Minnesota Vikings Week 8 Superlatives

The Minnesota Vikings lost their first game of the season. The Detroit Lions took control of the game late to win 19-15. It’s always difficult to pick “players of the game” after a loss. Here’ a shot at it.

Offensive Player of the Game

Jordan Addison, WR

It was nice to see Jordan Addison make some plays. Thanks to a 51-yarder, Addison had 66 yards on only three catches. 

Defensive Player of the Game

Andrew Van Ginkel, OLB

The Vikings defense held the Lions to 19 points. Usually, that should be enough to win the game. It wasn’t this time. With 2.5 sacks, Andrew Van Ginkel is an easy choice for this defensive superlative. 

The Vikings had four sacks in the first half. They finished with four sacks. The Lions did have 39 rush attempts and were run-centric in the second half, especially late. 

Special Teams Player of the Game

I’m skipping the special teams superlative this week.

Vikings - Lions

It took until November but the Minnesota Vikings lost their first game of the season. Unfortunately, the loss was to a division foe. The Detroit Lions took control at the end to win the hard-fought game, 19-15. 

There were dreams that the Vikings might go undefeated. They were always only dreams. Skipping through an entire NFL season without a loss is a very difficult thing to do. Through six games, and now seven games, everything is just so difficult with the Vikings offense. They did enough to win six games. They didn’t do enough to win this game. Despite some second half tackling issues, the defense held the Lions to fewer than 20 points. With the playmakers the Vikings have on offense, putting up more than 20 points shouldn’t be a chore against any defense. Unfortunately, everything feels like a chore with this offense. That has to change. Some put the blame on Kyler Murray’s quarterbacking. Some put the blame on Kevin O’Connell’s play-calling. I’m not sure why there always has to be one person to blame but that’s the world in which we live these days. Gotta point that finger at someone. 

Perhaps this game goes a different way if the Vikings had opted for a field goal rather than go for fa first down on fourth-and-five at the Lions 25-yard line. It was a couple plays into the fourth quarter with the Lions holding a 12-7 lead. The fourth down gamble followed a very long delay after a serious injury to Lions linebacker Jack Campbell. It was an uncomfortable moment as it’s always difficult to get back to football after such an injury. The fourth down play never really had a shot and it felt like the Vikings just tossed away points. At least the defense forced a three-and-out and quickly got the ball back for the offense. The Vikings offense responded with their best possession of the game. It was a possession that ended with a touchdown, s two-point conversion, and a 15-12 lead. It’s a lead that could’ve been 18-12 if they opted for a field goal rather than a gamble. 

The Vikings took that 15-12 lead with 8:44 to play. Over that final 8:44, the Lions offense simply whipped the Vikings defense. It was a puzzling stretch because it looked like the Vikings defense simply forgot how to tackle. Before kneel-downs to end the game, the Lions ran the ball on 11 of 13 snaps over two possessions. Here are those runs:

17 yards

12 yards

10 yards

9 yards

9 yards

14 yards

8 yards

2 yards

6 yards

3 yards

2 yards

On every run, the Vikings had defenders positioned to stop those runs for a loss or little gain. On every run, multiple defenders slid off or whiffed on the runners. I guess the Lions wanted it more. With as great as the Vikings defense has played all season, it was startling to see. On the two passes during that game-flipping sequence, Jared Goff tossed a short 5-yarder early in the first drive and a seven-yard touchdown to end it. 

The Vikings were never out of this game. Even considering the late tackling issues, the defense played well enough to win. Holding the Lions to 19 points should be enough to win. Even with the offensive struggles, the Vikings could’ve won this game. All of the could’ve/should’ve/would’ve don’t mean a thing. The Vikings lost. And they deserved to lose. The offense simply has to get better. It should not be this hard to move the ball. It should not be this hard to get the ball in the end zone. It should no be this hard to get the ball to Justin Jefferson. He should never finish a game with only 33 yards. 

After a loss, especially a loss to a division opponent, it’s easy to believe everything is shit. If told in August that the Vikings would be 6-1 at the start of November, I believe everyone surrounding the team would be thrilled. Well, the Vikings are 6-1 at the start of November. They are on the top of the best division in the league. The path to the playoffs and the top seed in the conference is in their hands. A difficult schedule is in front of them. That tough stretch starts with the Buffalo Bills next week on Monday Night. 

Flea Flicker Week 8 Predictions

We’re on to Week 8. There was a time when the completion of the Week 8 games put the league at the half-way point of the NFL season. Can’t don’t that with 17 games. The league, under the guidance of the Roger Goodell, has done a lot of stupid things. Every stupid thing was done out of sheer greed. Bumping the season to 17 might be the worst. Player safety be damned, 18 feels inevitable. Anyway, here are some guesses at this Week’s games.

Byes: New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans

Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions

Pick: Vikings

The Vikings must win. They must stay undefeated. 

Baltimore Ravens @ Buffalo Bills

Pick: Bills

With Lamar Jackson back, the Ravens must go on a run. Despite a winning record, 4-3, they are at the bottom of the AFC North. I expect to see Jackson with a little rust. 

Tennessee Titans @ Cincinnati Bengals 

Pick: Bengals

Bengals roll.

Arizona Cardinals @ Dallas Cowboys

Pick: Cowboys

Remember when the Cardinals and Cowboys were division foes? 

Las Vegas Raiders @ New York Jets

Pick: Raiders

If the Jets couldn’t handle the Dolphins, I don’t see them handling the Raiders. 

Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Pick: Browns

It always feels wrong to pick a DeShaun Watson-led team. 

Atlanta Falcons @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Pick: Falcons

If the Buccaneers play like they did last week against the Carolina Panthers, this could be a fun game.

Indianapolis Colts @ Jacksonville Jaguars 

Pick: Jaguars

As the Colts trade away their top players, the Jaguars roll.

Los Angeles Chargers @ Los Angeles Rams

Pick: Rams

It’s a home game for both teams. For about five weeks, I kept expecting the switch to flip for the Chargers. Now, I just don’t care. The team is a mess. 

Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos

Pick: Chiefs

Chiefs rebound from their first loss of the season.

New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins

Pick: Patriots

After ending a five-game losing streak to start the season, the Dolphins start another one. 

Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Commanders

Pick: Commanders

It would be difficult to pick the Eagles against any team.

Chicago Bears @ Seattle Seahawks

Pick: Seahawks

The Seahawks corral Caleb Williams.

Detroit Lions All - Time Team

The Minnesota Vikings travel to Detroit for a clash with the Lions. For most of my football-following days, the Detroit Lions have been a mere road bump on the NFL schedule. They weren’t very good. They had some nice moments with Barry Sanders making defenses look silly. They had some competitive days when Matthew Stafford was throwing the ball for them. They had Calvin Johnson. Billy Sims. Decades of frustration make their recent ascent feel like an anomaly. All those years of poor teams and frustrations make it hard to believe that the Lions were once a dominant team. They really were. The brilliant Dutch Clark led them to their first NFL title in 1935. They were a force in the 1950s with three more titles. They were once a great and fun team. On the eve of their big game against the Vikings, here are some of best players in the complicated history of the Detroit Lions. 

Detroit Lions All - Time Team

Offense

Quarterback 

Bobby Layne

Running Back

Barry Sanders

Fullback

Ace Gutowsky

Tailback

Dutch Clark

Dutch Clark must be on all Detroit Lions All-Time Teams.

Wide Receivers

Calvin Johnson

Amon-Ra St. Brown

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

Vikings Tight Ends

This week, the Minnesota Vikings continued their search for the right tight end room. Without Josh Oliver, that’s a tough ask. The Vikings lost Oliver to a torn bicep injury in Week 3 and is expected to miss the rest of the regular season. He’s the best blocking tight end in the league and has been missed. In his absence, the Vikings offense is forced to change rather than simply drop in a replacement player. As they should, the Vikings are looking at and bringing in some tight ends. Two were signed to the practice squad. 

Bryson Nesbit

Devin Culp

Josh Oliver’s injury created a significant tight end need. When the Cincinnati Bengals swiped Cam Grandy off the practice squad earlier this week, the need increased. Bryson Nesbit is a familiar name as he was on the Vikings practice squad last season and was among the team’s final cuts in August. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Devin Culp out of Washington in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s appeared in 18 NFL games and has six catches for 94 yards and a touchdown. Those 18 games and six catches make him the most experienced tight on the Vikings roster outside of starter T.J. Hockenson. 

The loss of Cam Grandy and addition of Bryson Nesbit and Devin Culp gives the Vikings a tight end room of five players.

Active Roster:

T.J. Hockenson

Gavin Bartholomew 

Ben Yurosek

Practice Squad:

Bryson Nesbit

Devin Culp 

With the NFL trade deadline less than two weeks away, there’s been a lot of fan and media talk of the Vikings taking a big swing at boosting the team. After all, it isn’t often a team starts a season 6-0. Why not take a big swing? Much of that talk has been about adding a running back, an offensive lineman, and/or a defensive lineman. I actually think tight end might be the Vikings biggest immediate need. T.J. Hockenson can’t do everything and definitely can’t duplicate himself when multiple tight ends are needed. Gavin Bartholomew and Ben Yurosek have shown some potential. Maybe they can make further strides with more playing time. Rather than hoping for a player on the roster to emerge, I wouldn’t mind if the Vikings trade for a tight end. The Philadelphia Eagles Dallas Goeddert is probably the biggest name out there. For some reason, trading for Goeddert doesn’t feel right but I’d probably come around to it. A perhaps under-the-radar addition could be Tampa Bay Buccaneers Payne Durham. 

There’s no replacing Josh Oliver but I’d feel better about the tight end position if the Vikings added an experienced and accomplished option. 

Throwback Thursday: All - Time NFC North Team

The NFC North has been an NFL division since the league’s realignment in 2002. The division might be fairly new but the Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, and Detroit Lions have been conference and division foes since the Vikings joined the NFL in 1961. Through all of the league’s merging and juggling, those four teams have always been grouped together. It’s a beautiful, geographically accurate thing. This is just the most recent iteration. Here's a look at the best players to play each position in the short history of the NFC North.

Offense

Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Running backs
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
Matt Forte, Chicago Bears

Fullback
John Kuhn, Green Bay Packers

Receivers
Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
Randy Moss, Minnesota Vikings

Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings 

Moss only played in the NFC North for three seasons (2010 doesn't count). That's enough for me. His three years were that fantastic.

Tackles
Christian Darrisaw, Minnesota Vikings

Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions

Guards
Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota Vikings
Kyle Long, Chicago Bears

Center
Matt Birk, Minnesota Vikings

Defense

Defensive ends 
Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings
Julius Peppers, Chicago Bears/Green Bay Packers

Defensive tackles
Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions
Kevin Willaims, Minnesota Vikings

Linebackers
Anthony Barr, Minnesota Vikings 
Brian Urlacher, Chicago Bears
Lance Briggs, Chicago Bears

Cornerbacks
Charles Woodson, Green Bay Packers
Antoine Winfield, Minnesota Vikings

Safeties
Harrison Smith, Minnesota Vikings
Nick Collins, Green Bay Packers

Kicker
Ryan Longwell, Green Bay Packers/Minnesota Vikings 

Punter
Nick Harris, Detroit Lions

Returner
Devin Hester, Chicago Bears

NFL Trade Deadline

The NFL’s November 10 Trade Deadline is less than two weeks away. Perhaps to mimic their pro sport neighbors, the number of in-season trades seems to be increasing with each passing year. The NFL clearly loves the attention it brings. Fans absolutely love the activity and possibilities. I’ve always questioned football’s in-season trades and always will. A new player dropped into a new team in the middle of the season doesn’t work out very often. It takes too long to incorporate and coordinate a new player in football. It’s even more difficult when it’s in the heat of the regular season. There just isn’t enough practice time or hours in the day to properly incorporate a new player into a new football scheme. My thoughts on the matter have no impact on the reality of in-season trades being on the rise. So far this season, seven players have already been traded:

9/28: J.J. McCarthy, QB: Minnesota Vikings -> New York Giants

10/1: Broderick Jones, OT: Pittsburgh Steelers -> Dallas Cowboys

10/1: Joey Porter Jr., CB: Pittsburgh Steelers -> Dallas Cowboys

10/7: Cam Jurgens, C: Philadelphia Eagles -> Baltimore Ravens

10/12: Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals -> Houston Texans

10/27: Quenton Nelson, G: Indianapolis Colts -> Seattle Seahawks

10/27: DeForest Buckner, DT: Indianapolis Colts -> San Francisco 49ers

There was a time when seven in-season trades would be considered active. This year, the wheeling and dealing is just getting started. About this time last year, the Indianapolis Colts were an optimistic team and looking to buy. They sent two first-round picks to the New York Jets for corner Sauce Gardner. This year, they’re not so optimistic and looking to sell. They traded guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner yesterday. Topped by running back Jonathan Taylor, several more Colts players are rumored to be available. What a difference a year makes. 

A further indication that the NFL Trade Deadline has become a big deal is the Athletic putting together a 50-player NFL Trade Deadline Big Board. 50 players! The #3 (Quenton Nelson) and #4 (DeForest Buckner) players on the list have already been dealt. Here’s the Top 10 of the Athletic’s Big Board:

1.   Jeffery Simmons, DT, Tennessee Titans

2.   Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

3.   Quenton Nelson, G, Indianapolis Colts

4.   Deforest Buckner, DT, Indianapolis Colts

5.   Tuli Tuipulotu, Edge, Los Angeles Chargers

6.   Vita Vea, DT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

7.   Alex Highsmith, Edge, Pittsburgh Steelers 

8.   Moro Ojomo, DT, Philadelphia Eagles

9.   Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts 

10. Derwin James, S, Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings fans are clamoring for a deal for Jonathan Taylor. I’m a bit hesitant. I get going all in on a team off to a 6-0 start. I’m just not totally sold on spending what it takes to get Taylor when the team already has the productive combo of Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones Sr. The team has raved all offseason and season about the potential of their two backs. Despite the undefeated start, offense has been the Vikings weak link so I get the Taylor hoopla. Mason and Jones are good and could be very good. Taylor is a difference-maker. 

Other than Jonathan Taylor, here are some players on the Athletic Big Board that catch my attention.

5.   Tuli Tuipulotu, Edge, Los Angeles Chargers

8.   Moro Ojomo, DT, Philadelphia Eagles

11. Amani Hooker, S, Tennessee Titans

15. Budda Baker, S, Arizona Cardinals

16. Yaya Diaby, Edge, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

24. Landon Dickerson, G, Philadelphia Eagles

33. Ben Bredeson, G, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

37. Zach Sieler, DT, Miami Dolphins

48. Tony Pollard, RB, Tennessee Titans

The two edge players, Tuli Tuipulotu and Yaya Diaby, are more intriguing (greedy) than realistic. I liked both coming out of college and I’ve liked how each has played in the NFL. Edge rusher isn’t the Vikings biggest need right now but either one of those players opposite Dallas Turner in a few years is dreamy. Before this exercise, I didn’t consider safety as a particular Vikings need but adding Amani Hooker or Budda Baker to the defense would be real interesting. I really like the idea of adding Moro Ojomo to the Vikings young defensive line. I also like the idea of Elijah Williams being active on game day. The Vikings have enough young defensive linemen. If there’s a current need in that group it’s perhaps a veteran presence with some experience in a Brian Flores defense. There’s a player that fits that description perfectly in Zach Sieler. If there’s a player on the Big Board that could be dropped into the Vikings roster and hit the ground running, that player is Sieler. 

It’s easy to get excited about the variety of trade possibilities for the Vikings. It might be more important to be realistic. The Vikings have less than $5 million in cap space. There are ways to make more space. The draft pick cost of any deal is the real concern. It would be exciting to see the Vikings take a big swing at Jonathan Taylor. Perhaps it’s memories of the Herschel Walker trade that gives me pause on doing another blockbuster midseason deal for a talented back. The main pain of that horrible trade was the extreme number of high-end draft picks sent to the Dallas Cowboys. The Vikings would never do that again. They shouldn’t have done it the first time. With all that in mind, my idea of a dream trade deadline would bring the following players to Minnesota.

Zach Sieler, DT, Miami Dolphins

Ben Bredeson, G, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tony Pollard, RB, Tennessee Titans

Zach Sieler feels like he’d be a seamless addition to the Vikings defensive line rotation. Ben Bredeson is a capable starter. Perhaps more important, and the reason for this deal, is the depth he’d provide. Plus, he’s the brother of fullback Max Bredeson. That would be a fun family reunion. Losing left guard Donovan Jackson for the regular season was a huge blow. He’s an emerging franchise player. Second-year Joe Huber stepped into Jackson’s left guard spot. I like his potential. Bredeson would be a nice option if Huber or right guard Will Fries struggles. The Vikings could take that big swing and add Jonathan Taylor. I’m not against it. I just question the need and the cost. I also really like Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones Sr. The problem moving forward with that duo is Jones currently playing on an injured knee. And he’s 31. Tony Pollard would supplement/compliment the duo rather than replace it. 

Two more weeks.