in London. The St. Louis Rams have played four games. I recently asked a Packers fan his thoughts on his team dodging these games for so long. He reacted as if it’s perfectly normal for his team to be given annual passes on the London games. He said that the Packers don’t want to lose a home game. No team does. He added that the Packers are such a draw on the road that opponents don’t want to lose a home date with them. No team wants to lose a home date with any team. Packers fans apparently believe that it’s perfectly normal for their team to be treated differently than the other 31 teams. No surprise there. 

I’m truly thrilled for the UK Vikings fans. If there’s a good thing about the team traveling to London, it’s them. Perhaps it’s the first time seeing the Vikings for some of the fans. I remember well the first time I attended a Vikings game. It was in Oakland in 1978. The Raiders won but it was one of the best days of my life. Maybe some little kid will be getting that experience on Sunday. Hopefully, with a better result. 

I’ll be watching on TV. At 6:30 in the morning. 

The Pro Bowl Is No More

The Pro Bowl has been around since 1951. For nearly all of those 70+ years, it was a fun way to end the NFL season. It was fun until the modern football player turned the annual all-star game into a joke. The effort put forth by the players over the past decade made walk-throughs look like the Super Bowl. It was embarrassing and the NFL had seen enough. 

Enter the “Pro Bowl Games.” 

A flag football game will replace whatever it was that the players were doing in pads. That game will take place in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, February 5, 2023. Hopefully that field will be in excellent shape. It’d be wild if the league re-imagines their half-century old all-star game to make it safer and joints are ruined while scampering around on a shitty field. 

The flag football game will be the culmination of a week of football fun. And games. There will be a week of skills competitions and games. There will be precision passing and best catch competitions. Races. Maybe Micah Parsons can beat Tyreek Hill again. That was a twist. There will also be the always fun dodge ball game. Other fun competitions are sure to be added. 

I get that this change was inevitable. The Pro Bowl game as it’s been played for too long could not continue. It was a joke. The NFL looked like a joke for continuing with it. The problem that I have with the game’s elimination is all about nostalgia. I grew up with the Pro Bowl and there was never an issue with effort. It was never the effort of even a mid-season game. It was never going to be. It was an all-star game. But it was a fun football game. The players of my youth cared about the Pro Bowl. They had a respect for the game. They wanted to win the game. They competed. It was a different time. I also don’t remember a player ever sustaining a significant injury in the game. Actually, the only significant Pro Bowl injury that I can recall was Tyler Eifert’s knee injury in 2016. Not only did that injury occur during the grab-ass days of the Pro Bowl, it was a fluky, non-contact injury that could easily happen in a flag football game. As player salaries skyrocketed, the effort put forth in the Pro Bowl plummeted. Unfortunately, change was necessary.

Minnesota Vikings Week 3 Superlatives

The Minnesota Vikings pulled out a thrilling 28-24 win over the Detroit Lions in Week 3. They overcame at 14-0 first half deficit and a 24-14 second half deficit. The only score that matters is the one at the end of the game. It was a big, division win. Here are some of the players that helped make it possible. 

Offensive Player of the Game

K.J. Osborn, WR

K.J. Osborn gets the nod over Adam Thielen, the offensive line, and Dalvin Cook on the basis of his two big catches on the game-winning drive. The first was a 28-yard catch that put the Vikings in position to strike from the Lions 28-yard line. The second was the 28-yard touchdown that won the game. That’s a lot of 28s to make the score 28. 

Defensive Player of the Game

Josh Metellus, S

I’m giving this to Josh Metellus for his solid game in place of Harrison Smith. He made tackles that he was supposed to make. He had the interception that sealed the game with seconds to play. 

Special Teams Player of the Game

Ryan Wright, P

I’d like to give the special teams award to Brian Asamoah for his terrific tackle on a kick return. I can’t. Rookie punter Ryan Wright keeps booting the ball 50 yards and flipping field position. 

Flea Flicker Week 3 Power Rankings

Here’s a look at how the 32 NFL teams rank after three weeks of football. 

1.   Philadelphia Eagles (3-0)

2.   Buffalo Bills (2-1)

3.   Kansas City Chiefs (2-1)

4.   Miami Dolphins (3-0)

5.   Los Angeles Rams (2-1)

6.   Minnesota Vikings (2-1)

7.   Green Bay Packers (2-1)

8.   Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)

9.   Baltimore Ravens (2-1)

10. Los Angeles Chargers (1-2)

11. Cincinnati Bengals (1-2)

12. Indianapolis Colts (1-1-1)

13. Cleveland Browns (2-1)

14. Detroit Lions (1-2)

15. Dallas Cowboys (2-1)

16. Arizona Cardinals (1-2)

17. San Francisco 49ers (1-2)

18. Tennessee Titans (1-2)

19. Las Vegas Raiders (0-3)

20. Denver Broncos (2-1)

21. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2)

22. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1)

23. New York Giants (2-1)

24. Carolina Panthers (1-2)

25. New Orleans Saints (1-2)

26. New England Patriots (1-2)

27. Chicago Bears (2-1)

28. Washington Commanders (1-2)

29. Atlanta Falcons (1-2)

30. New York Jets (1-2)

31. Seattle Seahawks (1-2)

32. Houston Texans (1-1-1)

Until next week.

Vikings - Lions

It was another nerve-wracking finish against the Detroit Lions. Thankfully, the Minnesota Vikings were on the right side of the scoreboard at the end.

Minnesota Vikings 28

Detroit Lions 24

It was easy to see that the focus of the Lions defense was to remove Justin Jefferson from the game. They did. He only had three catches for 14 yards. For most of the game the Vikings offense looked out of sync without Jefferson being a part of it. Moving forward, the Vikings must find ways to make teams pay for focusing so heavily on Jefferson. Against the Lions, Kirk Cousins eventually started getting the ball to Adam Thielen and K.J. Osborn. Thielen made some of the team’s biggest catches. Osborn caught the game-winning touchdown. Again, the Vikings must make teams pay for focusing so heavily on Jefferson. They have too many play-makers to be so out of sync. 

The Lions controlled this game until they gave up the game-winning score with 45 seconds left. They had leads of 14-0 in the first half and 24-14 in the second half. Jared Goff was solid until he threw the game-sealing interception with a handful of seconds to play. The key to the Lions control of the game may have been their success on fourth down. They converted four of six attempts. Those conversions were key on 17 of their points. The Vikings defense simply couldn’t get the Lions off the field soon enough or often enough. This game didn’t have to be a nail-biter. The Lions gambling ways made it that way. 

Lions corner Amani Oruwariye literally had his hands full with Thielen. If football was like basketball, Oruwariye would’ve fouled out of this game. The officials threw so many flags his way that it was shocking when they didn’t throw a big one on a fourth down with just over two minutes to play. Oruwariye is a very grabby football player.

Welcome back, Dalvin Cook. The Vikings running game and Cook were pretty much absent in the Week 2 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. A lot was absent in that game. Cook ran well against the Lions. He was sailing toward a 100-yard game when he ran head-first into the backside of left guard Ezra Cleveland. That collision and resulting frenzy from the Lions defenders forced a fumble and a shoulder injury for Cook. He left the game and did not return. He remained on the sideline and didn’t look like he was in any discomfort. Hopefully, it’s a minor deal. Cook was running well before the injury. It was great to see. He had 96 yards on 17 carries and a 1-yard TD. Alexander Mattison added 28 yards on seven carries and a 6-yard TD.

The showing of the Vikings defense would’ve been much better if they could’ve gotten off the field on those fourth down attempts. Making stops on third down usually mean something. It didn’t yesterday as the Lions kept their offense on the field for six fourth down attempts. While Josh Metellus seemed to play well (he had the game-sealing interception after dropping an interception on the previous play), the Vikings defense missed Harrison Smith. His leadership and simple presence were missed. I was hoping that rookie Lewis Cine would get some snaps but Metellus took all of the defensive snaps. I believe that the Vikings defense will make strong strides in the coming weeks. Through 12 quarters this season, the first two quarters of the Eagles game are the only quarters that the Vikings defense has played poorly. Still, the coverage has to get tighter and the pass rush has to get home more often. The Lions rolled for 416 yards (139 on the ground, 277 through the air). They held the ball for 34:04. The Lions controlled this game until they lost it. 

While the Lions were in charge most of the game, it always felt like the Vikings just had to get out of their own way. Once they did, they grabbed the win. It was a Division Win. It was a Big Win. Now, it’s off to England for an overseas date with the New Orleans Saints. 

Flea Flicker Week 3 Predictions

Here’s a guess at the Week 3 games.

Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings

Pick: Vikings

There’s no other acceptable outcome.

Houston Texans @ Chicago Bears

Pick: Bears

Just going with the home team.

Las Vegas Raiders @ Tennessee Titans

Pick: Raiders

One of these teams has to get right.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Indianapolis Colts

Pick: Chiefs

With the way each team has played in their first two games, this game is easy to pick.

Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins

Pick: Bills

Game of the Week? It’s so early in the season but it’s easy to say that the Bills are rolling right now. The Dolphins can be dangerous but the Bills are doing so much right.

Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots 

Pick: Ravens

Part of me thinks Patriots. Most of me thinks Ravens.

Cincinnati Bengals @ New York Jets

Pick: Bengals 

This feels like the week that the Bengals get their first win.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Commanders

Pick: Eagles

For all the raving about the Eagles performance against the Vikings, I’m guessing that people are ignoring that the Eagles were shut out in the second half. The closest they came to scoring was a blocked field goal. Anyway, the Eagles should take care of the Commanders. 

New Orleans Saints @ Carolina Panthers

Pick: Saints

If Jameis Winston plays and doesn’t throw to the Panthers, the Saints should win.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Los Angeles Chargers

Pick: Chargers

The Chargers should roll.

Los Angeles Rams @ Arizona Cardinals

Pick: Rams

After damn near giving their Week 2 game to the Falcons, it’d be easy to pick against the Rams. I can’t.

Atlanta Falcons @ Seattle Seahawks

Pick: Falcons

The Falcons nearly got it done against the Rams. They should get it done against the Seahawks.

Green Bay Packers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Pick: Buccaneers

I like the thought of the Packers sitting at 1-2.

San Francisco 49ers @ Denver Broncos

Pick: 49ers

I think that the 49ers might be better with Jimmy Garrolpolo. 

Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants

Pick: Cowboys

The Giants have been the early surprise of the season. The Cowboys are the more talented football team. 

All - Time Detroit Lions Team

The Minnesota Vikings host the Detroit Lions tomorrow. It’s a big division game against a team that’s often a real pain. In advance of the big game, here’s a look at some of the great players in the fairly long history of the Detroit Lions. 

Offense

Quarterback 

Bobby Layne

Running Back

Barry Sanders

Fullback

Nick Pietrosante

Tailback

Dutch Clark

Dutch Clark must be on a Detroit Lions All-Time Team.

Wide Receivers

Calvin Johnson

Herman Moore

Tight End

Charlie Sanders

Tackles

Lou Creekmur

Lomas Brown

Guards

Ox Emerson

Dick Stanfel

Center

Alex Wojciechowicz

Defense

Defensive Ends

Al Baker

Robert Porcher

Defensive Tackles

Alex Karras

Roger Brown

Linebackers

Chris Spielman

Joe Schmidt

Wayne Walker

Cornerbacks

Dick “Night Train” Lane

Lem Barney

Safeties

Jack Christiansen

Yale Lary

Special Teams

Kicker

Jason Hanson

Punter

Yale Lary

Kick Returner

Mel Gray

Punt Returner

Jack Christiansen

Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023 Nominees

129 Modern-era Nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023 were announced on Wednesday. Nine of the nominees are in their first year of eligibility. 

NaVorro Bowman

Kam Chancellor

Jahri Evans

Dwight Freeney

James Harrison

Chris Johnson

Shane Lechler

Darrelle Revis

Joe Thomas

The rest of the nominees have been through the Hall of Fame cycle before. Some have been through it many times. 

The list of nominees consists of 67 offensive players, 50 defensive players, and 12 special teams players. The 129 nominees will be reduced to 25 semi-finalists in November. The 25 semi-finalists will be reduced to 15 finalists in January. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023 will be announced in advance of the Super Bowl LVII. 

Modern-Era Nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023

*-2022 finalist

Quarterbacks (6)

Randall Cunningham

Jake Delhomme

Jeff Garcia

Dave Krieg

Donovan McNabb

Steve McNair

Running Backs (17)

Shaun Alexander

Mike Alstott

Tiki Barber

Larry Centers

Corey Dillon

Warrick Dunn

Eddie George

Priest Holmes

Steven Jackson

Chris Johnson

Vonta Leach

Jamal Lewis

Lorenzo Neal

Eric Metcalf

Fred Taylor

Ricky Watters

Brian Westbrook

Wide Receivers (20)

Anquan Boldin

Troy Brown

Donald Driver

Henry Ellard

Irving Fryar

*Devin Hester

*Torry Holt

Joe Horn

Chad Johnson

*Andre Johnson

Derrick Mason

Mushin Muhammad

Andre Rison

Jimmy Smith

Rod Smith

Steve Smith Jr.

Hines Ward

*Reggie Wayne

Wes Welker

Roddy White

Tight Ends (3)

Dallas Clark

Ben Coates

Wesley Walls

Offensive Linemen (21)

*Willie Anderson

Matt Birk

Lomas Brown

Ruben Brown

Jahri Evans

D’Brickashaw Ferguson

Kevin Glover

Jordan Gross

Olin Kreutz

Nick Mangold

Logan Mankins

Tom Nalen

Nate Newton

Jeff Saturday

Mark Schlereth

Chris Snee

Joe Thomas

Brian Waters

Richmond Webb

Erik Williams

Steve Wisniewski

Defensive Linemen (14)

John Abraham

*Jared Allen

Dwight Freeney

La’Roi Glover

Casey Hampton

Robert Mathis

Leslie O’Neal

Simeon Rice

Clyde Simmons

Justin Smith

Neil Smith

Justin Tuck

Vince Wilfork

Kevin Williams

Linebackers (17)

Jessie Armstead

Cornelius Bennett

NaVorro Bowman

Lance Briggs

Chad Brown

Teddy Bruschi

James Farrior

London Fletcher

James Harrison

Seth Joyner

Willie McGinest

Takeo Spikes

Pat Swilling

*Zach Thomas

*DeMarcus Ware

*Patrick Willis

Al Wilson

Defensive Backs (19)

Eric Allen

*Ronde Barber

Dre’ Bly

Kam Chancellor

Nick Collins

Antonio Cromartie

Merton Hanks

Rodney Harrison

Albert Lewis

Terry McDaniel

Tim McDonald

Darrelle Revis

Allen Rossum

Asante Samuel

Bob Sanders

Charles Tillman

Troy Vincent

Adrian Wilson

Darren Woodson

Punters/Kickers (10)

Gary Anderson

Jason Elam

Jeff Feagles

Jason Hanson

John Kasay

Sean Landeta

Shane Lechler

Ryan Longwell

Pat McAfee

Matt Turk

Special Teams (2)

Josh Cribbs

Brian Mitchell

***

Receiver troubles? 

A receiver logjam is forming. Again. Three of the 20 nominees at the position were finalists last year. Devin Hester was a finalist for his returns. Steve Smith Sr. and Hines Ward were not finalists but had legit Hall of Fame-worthy careers. In my opinion, Smith is the most deserving of the bunch. While I hate the idea of reserving a Hall spot for a particular position, something probably needs to be done to ease the growing receiver problem. The Cris Carter-Tim Brown-Andre Reed-Art Monk logjam of a decade ago was a tough experience. 

Darrelle Revis and Joe Thomas should make it to Canton in their first year of eligibility. That leaves three spots for far too many worthy candidates. That should be expected. It’s the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It should be exclusive. In thinking about who should make it to Canton next year, it’s often best to start with who nearly made it last year. There are 10 2022 finalists among the nominees.

Devin Hester

Torry Holt

Andre Johnson

Reggie Wayne

Willie Anderson

Jared Allen

Zach Thomas

DeMarcus Ware

Patrick Willis

Ronde Barber

My immediate thought is that the three remaining spots should be filled by Devin Hester, Patrick Willis and a tough decision between Jared Allen and DeMarcus Ware. Each were among the very best players of their era. Hester is easily one the best returners I’ve ever seen. Special teams has always been considered a part-time job. He changed games like “full-time” players. Willis is one of the best linebackers I’ve ever seen. It’s as simple as that. As for Allen and Ware, I’m leaning Allen but that could be my Vikings fandom shouting at me. 

So, there it is. My Modern-era Class of 2023:

Joe Thomas

Darrelle Revis

Devin Hester

Patrick Willis

Jared Allen

That’s a fun Class. I’d go to Canton in August for that Class. Then again, I’d go to Canton in August for any Class.

However the Modern-era voting shakes out, they should be joined by the Senior Finalists:

Chuck Howley

Joe Klecko

Ken Riley

And Coach/Contributor Finalist:

Don Coryell

Minnesota Vikings Week 2 Superlatives

After a terrific Week 1, the Minnesota Vikings responded with a horrible Week 2. There wasn’t a lot of good in Monday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Here’s an effort to pry three superlatives from the mess. 

Offensive Player of the Game

Ryan Wright, P 

Ryan Wright was the only player on the team that advanced the ball with any consistency against the Eagles. It was that sort of game. 

Defensive Player of the Game

Jordan Hicks, LB

His fourth quarter interception and return felt like a last-gasp turning point. The offense put an end to that last gasp with a red-zone interception. 

Special Teams Player of the Game

Patrick Peterson

His third-quarter field goal block felt like a huge turning point. The offense put an end to that opportunity with a red zone interception.

Honorable Mention: Ryan Wright

Flea Flicker Week 2 Power Rankings

Here’s a look at how the 32 NFL teams rank after two weeks of football. 

1.   Buffalo Bills (2-0)

2.   Kansas City Chiefs (2-0)

3.   Philadelphia Eagles (2-0)

4.   Los Angeles Chargers (1-1)

5.   Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0)

6.   Los Angeles Rams (1-1)

7.   Minnesota Vikings (1-1)

8.   Green Bay Packers (1-1)

9.   Miami Dolphins (2-0)

10. Baltimore Ravens (1-1)

11. Cincinnati Bengals (0-2)

12. San Francisco 49ers (1-1)

13. Las Vegas Raiders (0-2)

14. Cleveland Browns (1-1)

15. New Orleans Saints (1-1)

16. Detroit Lions (1-1)

17. Dallas Cowboys (1-1)

18. Arizona Cardinals (1-1)

19. Tennessee Titans (0-2)

20. Indianapolis Colts (0-1-1)

21. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)

22. New York Giants (2-0)

23. Denver Broncos (1-1)

24. Carolina Panthers (0-2)

25. New England Patriots (1-1)

26. Chicago Bears (1-1)

27. Washington Commanders (1-1)

28. Atlanta Falcons (0-2)

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1)

30. New York Jets (1-1)

31. Seattle Seahawks (1-1)

32. Houston Texans (0-1-1)

Until next week.

Vikings - Eagles

 Week 1 was fun. 

Week 2 wasn’t fun. 

Minnesota Vikings 7

Philadelphia Eagles 24

The NFL is a week-to-week business and you’re only as good as your last game. The Vikings were not good last night. One might even say that they were bad. They struggled to move the ball consistently. When they did manage to find themselves in a position to score, they turned the ball over. Kirk Cousins threw three red zone interceptions. The turnovers were a joint effort. The defense couldn’t tackle. They couldn’t cover. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts often made defenders look silly. He was essentially playing catch with his receivers. The Vikings weren’t good at the football basics of blocking and tackling. 

Special teams was the only unit that did well, maybe even shined. Ryan White punted well. Greg Joseph converted his lone kick. The coverage units were very good. Patrick Peterson blocked a field goal and Kris Boyd recovered and advanced the ball. It was a huge play. It was also a play that the offense wasted. I feel like a blocked punt is coming. Through two games, the Vikings have often gotten close to getting one. 

The Eagles offense had their way with the Vikings defense in the first half. 367 often easy yards and 24 points. Perhaps the Eagles started to cruise but they only managed 119 yards and zero points in the second half. I really don’t know what to make of the Vikings relatively sturdy defense in the second half. The Eagles weren’t in a position to cruise. If the Vikings offense had managed to convert on either of their third quarter red zone trips, it’s a 10-point game with more than a quarter to play. This game really wasn’t over until midway through the fourth quarter when the Vikings turned the ball over the in the red zone. Again. 

This game was strange. The Vikings weren’t good yet they still could’ve won if they didn’t hand the Eagles those red zone interceptions. If they’d simply foregone the time and effort needed to score touchdowns once they passed the Eagles 20-yard line and kicked field goals, the score is 24-19. If Irv Smith Jr. had held onto that Cousins beauty late in the first half, the Vikings might have the game. At least they would’ve had the points to make it a much more competitive game.

The Smith drop was brutal. The Vikings needed a big play. The Eagles had dominated the opening half. Smith was running free of the defense. The pass was beautiful. The ball was in his hands. The 63-yard touchdown would’ve put the score at 21-14. Maybe the Vikings have the momentum going into the half. Maybe they tie it up with a strong drive to open the second half. That’s a lot of “maybes” and “ifs.” Too many. 

The Vikings are 1-1. When the schedule was released, an optimistic view of the Vikings opening the season with the Packers and Eagles had them at 1-1. That’s a tough two games. It’s probably the toughest two games on the schedule. It still sucks to see the Vikings play so poorly after their great game against the Packers. 

Move on. It’s time to take apart the Detroit Lions. 

Minnesota Vikings 53-man Roster

The Minnesota Vikings visit the Philadelphia Eagles for a Week 2 Monday Night matchup. In advance of the big game, here’s a look at the 53-man roster of the better team. 

Minnesota Vikings Roster 53-man Roster

Offense (25)

Quarterbacks (2)

  8 Kirk Cousins

11 Kellen Mond

Running Backs (4)

  4 Dalvin Cook

  2 Alexander Mattison

26 Kene Nwangwu

32 Ty Chandler

Fullbacks (1)

30 C.J. Ham

Receivers (5)

19 Adam Thielen

18 Justin Jefferson

17 K.J. Osborn

 5 Jalen Reagor

83 Jalen Nailor

 

Tight Ends (3)

84 Irv Smith Jr.

86 Johnny Mundt

82 Ben Ellefson

Tackles (5)

71 Christian Darrisaw

75 Brian O’Neill

74 Oli Udoh

64 Blake Brandel

63 Vederian Lowe

Guards (3)

72 Ezra Cleveland

67 Ed Ingram

62 Chris Reed

Centers (2)

56 Garrett Bradbury

65 Austin Schlottman

Defense (25)

Defensive Linemen (6)

94 Dalvin Tomlinson

97 Harrison Phillips

93 Jonathan Bullard

92 James Lynch

96 Ross Blacklock

90 Esezi Otomeow

Edge (5)

99 Danielle Hunter

55 Za’Darius Smith

98 D.J. Wonnum

91 Patrick Jones II

43 Luiji Vilain

Linebackers (4)

54 Eric Kendricks

58 Jordan Hicks

33 Brian Asamoah

45 Troy Dye

Cornerbacks (6)

  7 Patrick Peterson

  3 Cameron Dantzler

39 Chandon Sullivan

23 Andrew Booth Jr.

21 Akayleb Evans

29 Kris Boyd

Safeties (4)

22 Harrison Smith

  6 Lewis Cine

24 Camryn Bynum

44 Josh Metellus

Special Teams (3)

Kicker (1)

  1 Greg Joseph

Punters (1)

66 Ryan Wright

Long Snapper (1)

42 Andrew DePaola

***

Reserve/Physically Unable To Perform

13 Blake Proehl, WR

57 Ryan Connelly, LB

Reserve/Injured

89 Thomas Hennigan, WR

81 Olabisi Johnson, WR

76 T.Y. McGill, Jr., DL

79 Kenny Willekes, DL

Practice Squad

11 David Blough, QB

85 Dan Chisena, WR

46 Myles Dorn, S

48 Chris Garrett, LB

31 Tay Gowan, CB

68 Kyle Hinton, OG

  9 Trishton Jackson, WR

38 Bryant Koback, RB

47 William Kwenkeu, LB

34 Nick Muse, TE

35 Parry Nickerson, CB

20 Duke Shelley

50 T.J. Smith, DL

60 Josh Sokol, C

87 Travis Toivonen, WR

51 Jaylen Twyman, DL

 

Flea Flicker Week 2 Predictions

Here are guesses at the Week 2 games.

Minnesota Vikings @ Philadelphia Eagles

Pick: Vikings

This is the nightcap of a strange Monday Night doubleheader. There’s no other acceptable outcome.

New York Jets @ Cleveland Browns

Pick: Browns

It’s tough to pick the Jets until I see them play well enough to win a game.

Washington Commanders @ Detroit Lions

Pick: Lions

The Lions threw a scare into the Eagles last week. The Eagles are much better than the Commanders.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints

Pick: Buccaneers

The teams could be battling all season for the division.

Carolina Panthers @ New York Giants

Pick: Panthers

It’s easy to fall for the Giants gritty Week 1 win over the Titans. I still think that the Panthers have more. 

New England Patriots @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Pick: Patriots

Despite an uninspiring performance against the Dolphins, I’m leaning toward the Patriots finding a way against the Steelers.

Indianapolis Colts @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Pick: Colts

The Colts should start every season in Week 2. Maybe they already do.

Miami Dolphins @ Baltimore Ravens

Pick: Ravens

This should be a fun game.

Atlanta Falcons @ Los Angeles Rams

Pick: Rams

I expect this to be a “get better” game for the Rams.

Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers

Pick: 49ers

I’m not sure what to think about either team.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Dallas Cowboys

Pick: Bengals

I don’t think the Cowboys without Dak Prescott can keep up with the Bengals.

Houston Texans @ Denver Broncos

Pick: Broncos

It’d be so fun to see Russell Wilson sitting 0-2 with his new team.

Arizona Cardinals @ Las Vegas Raiders

Pick: Raiders

Neither team is happy with their Week 1 performance. I have more confidence in the Raiders rebounding at home. 

Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers

Pick: Packers

I’d like to see both teams lose.

Tennessee Titans @ Buffalo Bills

Pick: Bills

This is the opener of the strange Monday Night doubleheader. If the Titans couldn’t hold off the Giants in Week 1, I don’t think they slow the Bills. 

All -Time Philadelphia Eagles Team

The Minnesota Vikings visit the Philadelphia Eagles Monday Night. The Eagles have a long, confusing, interesting history in the league. They’ve collected four league titles (1948, 1949, 1960, and 2017). In advance of the big game, here’s a look at some of the best players in Philadelphia franchise history. 

All -Time Philadelphia Eagles Team

Offense

Quarterback

Norm Van Brocklin

Running Back

Steve Van Buren

Fullback

Keith Byard

Wide Receivers

Tommy McDonald

Harold Carmichael

Tight End

Pete Pihos 

Offensive Tackles

Jason Peters

Al Wistert

Offensive Guards

Evan Mathis

Brandon Brooks

Center

Jason Kelce

Defense

Defensive Ends

Reggie White

Clyde Simmons

Defensive Tackles

Fletcher Cox

Jerome Brown

Linebackers

Chuck Bednarik

Maxie Baughan

Seth Joyner

Cornerbacks

Eric Allen 

Troy Vincent

Safeties

Brian Dawkins

Bill Bradley

Special Teams

Kicker 

David Akers

Punter

Donnie Jones

Kick Returner

Timmy Brown

Favorite Vikings Openers of the 2000s

Minnesota’s 23-7 win over Green Bay was one of the great Vikings season opener’s in recent memory. With a new coaching staff, new front office, new everything, there were a lot of questions entering the season. The great win doesn’t answer every question. How could it? It’s only one game. It was still so satisfying. A win over the Packers is always satisfying. It would’ve been better if those two trips to the Packers 10-yard line had produced touchdowns rather than field goals. I hate short field goals. It was still a dominant win. The Vikings had control of the game from start to finish. It was fun. The great, fun win got me thinking about the great, fun Vikings openers in recent memory. Here’s a look at my favorite Vikings Openers of the 2000s.

1. 2021

Minnesota Vikings 23 

Green Bay Packers 7

Kevin O’Connell wins his debut. Justin Jefferson runs wild. Maybe there’s some recency bias but this game was so damn satisfying. Fun too. 

2. 2017

Minnesota Vikings 29

New Orleans Saints 19

Sam Bradford was brilliant. The Vikings dominated this opener against a title contender. Despite the fun win, it was strange, even a little painful, to see Adrian Peterson on the wrong sideline. 

3. 2009

Minnesota Vikings 34

Cleveland Browns 20

Brett Favre’s Vikings debut. Adrian Peterson’s ridiculous run to ice the win. This game was fun.

4. 2007

Minnesota Vikings 24

Atlanta Falcons 3

Adrian Peterson’s debut. 100 yards rushing. A 60-yard touchdown on a short screen, long run. The Vikings defense was the difference. Kevin Williams and Antoine Winfield each with a pick-6.

5. 2003

Minnesota Vikings 30

Green Bay Packers 25

This game gets it’s ranking mostly for it being a win over the Packers. Touchdown catches from franchise stalwarts John Avery and D’Wayne Bates. I remember this game best for the Vikings withstanding a furious Brett Favre-led comeback. 

6. 2014

Minnesota Vikings 34

St. Louis Rams 6

Mike Zimmer wins his debut with a blowout. It’s always nice to have a stress-free win over a team the Vikings should beat. Matt Cassel at quarterback. Harrison Smith had an 81-yard pick-6. Cordarrelle Patterson had a long touchdown run. 

7. 2006

Minnesota Vikings 19

Washington Redskins 16

Brad Childress wins his debut. Chester Taylor was great. Steve Hutchinson was great. When a guard is a star of a game it probably isn’t a scintillating game. This game might actually be best remembered for Sean Taylor’s meltdown. 

8. 2019

Minnesota Vikings 28

Atlanta Falcons 12

I remember this game best for the fast defensive and special teams start. Anthony Barr with a sack on play #1. Eric Wilson with the punt block on play #4. Dalvin Cook was great. Anthony Harris intercepted Matt Ryan twice. This game was 28-0 after three quarters. This game probably should be a couple spots higher.

9. 2018

Minnesota Vikings 24

San Francisco 49ers 16

Living in Northern California, a win over the 49ers is always satisfying. Harrison Smith was brilliant. Rookie Mike Hughes had a pick-6.

10. 2016

Minnesota Vikings 25

Tennessee Titans 16

This game came days after Teddy Bridgewater went down with that brutal knee injury. In the time between, the Vikings traded for Sam Bradford. He wasn’t ready and Shaun Hill started. All of the Vikings scoring was field goals and defensive scores. Eric Kendricks returned an interception for a touchdown. Danielle Hunter returned a fumble for a touchdown. Opening with a win was so important after Bridgewater’s injury.

              

Minnesota Vikings : 2021 vs 2022

The media’s offseason take of the 2022 Minnesota Vikings was that the team was “running it back.” I’ve always found that an annoying term. In this case, I found it an overly simple, lazy take. The Vikings completely overhauled the leadership structure of the team. Nothing’s the same in Minnesota. I guess that a team is “running it back” if the player under center is the same from one year to the next.” Anyway, with one game of the 2022 season in the books, we can now compare the starting lineups of last season’s Vikings team to this season’s Vikings team.

	2021			2022
	Offense
QB	Kirk Cousins		QB	Kirk Cousins
RB	Dalvin Cook		RB	Dalvin Cook
FB	C.J. Ham		FB	C.J. Ham
WR	Justin Jefferson		WR	Justin Jefferson
WR	Adam Thielen		WR	Adams Thielen
WR	K.J. Osborn		TE	Johnny Mundt
LT	Rashod Hill		LT	Christian Darrisaw
LG	Ezra Cleveland		LG	Ezra Cleveland
C	Garrett Bradbury		C	Garrett Bradbury
RG	Oli Udoh		RG	Ed Ingram
RT	Brian O’Neill		RT	Brian O’Neill

Tight end Irv Smith Jr. is coming off a knee injury that cost him last season and a thumb injury that cost him most of this season’s training camp. He’s healthy but the Vikings are clearly easing him into the action. Johnny Mundt started in his place. The main on-field offensive change from last season is left tackle Christian Darrisaw being healthy and rookie Ed Ingram starting at right guard. Darrisaw looks like a franchise cornerstone player. Ingram should get better with each week of experience. If Garrett Bradbury can hold up, get stronger, and get better the Vikings offensive line should be much improved. The offensive line might even be good. Imagine that. 

In terms of the player’s on the field, the Vikings 2022 offense isn’t much different for the 2021 offense. That’s just on the surface. There’s really nothing the same. Kevin O’Connell and his offensive coaches have crafted it and he’s calling it. Very little of this year’s offense will be the same as the one called by Klint Kubiak. 

	Defense
DE	D.J. Wonnum		DE	Jonathan Bullard
DT	Dalvin Tomlinson		NT	Harrison Phillips
DT	Michael Pierce		DE	Dalvin Tomlinson
DE	Danielle Hunter		OLB	Danielle Hunter
LB	Blake Lynch		LB	Jordan Hicks
LB	Eric Kendricks		LB	Eric Kendricks
LB	Nick Vigil		OLB	Za’Darius Smith
CB	Patrick Peterson		CB	Patrick Peterson
CB	Bashaud Breeland		CB	Cameron Dantzler
NB	Mackensie Alexander		NB	Chandon Sullivan
S	Harrison Smith		S	Harrison Smith
S	Xavier Woods		S	Camryn Bynum

Five starters return.

Danielle Hunter

Dalvin Tomlinson

Eric Kendricks

Patrick Peterson

Harrison Smith

The changes only start there. The base 4-3 is out. The base 3-4 is in. From front to back, everything has changed. The new defense is so new that I expect some growing pains. Hopefully it’s a quick growth. There was a “bend but don’t break” quality to the defense against the Packers on Sunday but they held up. Only seven points were scored against them. There was even some ferociousness to their play. The pass rushing duo of Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith will be a blast. Hopefully, the harassment of opposing quarterbacks is contagious. There’s mostly raw talent behind them. I can’t wait to see rookie safety Lewis Cine peppered into this defense. 

	Special Teams
K	Greg Joseph		K	Greg Joseph
P	Jordan Berry		P	Ryan Wright
LS	Andrew DePaola		LS	Andre DePaola
KR	Ihmir Smith-Marsette		KR	Kene Nwangwu
PR	Dede Westbrook		PR	Jalen Reagor

Seeing as 2022 Greg Joseph looks nothing like 2021 Greg Joseph, there are a lot of changes with the Vikings special teams. 

The potential of the return duo of  Kene Nwangwu and Jalen Reagor brings fond memories of the days of Cordarrelle Patterson and Marcus Sherels. Nwangwu showed last year that he’s one of the most dangerous kick returners in the league. I can’t wait to se Reagor return some punts. He’s such an explosive athlete. Hopefully, his first explosive returns come Monday Night against his former team. 

There’s no “running it back” here. The 2022 Minnesota Vikings are very different from the teams that came before.