KEVIN O’CONNELL – Page 18 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Vikings May Surprise the NFL Prognosticators Again

Posted on September 3, 2023September 3, 2023 by David Shama

How will the Vikings play during their 2023 regular season schedule that begins next Sunday in Minneapolis against the Bucs? After shocking the NFL with a 13-4 record last season, you may need a sleuth to find a pro football authority who thinks that record will be duplicated.

Projected win totals from many knowledgeable sources are under 10 wins. BetMGM has the wagering number at 8.5. Sports Illustrated magazine’s football preview issue is more pessimistic offering possible season records of 6-11 and 7-10. There’s a bandwagon of naysayers who don’t believe the Purple will repeat as NFC North Division champions.

The lack of enthusiasm is based on a couple of major factors. The Vikings, due to their success in 2022, have a challenging schedule that includes six teams who made the playoffs last season and they face five of those clubs in the first seven games. Second, the Vikings had a subpar defense last season and doubts remain despite bringing in new defensive coordinator Brian Flores and shuffling personnel.

A Sports Headliners source, a former front office leader with NFL teams, spoke with cautious optimism about the Vikings. Asking that his name not be published, he said Minnesota could win the division again, with the race likely to be decided in the closing weeks of the season when the Vikings and Lions play twice (weeks 16 and 18). The Lions are a popular choice to win the NFC North after closing 2022 by winning eight of their last 10.

The early part of Minnesota’s schedule has the source’s attention. “I think if they can get off to 4-3, 4-2, 5-3 (record)… then I think they’re in really good shape because then I think the schedule starts to turn a little bit. But It’s not going to be easy. They’ve got that first-place schedule and that’s what you get when you win the division. …”

Vikings fans will like hearing that the authority believes the Lions are “overrated” and receiving more praise than deserved because of their strong finish last season (Detroit didn’t qualify for the playoffs). The Lions will be competitive, though, and the division’s other teams, the Packers and Bears, will be, too, he said. He projects Minnesota’s record at 10-7 and “good enough to win the division.”

The source has concerns about the Minnesota defense, most specifically the pass rush and cornerbacks. Outside linebacker Marcus Davenport, acquired in the offseason as a free agent, must prove capable of being a force along with veteran sack specialist Danielle Hunter. Davenport, going into his sixth NFL season, had nine sacks for the Saints in 2021 but 0.5 last year.

The authority thinks another offseason acquisition, Byron Murphy, could be an “upgrade” over departed veteran Patrick Peterson. The other starting corner, Akayleb Evans, receives a positive nod from the source, too. The “tricky part” he said is the cornerback depth and how things go if Murphy or Evans are injured. Rookie Mekhi Blackmon is inexperienced, and second year corner Andrew Booth has been a disappointment.

“Andrew Booth, I just think he is a guy that just has not played great and he gets hurt a lot and if they have to play him, I think it’s a potential problem,” the source said. “I think that’s why they use a lot of three safety looks because they do have strength at safety with obviously Harrison Smith, Cam Bynum, (and Josh) Metellus is a good player. Lewis Cine (second season) seems to have improved, even though he will still give up a play every once in a while. And I like Jay Ward, the rookie safety, a fourth-round pick. I thought he did some really good things in camp, and especially in that last preseason game. …”

Also on the safety roster is second-year player Theo Jackson. The reality is that the hefty number of six safeties indicates a couple of things. Flores likes mixing up his personnel and options by using three safeties on the field at times and the depth at the position may help cover up cornerback issues.

The source admires Flores but has a word of caution, too. Flores is known for taking chances with his schemes and play calls but his aggressive style “can also burn you at times.”

The NFL insider refers to the Viking offense as “excellent.” And why not? Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, known for his accuracy and durability, has No. 2 ranked NFL player Justin Jefferson leading a receiver corps that could be better than last season with the development of rookie WR Jordan Addison and a full season with tight end T.J. Hockenson who was acquired last fall from the Lions. The offensive line is led by two of the better pair of tackles in the NFL in Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw.

Yes, the Vikings no longer have explosive runner Dalvin Cook but the authority quoted here isn’t that concerned about the running game. Reserve Alexander Mattison moves up to replace Cook with Ty Chandler positioned as his backup. Mattison was better than Cook last year in short yardage. “I think they’ll be okay at running back, honestly, if those guys stay healthy,” the source said.

In another interesting roster move the Vikings have kept four tight ends with Hockenson, Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt and Nick Muse. Head coach Kevin O’Connell wants to have opponents guessing as to what’s next and while the Vikings have a superb passing game, they will probably frequently use two tight ends, and possibly three when they want to power run, or disguise a pass.

Worth Noting

Daniel Jackson’s toe-dragging touchdown catch that allowed Minnesota to tie the score at 10-10 against Nebraska late in the fourth quarter last Thursday night must rank among the most spectacular catches in Gopher football history. The tie positioned Minnesota to later kick a field goal as time ran out and win 13-10 in the opening game for both Big Ten teams.

The Gopher mantra is “the football is the program.” The Gophers lived up to that by making fewer mistakes than Nebraska and because key Minnesota’s playmakers made big plays including Jackson’s heroics. Preseason All-American safety Tyler Nubin intercepted two passes including one that set up the winning drive where Dragan Kesich, who had kicked one previous field goal in his college career, delivered the winning three points. Another playmaker, cornerback Justin Walley, punched the football loose from a Nebraska ball carrier and the recovery gave Minnesota momentum for its drive that tied the game 10-10.

Word is there would have been even more Nebraska fans at the game if many had not chosen to be in Boulder, Colorado September 9 when Big Red plays Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes.

The announced attendance Thursday night was 53,629, the fifth largest crowd in Huntington Bank Stadium history.

As of late last week, Minneapolis native and cornerback Craig McDonald was still awaiting a waiver ruling from the NCAA to be eligible for the Gophers this season. The waiver approval is necessary because McDonald has transferred twice in his college career, having been first at Iowa State and later Auburn. McDonald would have three years of eligibility with the Gophers and can be a contributor in 2023.

Friends are looking for help in locating former Gophers’ basketball assistant coach Jimmy Williams who was most recently known to be living in Texas but not heard from in about 12 months. Williams was an assistant coach at Minnesota for 15 seasons including for the 1972 and 1982 Big Ten title teams.

Darrell Thompson, the Gophers’ radio analyst and former record-setting running back in the late 1980s, heads up the Minneapolis-based Bolder Options nonprofit that benefits youth with a mentor-focused program. The organization celebrates its 30^th birthday Friday night at a dinner at Quincy Hall (northeast Minneapolis) featuring a live auction and entertainment. The event will honor the late Mark Sheffert, a prominent Minneapolis businessman and Gopher supporter who served two terms as chair of the Bolder Options board and was highly impactful to the organization’s success. https://www.bolderoptions.org/

Beloved former Golden Gophers athletics trainer Jim Marshall, age 93, is scheduled for a trip to Washington D.C. on September 11 at the invitation of Honor Flight Twin Cities. The non-profit organization flies war veterans to D.C. for a day and provides a tour of various memorials including those for World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Arlington Cemetery and Iwo Jima. Marshall served his country during the Korean War and was assigned to a Navy submarine. https://www.honorflighttwincities.org/

The Twins’ starting pitchers for their key series in Cleveland against the Guardians Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be Pablo Lopez, Sonny Gray and Joe Ryan. The Guardians are expected to go with Lucas Giolito, Tanner Bibee and Gavin Williams.

The Twins announced today that utility player Willi Castro (mild left oblique strain) has been reinstated from the 10-day Injured List. To make room for Castro, outfielder Michael Taylor, with a right hamstring strain, has been placed on the 10-day Injured List.

It’s a memorable year for Minikahda Club golf instructor Jeff Sorenson who last week won the Minnesota PGA Professional Championship at The Wilderness at Fortune Bay and earlier in the year was selected for induction into the Minnesota Golf Hall of Fame.

Bill Robertson, the Minnesota native whose career accomplishments included commissioner of the WCHA, is making a successful transition after about a month to his new home in South Carolina where activities include diving into about 300 unread sports books he has collected over the years.

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Receiver Jalen Reagor Targets Breakout Year with Vikings

Posted on August 22, 2023August 22, 2023 by David Shama

Jalen Reagor, the reserve wide receiver who the Vikings acquired almost a year ago in a trade with the Eagles, is on the spot as he prepares in training camp for his fourth NFL season. There is no guarantee he will make the final roster and even if he does this is the final year of his contract, with free agency ahead in 2024.

Reagor is receiving opportunities in the preseason. He is tied with tight end Nick Muse for most receptions on the team with six. His 65 yards in catches is tops on the Vikings.

August is the time for the 24-year-old former first round draft choice to prove his value and set the stage for what he hopes will be a breakout season even though it will likely be as a sub behind starters Justin Jefferson, K.J. Osborn and Jordan Addison.

“Last year I got here the week of the first game, so it was kind of hard to adjust but having a full offseason, you know, (with) K.O. and the guys helping me I feel pretty good,” Reagor told Sports Headliners.

K.O, head coach Kevin O’Connell, is an offensive guru with a talented group of playmakers including the peerless Jefferson, veteran Osborn and promising rookie Addison. The wide receiver roster includes four former first round draft choices in Jefferson, Addison, Reagor and N’Keal Harry.

The talent in the WR room is a plus to Reagor. “It just breeds competition,” he said.

Reagor’s value to the Vikings includes his speed. He can “take the top off defenses” and he said there might not be anyone on the roster who could motor faster in the 40-yard dash. “There’s not many receivers (in the NFL) that can run like I can,” he said. “I feel like that’s what I bring to the game, and then being able to do the in between stuff, the reverses, the tosses, the little trick stuff and be a complete receiver. So I feel like all around (talent).”

Reagor’s versatility could work in his favor in being able to make the team. He has 18 career rushes for 83 yards. He also returned both punts and kickoffs for the Eagles. With the Vikings last season, he returned 26 punts for 167 yards in 17 games.

Critics have said the 5-11, 197-pound former TCU star is slowed in his routes by physical defenders and that he doesn’t block effectively. The Eagles, who drafted him in 2020 ahead of Minnesota selecting Jefferson, gave up on him when they made the August 31 trade to the Vikings in return for draft choices.

Jalen Reagor photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

This summer Jefferson was voted by his NFL peers as the No. 2 player in the league behind only quarterback Patrick Mahomes from the Chiefs. Although Jefferson is 24 also and entering his fourth NFL season, Reagor said he can learn from the team’s superstar receiver.

“Being No. 2 (ranked) as a receiver, that’s just like a receiver winning the Heisman (Trophy),” Reagor said. “He’s doing what he’s supposed to be doing. I am proud of him. It’s good to be on the team with him and watch and learn from him every day.”

The Vikings could have an explosive offense, just like last season. With a wide receiver group that wants to be the best in the NFL, a deep tight end roster, five returnees in the offensive line, a quality quarterback in Kirk Cousins and veteran running back in Alexander Mattison, the Vikings will score impressively like they did in 2022 when they won 11 one-score games and averaged 24.9 points per game.

Minnesota seemingly took a page from the NBA with a “if we have the ball last, we’ll win” approach while pulling out six fourth quarter wins. No wonder Reagor said if his offense has the last possession in a tight game “it’s going to be a problem.”

And he hopes to be part of the solution this fall.

Worth Noting

The Athletic asked its NFL writers to vote on the best stadiums in the league and U.S. Bank Stadium is No. 1. “This wasn’t even close,” Jon Machota wrote in an article posted yesterday by the Athletic. “Half of the voters placed it No. 1 in their rankings.”

SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles ranked second, with Green Bay’s Lambeau Field, third. AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and Lumen Field in Seattle rounded out the top five.

Gopher senior safety Tyler Nubin is receiving a lot of preseason hype. Publicity includes second team (The Athletic) and third team (Phil Steele) All-American recognition, and listings on watch lists for three prestigious national awards honoring defensive players: Chuck Bednarik, Jim Thorpe and Bronko Nagurski.

Nubin admits the attention “is cool” but tempers his enthusiasm. “It doesn’t really matter because like you said it’s preseason so it’s just a guess. I have to go out there and perform. …”

Nubin will be a playmaker and leader for the Gophers’ defense. So, too, will redshirt junior linebacker Cody Lindenberg. “It’s great to see his growth for sure,” Nubin said.

Lindenberg brings the “juice” to practices. “His energy, you can really feel it,” Nubin said.

Gophers’ multi-positional offensive lineman Nathan Boe, now in his sixth year with the program, comes from a family that has long followed Minnesota football including during its glory days. When coach P.J. Fleck was recruiting Boe out of Lakeville North the coach told him the Gophers were a “sleeping giant.”

That resonated with Boe whose grandfather and great grandfather listened to the Gophers on the radio. Boe said: “We have a long tradition here and it’s really fun to be part of it. …”

North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, who the Gophers face in Chapel Hill September 16, is the No. 5 player in college football, per ESPN.com who rated the top 100. Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt, the Totino-Grace alum and North Oaks resident, is No. 11 on the list. Former Gopher running back Bucky Irving, who gained over 1,000 yards last season for Oregon, is No. 77.

The Twins open a two-game series in Milwaukee tonight against a Brewers team that is No. 10 in the MLB.com power rankings. The Twins are No. 13 in the latest rankings.

Trevor May, who pitched for the Twins from 2014-2020, has 12 saves while holding opponents to a .220 batting average this season with the Athletics. Will the Twins have interest in signing the 33-year-old right hander as a free agent in the offseason? He makes $7 million with Oakland, per Spotrac.com and is the highest paid player on the budget conscious team’s roster.

The Northwoods League, that includes teams from Minnesota and showcases college baseball players in the summer, set a new attendance record with a total of 1,313,916. The old record was 1, 262, 610 set in 2019.

Wild preseason and regular season tickets go on sale Thursday, with availability via Wild.com/tickets and Ticketmaster.com.

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Vikings O-Line? Experience Prompts Optimism

Posted on August 15, 2023August 15, 2023 by David Shama

Ezra Cleveland knows that in the competitive NFL there is no guarantee of having the same teammate beyond one season. The Vikings’ left guard is thinking the return of all five starters in 2023 will translate into the team’s best offensive line in years.

“It’s the same (group),” Cleveland told Sports Headliners. “Each one of us has been getting better every year. I feel like offensive linemen get better as they progress in their career. We’re all getting older. I am excited.”

Cleveland, center Garrett Bradbury and right tackle Brian O’Neill are all about to start their fourth NFL seasons. Right guard Ed Ingram is a second-year lineman, left tackle Christian Darrisaw, a third.

Those five players started much of last season until injuries hit. Ingram played well enough to be a rookie starter, O’Neill and Darrisaw looked like the Vikings’ best pair of tackles in a long time, Bradbury drew praise for his improvement and Cleveland was a solid run blocker.

“Continuity is big, having everyone back,” Cleveland said. “(The) relationships we all have is big. We’re able to coach each other out on the field and stuff like that.

“I feel like we all kind of have our own lingo. The (number) one offensive line is different than the two offensive line just cause how close we all are and how long we’ve been playing together.

“We’re going on four years with Garrett and Brian. Yeah, it’s big and it’s going to help us a lot this season.”

Ezra Cleveland photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

Cleveland and Bradbury are particularly close, spending time together almost every day the last two years, including the offseason. That gives the two veterans, playing next to each other on the line of scrimmage, a special connection.

“We know each other like the back of our hand and it helps out on the field,” Cleveland said. “I know what he’s going to do and he knows what I am going to do. The o-line is the only spot where five people have to mesh together to make other people’s jobs work, and having that connection is big.”

This will be a second consecutive season under head coach Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips and line coach Chris Kuper. That adds to Cleveland’s optimism about the coming season.

Among offensive linemen, there was some hesitation in a new system last season. “Hemming and hawing” is the way Cleveland described the learning curve and uncertainty. “We always ended up on the right guys but it might have been right at the last second where we figured out what to do. ….When you’re playing fast and not really thinking, that’s when the best football is played I think.”

Cleveland sees another factor that makes him upbeat about the coming season and it’s the presence of new defensive coordinator Brian Flores. The new defense is aggressive and it’s a challenge to figure out what’s coming. “Flo’s defense is very, very difficult,” Cleveland said.

Dealing with last second adjustments in practice should help during the season as well as seeing different schemes in joint practices with the Titans and Cardinals this summer.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins, who threw 29 touchdown passes in 17 games last season, was sacked a career high 46 times. His total passing attempts of 643 was also third highest in the NFL as the Vikings became a more pass-focused offense. So that contributed to the 46 sacks but it’s no secret the Vikings must improve at pass blocking.

“…The whole line is like, okay, we gotta protect this guy,” Cleveland said. “Be firm and he’ll make stuff happen.”

Cleveland’s reputation is that of a better run blocker than pass protector. Does he agree? “Not necessarily. Run blocking is easy because there’s not really that much stress. You just have to go to the guy that is ID’d (to block). And in pass blocking these guys are paid a lot of money to beat us, but, no, I don’t think so.”

Cleveland has played left tackle and right guard for the Vikings. Because he played left tackle at Boise State he feels comfortable playing on the left side of the line and prefers his present position. He said fans don’t understand the difficulty switching from one side of the line to the other, comparing it to “like writing with your other hand.”

Worth Noting

Cleveland, listed by the Vikings at 6-6 and 312 pounds, was born three weeks prematurely but weighed 11 pounds.

Former Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen, 35, is retired, living in a Minneapolis suburb and working on his golf game.

The Gophers play five teams ranked in the Associated Press preseason college football top 25 poll: No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 19 Wisconsin, No. 21 North Carolina and No. 25 Iowa.

Chris Autman-Bell, coming off a knee injury that caused him to miss the last 10 games of the 2022 season, was running fluidly in practice today and made a challenging touchdown catch.

Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said after practice he likes the depth and complimentary skills of his running backs roster, and multiple personnel will be used in games. “It’s definitely going to be a committee approach,” Fleck said.

Fleck talking about redshirt defensive lineman Anthony Smith who has been turning heads in practice: “NFL scouts come up (and go), ‘Hey, who is that guy?’ You can’t touch him just yet.”

The 247Sports ranking of the Gophers Athan Kaliakmanis as the worst quarterback in the Big Ten and a ranking of No. 67 out of 69 Power Five at the position is ridiculous. His performance in late season wins over Wisconsin and Syracuse were impressive. BTW, Lindy’s Big Ten preview rates the Gophers’ QB unit as No. 8 in the 14-team league.

The Athletic yesterday named its preseason All-American teams and included Gophers’ safety Tyler Nubin on the second defensive unit. Joe Alt, the Totino-Grace alum and North Oaks resident, is a first-team offensive tackle. In 2022 Alt was named first-team All-American by five organizations.

Casey O’Brien, the former Gopher football player who has courageously battled cancer for years, had clean scans today and is cancer free for the last nine months, according to a post today on X from his father Dan O’Brien. Casey is coaching quarterbacks at Holy Family Catholic High School where his dad is preparing for his first season as head coach.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Noah Hills recently reported that each of the 85 scholarship players on the Pittsburgh football team will receive Name, Image and Likeness money through the Alliance 412 collective. Each player, on average, will receive five figures of compensation for performing charity work, per the story. Former Gophers quarterback Tim Salem is the tight ends coach for the Panthers.

Mike Grimm is approaching his 13^th season as the radio voice of Gophers football and 18^th for men’s basketball. No word yet on who will replace Spencer Tollackson as color commentator on basketball games.

Infielder Royce Lewis, who missed the last 36 Twins games with an oblique strain, was reinstated by the club today and to make room on the 26-man roster put utility player Willi Castro on the 10-day disabled list with a mild oblique strain.

MLB.com’s top 100 prospects, posted last Friday, includes three Twins talents in No. 16 Walter Jenkins, No. 18 Brooks Lee and No. 53 Emmanuel Rodriguez. Jenkins and Rodriguez, both outfielders, are projected to arrive in the bigs in 2026 and 2025 respectively. Lee, already in AAA with the Saints, is predicted to play for the Twins next season.

Former Twins World Series champion manager Tom Kelly turns 73 today.

Weather advisory for the more optimistic of Twins fans planning to attend postseason games at Target Field: the World Series starts October 27 and potentially goes through November 4, so prepare your fall-winter wardrobe.

In a recent YouTube interview with Graham Bensinger, former Minnesota governor and pro wrestler Jesse Ventura said Muhammad Ali was his idol and among his prize possessions are autographed boxing gloves from Ali presented to him years ago by prominent Minneapolis businessman and author Harvey Mackay. Ali and Mackay were close friends for decades until the champ passed away in 2016.

The St. Thomas men’s basketball team will be in Italy August 20-30 to play three games against professional teams. This will be the Tommies’ first international trip as a Division I program.

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