Vikings – Page 15 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Jordan Addison: ‘Be Crazy’ to Play Kirk Cousins on Sunday

Posted on December 2, 2024December 2, 2024 by David Shama

Kirk Cousins, the Vikings starting quarterback for six seasons, comes to U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday with his Falcons in a much-anticipated homecoming game against the Purple.

With his strong and accurate arm, and wholesome personality, Cousins was a hero in Skol Country. The former high school choir boy is now making news in the south where he recently reported singing along in the theatre to songs from the movie “Wicked.”

Wide receiver Jordan Addison, a favorite target of Cousins in 2023, was asked awhile ago what it will feel like to play against the former team leader. “It will be crazy. Great quarterback in my eyes. I look forward to playing against him. I know he’s going to come in having his team ready to go. So we gotta be ready to go for that game.”

Addison had 911 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns last season when he was named to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie team. He credits Cousins for helping him transition to the NFL. “…I learned how to be a pro. How to come in and do my job. Where to be at, when, and just learning a lot about the defensive side.”

Nick Mullens was Cousins’ backup for two seasons and the two formed a lasting friendship. “Yeah, we talk every now and then. A couple times (this year) just checking in. We had a good working relationship. It was awesome.”

What will it be like seeing Cousins in a Falcons uniform? “…It will be exciting. Obviously, he had some great moments here and great years as the Vikings quarterback so for him to come back that will be a fun storyline for that week but once that ball gets snapped it’s all back to football after that.”

Mullens said the No. 1 thing he learned from his mentor was: “Tough times don’t last. Tough people do.”

That is a favorite phrase of Cousins’ and it addresses the ups and downs for any player in the NFL. “…That’s what Kirk has done and that’s what I strive to do every day,” Mullens said.

“I learned a lot from Kirk. His leadership. His attention to details. His accuracy. And he did all that and he treated people right off the field. So much respect for Kirk for sure.”

Guard Ed Ingram said it’s going to be cool to see “my boy Kirko” again. “…It’s going to definitely feel weird because I am so used to playing with him. But it’s going to be a great opportunity to go see him.”

Expectation is the U.S. Bank Stadium crowd will express mixed sentiments toward Cousins who had many highlight moments for the Vikings but chose to leave in free agency by accepting a four-year $180 million contract in Atlanta. “It might definitely be mixed,” Ingram said in regard to cheers and jeers.

The intensity of detractors in Minneapolis on Sunday, though, will be mild compared to what Cousins is going through with the Falcons fanbase. In yesterday’s 17-13 home loss to the Chargers, he threw four interceptions in one of his worst games ever. The picks tied a career high for one game, plus he had an atrocious 40.0 passer rating, and he threw no touchdown passes.

It was the third consecutive loss for the Falcons who now are 6-6 in the NFC South Division and precariously holding on to a first-place tie with the Bucs in hopes of winning the division and receiving a spot in the playoffs despite a mediocre record. Cousins had his moments earlier in the season when he helped the Falcons get off to a 4-2 start.

One highlight was throwing four touchdown passes in an October 27 overtime win against the rival Bucs, 31-26. He threw for a franchise record 509 yards.

But now with that losing streak, including last Sunday’s dismal performance, fans are predictably calling for rookie Michael Penix Jr. to replace Cousins. Falcons coach Raheem Morris, though, isn’t caving to social media critics and is committed to Cousins remaining his starter.

Cousins could bounce back Sunday against the Vikings and have an impressive performance, but he is 36 and trying to make a comeback from the right Achilles tear that ended his season in late October last year. One adjustment the Falcons may make starting with the Vikings game is more play action passes—a Cousins’ favorite in the past.

According to TruMedia and Atlantafalcons.com, going into the Chargers game the Falcons ranked last in the NFL in play action passes at eight percent. Historically, play action passes have been about 25 percent of Cousins’ throwing plays.

While predicting how Cousins will perform in his last five games is difficult, the verdict is in on the wisdom of the Vikings letting him move on. General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O’Connell didn’t want to meet his contract terms and instead turned to journeyman QB Sam Darnold who has been outstanding on a one-year $10 million deal.

The 27-year-old Darnold has played a major role in the Vikings sitting at 10-2 and looking like a lock for the playoffs. Darnold, like his predecessor, has been clutch for the Vikings including Sunday with his closing minutes touchdown pass to Aaron Jones that rallied Minnesota to a 23-22 comeback win over the Cardinals.

The Vikings, with impressive defense and offensive playmakers like Darnold, Jones, Addison and Justin Jefferson, are 7-1 in one-score games. With Cousins in 2022, Minnesota was an amazing 11-4 in one score victories, an NFL record.

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Gophers Reverse Trends with Axe Win Over Badgers

Posted on November 29, 2024November 29, 2024 by David Shama

The University of Minnesota left a sweet taste in the mouths of their fans today with a dominant 24-7 win over the Badgers in Madison. A day after Thanksgiving, the Gophers finished their regular season in the public perception plus-column, and improved their positioning for a favorable bowl destination.

Minnesota finished 7-5 overall and 5-4 in Big Ten games. That looks and feels better than totals of 6-6 and 4-5.

With a bowl victory the Gophers can make their final record 8-5. That’s a lot better than last season’s 6-7 record that included a win in the lowly Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit. The Gophers, BTW, were 3-6 in Big Ten games during their disappointing 2023 season that had followed two nine-win years that included winning conference records.

Minnesota ended a two-game losing streak after painful missed opportunities against Rutgers and Penn State. The win over the Badgers meant the Gophers finished 2-2 in November games after being 0-4 in November last year.

The win gave Minnesota possession of Paul Bunyan’s Axe for the third time in four years. The victory stopped a 2024 string of rivalry game losses, with the Gophers unable to win the Little Brown Jug against Michigan, Floyd of Rosedale, Iowa, and the Governor’s Victory Bell, Penn State.

The win in Madison assured the Gophers they won’t go bowling in Detroit this year. Destinations in Charlotte, Nashville or Phoenix loom as warmer and more attractive possibilities. An appearance and win in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte will set up one of the more interesting on the field celebrations as the winning coach gets soaked in gallons of mayonnaise.

Gophers’ coach P.J. Fleck is undoubtedly up for the experience. His players gave him a nice 44^th birthday present today. He deflected attention from himself after the game during an interview with CBS, saying “after 40 you stop counting and you stop celebrating.”

Fleck said before the game on KFXN-FM: “We have to create turnovers.”

The Gophers didn’t do that, but they were in charge most of the game. Minnesota led 14-0 at the half and 21-7 after the third quarter. The Badgers might never have scored in the game if not for a foolish personal foul play by Joey Gerlach bailed them out of what would have been a fourth and more than 10 yards to go situation. Wisconsin got a first down and later scored their only TD of the game on a 15-yard pass that created some momentum for the Badgers then trailing 21-7.

Minnesota quarterback Max Brosmer threw touchdown passes to Daniel Jackson and Jameson Geers, and scored on a one-yard tush-push. Brosmer, arguably the program’s top passing quarterback in decades, has a .668 best-ever completion percentage at Minnesota.

His consistency through the season was a trend Gopher fans can celebrate tonight. And here’s another that makes the fans in Dinkytown happy:

The Badgers’ 5-7 final record ends 22 seasons of winning records and likely bowl eligibility.

Worth Noting

Derik LeCaptain, the linebacker and special teams standout who blocked a punt against Penn State, is a team leader and has decided to return for a seventh season with the Gophers in 2025.

Can’t let the month of November pass without recalling Bob McNamara’s game for the ages against border rival Iowa. On November 13, 1954, 70 years ago, the All-American halfback from Hastings led the Gophers to a 22-20 win and a final 7-1 record in coach Murray Warmath’s first season in Minneapolis.

With more than 65,464 fans packed into Minnesota’s Memorial Stadium, the game’s highlight came in the first half with the score tied at 7-7. McNamara received an Iowa kickoff at Minnesota’s 11-yard line and made an 89-yard touchdown run that deserves a place among the most determined efforts in program history.

McNamara shook off Iowa tacklers, refusing to go down to the ground. Warmath said in his biography, The Autumn Warrior, that McNamara’s run was indeed the stuff of legends. “It was the finest example of brilliance and desire I have ever seen,” the coach praised.

Viking Ed Ingram talking about the adjustment in losing his starting right guard spot to Dalton Risner: “At the end of the day, if they didn’t want me they would have got rid of me so they obviously see something in me and they want me to just take a step back…just learn from a veteran. Just see what I can do.”

Ingram, a third-year veteran who has been a starter during his career, is facing a challenge now. “I feel like everybody has their own way of coping with it. Me personally, I pray a lot. I go to God. Whenever something like this happens, I just put it in his hands.”

St. Thomas senior running back Hope Adebayo from Inver Grove Heights is among 35 finalists for the Walter Payton Award recognizing the top offensive player in the FCS. He rushed for 1,137 yards this season, averaging 6.3 yards in 11 games.

The Twins front office could give the team and fanbase a boost if they signed Diamondbacks free agent Christian Walker. He’s won three consecutive Gold Gloves at first base. Last season he hit .251, with 26 home runs and 84 RBI. At 33, he is looking to cash in on his best ever contract and that looks like $22 million to $30 million for multiple years.

My friend Charley Walters reminded me of some humorous Herb Brooks wisdom the other day. The legendary hockey coach said eat dessert first, you never know what’s next.

Tickets costing up to $500 are available for the WWE extravaganza at Target Center next Friday and Saturday night.

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Turkey of the Year? Make Room for the Ducky Award

Posted on November 26, 2024November 26, 2024 by David Shama

Up here in the Bold North, when it comes to Thanksgiving, we’re a step ahead of the nation. Yes, we too gorge on turkey and watching football on television. But we’re unique because Minnesota is the top turkey producing state and…we’ve got Patrick Reusse’s Turkey of the Year column entertaining us every Thanksgiving.

The veteran scribe has been serving up a Turkey of the Year since 1978 when he was opining for the Pioneer Press. Since 1988 he has been bestowing the dubious honor as a favorite columnist for the Star Tribune.

I’ll guarantee there are throngs of Minnesotans who have been gossiping for days now in anticipation of who will be Reusse’s 2024 selection. An early favorite could be Joe Pohlad from the Twins. Joe’s grandfather, the late Carl Pohlad, is the only two-time winner on Reusse’s turkey list.

I sat next to the Turkey selection committee chair last month at a Timberwolves game. Reusse didn’t let out any clues about this year, retaining the policy of clandestine operations that keeps us on edge leading up to Thanksgiving morning. We conversed on various subjects, and he dazzled (as usual) with his recall about the local sports landscape.

It occurred to me awhile ago that there could be another annual award that Minnesotans might eagerly devour during Thanksgiving week.

So, let’s be honest.

The Turkey of the Year is someone, or some organization, that has screwed up. Here at Sports Headliners we’ve decided to go in a different direction.

I am pleased to announce the annual Sports Headliners Ducky Award. This honor will be bestowed on a Minnesota sports figure who is doing “just ducky.” To be considered by the Ducky committee this person has to be going through a delightful period in his or her career. The highest criteria will be someone we can look at and declare that life is pretty peachy keen.

The committee consists only of positive thinking devotees. We begin each meeting by reading out loud several paragraphs from a Norman Vincent Peale or Dale Carnegie classic. At one meeting the chairman (yours truly) went to the blackboard and drew up John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success. Committee homework assignments include listening to Tony Robbins talks and reading Harvey Mackay books.

Our research to determine the winner of the Ducky Award has been arduous but the chairman insists on a certain amount of frivolity. We laughed our way through the Marx brother’s movie Duck Soup, and younger committee members were astonished to see a film in black and white. Bedlam prevailed for a few moments until order was restored.

To keep things loose at the meetings I may offer a Dick Jonckowski joke. Here’s one:

A teacher asked where Jesus was born.

A student raised his hand and said, “Philly.”

Nope, said the teacher.

The same student then guessed “Pittsburgh.”

No, said the teacher who then told the class it was Bethlehem where Jesus was born.

The persistent student replied: “I knew it was in Pennsylvania.”

The duck tasting part of our meetings has been another committee pleaser. Our mouths have been watering from a steady diet of Duck a l’orange, classic Duck confit and smoked Duck breasts. At this Friday’s banquet feast honoring the award winner we’re serving Peking Duck and advising members to wear XXL gear.

On Monday we settled on the finalists and then chose the winner. The committee debated about issuing a news release to the media, but the chair insisted the world should first learn about the finalists and winner via Sports Headliners. (As I type this, I see Lester Holt’s name coming up on my phone. I am certain he wants to go national with the Ducky news as the lead story tonight on NBC).

No way.

So, the finalists are…

Karl-Anthony Towns photo courtesy of Minnesota Timberwolves.

Karl-Anthony Towns. We liked to pile on KAT when he played for the Timberwolves. Critics howled about his silly fouls, carping at the officials and lack of production in playoff games. After nine seasons in the Mini Apple, KAT is purring in the Big Apple with the Knicks where he is averaging 26.3 points and 12.6 points per game. He is playing at an All-NBA level, and no doubt is a Spike Lee favorite at Madison Square Garden. The Wolves are struggling on defense and miss the 7-footer’s presence on both ends of the court. Things are pretty ducky for the New Jersey born KAT.

Kirill Kaprizov. The 27-year-old superstar forward is No. 1 in the hearts of Wild fans and No. 2 in the NHL in points scored this fall with 34. His 13 goals trail only five other NHL players. The 2021 NHL Rookie of the Year has been a fan favorite from the beginning, including his first game when he became the first player in league history to score three points in his debut. Things are ducky with the team, too. The Wild, 13-4-4, has surprised the skeptics who before the season considered Minnesota to be on the bubble for the playoffs.

Bob Motzko. When a coach tells the public he has a darn good team it’s usually not bluster. Minnesota men’s hockey coach Bob Motzko doesn’t deal in hype, so best to take him at his word that the Gophers are deep and talented. He is in his seventh season at Minnesota after leading the St. Cloud State program for 13. A national championship has so far eluded Motzko with results that include Minnesota’s painful overtime loss to Quinnipiac in the 2023 Frozen Four title game. The Gophers are off to a 12-2 overall start, 6-0 in the Big Ten. Ranked among the best teams in the nation, the feeling here is Motzko and the Gophers are overdue for an NCAA crown. If they do that in the spring, Motzko will be positioned to win the 2025 Ducky.

Gable Steveson. The NCAA and Olympic wrestling champion announced earlier this month he will use a final season of eligibility to again compete for the Golden Gophers. “First I would like to thank the University of Minnesota for their time, their effort and their persistence with me to push me to the man I am today,” the Minnesota native said in his comeback video. “Minnesota has given me everything, and now it’s my turn to give it right back to them: to put my feet back on the wrestling mat, to be the champ, one more time.”

With Steveson’s debut last Friday and Sunday (he scored dominant wins over his heavyweight foes), the Gophers earned their first consecutive team shutouts since 1997-1998 with victories over North Dakota State and Campbell. It could be a peachy season on the mat for Steveson and the undefeated Gophers.

And the winner is.

Kevin O’Connell image courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

Kevin O’Connell. Smiling KOC embodies what the Ducky Award is all about. Great disposition. Good results. Wouldn’t surprise our researchers if KOC was in those Gerber baby commercials years ago, with his face beaming into the camera and on the jar. In his third season as Vikings head coach, O’Connell has made a national reputation for creating a much-praised working environment for his players. They laud his leadership and support while also noting the boss enforces accountability.

In O’Connell’s first season as coach the surprising 13-4 Vikings reflected the poise of their new leader. They were an amazing 11-4 in one score victories, an NFL record. The Vikings are 9-2 this season, again surprising forecasters who had them winning around six games.

And things remain calm in Skol Country. As recently as Sunday Minnesota went into overtime in Chicago but defeated the Bears 30-27. A smilin’ KOC watched from the sidelines.

So that’s it, folks. The banquet will be at Hurley’s Hanging Gardens up Nordeastway. It’s sold out. BTW, if the Gophers surprise and beat Wisconsin earlier in the day on Friday, the duck feast will make way for Badger stew.

How ducky would that be?

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