Vikings – Page 46 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

NFL Insider: Vikings Could Win 12 games

Posted on June 5, 2023June 5, 2023 by David Shama

There’s prevailing skepticism about the Vikings for 2023 after they set an NFL record by winning 11 one-score games last season. But a former NFL team executive told Sports Headliners he believes the Vikings may approach their 13-4 regular season record from 2022 when they were NFC North Division champions.

The authority, who spoke on condition of anonymity, looks at the 2023 schedule and sees five playoff teams facing Minnesota in the first seven games. The Vikings must play the 2023 Super Bowl teams, the Chiefs and Eagles, plus the Bucs, Chargers and 49ers between September 14 and October 23.

“If they get through the first half of the season 5-3, then I think they’re in really good position to win 11 or 12 games, and repeat as division champs,” the source said.

Except for the game against the Eagles, the Vikings face those playoff teams in Minneapolis. In addition to the playoff clubs, Minnesota’s first eight opponents include road games at the Panthers, Bears and Packers.

The Vikings will play five primetime matchups, starting with the second game of the season against the Eagles on a Thursday night, September 14. Minnesota also plays two Monday night games at home, October 23 and November 27, against the 49ers and Bears respectively. Sunday night games have the Vikings at the Broncos November 19 and at home December 31 with the Packers. “That tells me the league office still thinks the Vikings are the top dog in the NFC North,” the NFL insider said about the primetime schedule.

The Lions are a betting favorite to be NFC North Division champions and dethrone the Vikings. Detroit improved late last season, winning five of its last six games on its way to 9-8 record. The Vikings and Lions won’t play each other until Sunday, December 24 and then on a date to be determined in the last week of the season. They place twice in the last three weeks of the season.

In addition to their annual Thanksgiving game, the Lions have four primetime games including the NFL season opener against the Super Bowl champion Chiefs on the road Thursday, September 7. It’s a surprising matchup to the source and a game where the Lions figure to be double-digit underdogs. “I thought the league blew it on that one,” the source said while suggesting an Eagles-Chiefs showcase made a lot of sense.

Worth Noting

Zach Ojile, the native Minnesotan and undrafted free agent trying to make the Vikings roster, has learned to be flexible about what positions he plays. He’s adapting to fullback with the Vikings after being both a tight end and running back at UMD. With Spring Lake Park High School he was a veer formation quarterback, running back, linebacker and free safety. In 2016 he was named second team All-State quarterback by the Associated Press.

It will be interesting to see if Beth Goetz, former Gophers interim (2015-2016) athletics director, succeeds Gary Barta as Iowa AD. Goetz, who has been Iowa’s deputy director of athletics, is now interim director and positioned to be a favorite for the permanent job. Barta, who attended Burnsville High, will leave his position Aug. 1.

Former Wild forward Andrew Burnette, recently named head coach of the Predators, is a “players coach.” That’s how Bill Robertson, a former executive with the Wild and now commissioner of the Untied States Hockey League, referred to Burnette in an email. “I think he has a real chance to be successful if given time to put his club together.”

Belated happy birthday wishes to Minnesota hockey legend Lou Nanne who turned 82 last Friday.

New Gophers women’s basketball coach Dawn Plitzuweit speaks to the Capital Club breakfast group Wednesday at Mendakota Country Club. Plitzuweit has an impressive resume and might be Minnesota’s best women’s basketball hire since Brenda Frese more than 20 years ago. More information about the Capital Club is available from Patrick Klinger, patrick@agilemarketingco.com

The basketball program has the potential to be the first money-maker among women’s sports at Minnesota. Last season the Gophers ranked No. 35 in Division I attendance, with a total of 57,003 and averaged 3,353 fans per game. A great Gopher team could draw three to four times that average.

The pickleball craze continues in the United States with the website Pickleheads.com claiming it’s the fastest growing participation sport in the country. The site says Utah, Arizona and Minnesota have the most interest in pickleball, and Minneapolis is tied with Portland for the most pickleball locations behind Seattle and Denver. Reportedly, 8.9 million people played last year.

Caution: the ease with which beginners can enjoy success makes the sport almost unique but don’t be physically unprepared. The orthopedics industry has found a new revenue stream from pickleball, an activity that attracts players of virtually all ages including seniors.

Mike Nealy, the Minnesota native and U of M alum, is the new chief executive officer of USA Pickleball, the governing organization for the sport. The longtime career of Nealy includes positions with the Wild and college football bowl games in Arizona.

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’50-50′ QB Kirk Cousins Gets Extension Prior to Season?

Posted on May 23, 2023May 23, 2023 by David Shama

Kirk Cousins is signed only through the coming season and the presumption is Vikings management will let things play out to decide about future interest in the 34-year-old quarterback. But a former pro football authority isn’t so sure and thinks it’s “50-50” an extension could be agreed to between now and the team’s first regular season game September 10 in Minneapolis.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened before the season since they didn’t draft anybody high and he’s still to me a top 10 to 12 quarterback in the league,” said the ex-NFL team executive who spoke to Sports Headliners on condition of anonymity.

The Vikings drafted Brigham Young QB Jaren Hall in the fifth-round last month. How he will develop is unknown, but odds are that even in a best-case scenario he won’t be ready to succeed Cousins in 2024.

Cousins earns $35 million this year before pending free agency in 2024. A one- or two-year extension is likely to pay him $40 to $45 million annually.

The source referenced here said the Vikings may be taking a wait-and-see approach on the veteran’s performance during the coming season. “But where are they going to find someone better than him?” he asked.

While Cousins likely will be with the team for a while, leading rusher Dalvin Cook’s exit appears soon. “I think they tried to trade him during the draft, and I think Miami was a target,” the source said.

Instead of a trade, the Dolphins drafted a running back on the third round and passed on the 27-year-old Cook who four times in his career has rushed for over 1,000 yards (most recently 1,177). “But the problem with Dalvin is that I don’t think anyone wants to trade for him and pay him $11 million bucks this year because the running back market is so depressed compared to other positions—which is really not fair—but that’s the way it is,” said the authority.

The Vikings appear convinced Cook’s contract is too much of a burden on their payroll and salary cap situation. To trade him for a future draft choice might require helping pay the other team for Cook’s compensation. The best window for a trade could be during training camp if another team is on the spot because of running back injuries.

Earlier this month the Vikings did agree to pay part of linebacker Za’Darius Smith’s compensation in a trade with the Browns. That helped with Minnesota’s salary cap space (reportedly now at over $13 million), as would moving on from Cook.

But the deal with the Browns that brought future draft picks to the Vikings left Minnesota with pass rushing concerns, a Smith specialty. Could Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah be looking at Ravens free agent linebacker Justin Houston?

Houston had 9.5 sacks last season and is known as a pass rushing specialist. “Yeah, he’s 34 years old but on a one year deal he could be a guy that could really…be a great signing,” said the authority quoted previously.

The former NFL executive has another defensive concern about the Vikings, and it was a suspect area last season, too. “I think the cornerback situation is still very questionable for the team.”

His first-round selection for the Vikings in the April draft would have been cornerback Deonte Banks from Maryland, rather than WR Jordan Addison of USC. The Giants, picking one spot behind the Vikings, took Banks at No. 24.

Minnesota chose USC cornerback Mekhi Blackmon in the third round but how much of a contribution can he make as a rookie? The core of the Vikings’ cornerback roster consists of second year players Andrew Booth and Akayleb Evans, and five year talented vet Byron Murphy who signed on as a free agent in March.

“So, they’re counting on these three guys that were all hurt last year. Booth was hurt all through college, too,” the source said. “…They really have to get fortunate with those guys staying healthy and coming on this year or they’re going to be in trouble in the secondary again.”

Worth Noting

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, writing yesterday about the job security of MLB managers, said Rocco Baldelli “appears secure.” He wrote that before last season the Twins manager received a contract extension of unknown length but at least through 2025.

Former Twins executive Terry Ryan is the latest guest on “Behind the Game” with hosts Bill Robertson and Patrick Klinger. Ryan talks about baseball’s rule changes and other topics on the TV show that can be viewed by clicking on this link https://youtu.be/Oyje7-3Yhng

Congratulations to coach Martin Hyndman and his rowers from the University of Minnesota who won the American Collegiate Rowing Association national championship last weekend in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Men’s rowing will gain attention later this year when the movie Boys in the Boat is released and tells the story of the University of Washington team that won gold in the 1936 Olympics held in Adolph Hitler’s Berlin, Germany.

USA Basketball recently announced the men’s 2023 USA 3×3 World Cup team that will participate in the 2023 FIBA 3×3 World Cup May 30-June 4 in Vienna, Austria. The roster includes former Iowa Wolves player Canyon Barry, along with Jimmer Fredette, Kareem Maddox and Dylan Travis.

Larry Higgins is asking if any Sports Headliners readers have film or video of the 1961 state championship basketball game when his Bemidji High team almost upset Duluth Central in a controversial finish. Central, trailing late in the game, won 51-50 and finished with a 27-0 record.

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Opportunity Looms in 2023 for Cousins

Posted on May 16, 2023May 16, 2023 by David Shama

The coming NFL season will be intriguing to watch quarterback Kirk Cousins because he finally has continuity with his offensive coordinators and systems.

The payoff could be special for the 34-year-old veteran who joined the Vikings in 2018. Entering last season, he had worked for five coordinators in his first five years. Now he is in preparations for a second go-round with offensive guru and head coach Kevin O’Connell who is also Cousins’ play-caller.

“Big difference in the second year for a QB in the same system,” a former coach said in a text message to Sports Headliners that has been edited. “All the off-season practices and film sessions add up, repetition matters. It also is easier to add wrinkles and make adjustments. Though Kirk has many years of experience in different systems, the second season will give him a level of comfort, which will lead to faster timing and decision making.

“Even a bigger deal, this is coach O’Connell’s second season in his system. He has never called plays before (the 2022 season) and I’m sure he will add wrinkles from his past systems he has been part of over the years.

“Just hope he doesn’t follow the ‘book’ when it comes to fourth down! The book is just a suggestion, not an absolute. Should be a very explosive offense and just need to outscore teams. After all, everyone loves offense!”

The reference to the “book” is the analytics NFL and college football coaches use to make key fourth down decisions, including whether to punt or try for a first down. While the stats indicate the probabilities of success in a fourth down situation, they aren’t infallible. There are so many variables in a football game—personnel, score of the game, field position etc.—that taking a conservative approach can be the best decision no matter what the home crowd is imploring, and the analytics say.

Cousins said he didn’t even know how to say the plays and couldn’t see them in his head a year ago. “It’s just night and day from last year,” he said in early May.

Cousins faces a 2023 season that could be a career highlight in offensive production, team success and for his national profile. His accurate throws and strong arm will likely target the most explosive group of receivers he has ever worked with. Justin Jefferson is all-world, rookie Jordan Addison has the potential to be a home run target like Jefferson, and third wide receiver K.J. Osborn at 25 is coming off his best season. T.J. Hockenson is a big play threat for a tight end and his familiarity with Cousins and the offense should be improved after joining the team during the 2022 season.

Then, too, the offensive line could be the best Cousins has worked with in Minneapolis. Tackles Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw are highly praised and center Garrett Bradbury silenced some critics in 2022. Guard play is a work in progress.

The Vikings won 13 regular season games in their first time around under Connell but took an early exit in the playoffs. The play of Cousins, who threw for a career high 4,547 yards in 2022, will again have much to do with whether the team wins 10 games or more. But it’s just as much about how far Minnesota goes in the postseason. Minnesota hasn’t won a playoff game since 2019 and hasn’t been to the Super Bowl in more than 40 years.

The Cousins watch will be fascinating when his team plays against some of the NFL’s premier quarterbacks. In the second game of the season on a Thursday night before a national TV audience the Vikings play in Philadelphia against the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts who could be the best quarterback in the NFC after a dominant passing and running performance in 2022. Then Justin Herbert, a top 10 talent, comes to Minneapolis with the Chargers on September 24. Two weeks later the world champion Chiefs are in town with Patrick Mahomes, the 2022 league MVP. If Mahomes doesn’t earn that recognition again, quarterback Joe Burrow might. The Vikings play Burrow’s Bengals in Cincinnati December 17.

And there’s also a November 19 date in Denver to play the Broncos and former Super Bowl champion quarterback Russell Wilson. “They’re going to play five elite Pro Bowl type quarterbacks,” said a former NFL executive who has ranked Cousins among the top dozen at his position in the league.

Cousins, though, won’t draw comparisons to Aaron Rodgers this year. The former Packers quarterback, who Cousins and the Vikings had to duel with twice per season as part of their past NFC North Division schedules, is now with the Jets and not on Minnesota’s list of opponents. Rodgers’ absence creates opportunity and expectations for Cousins and the Vikings, including a repeat of last season’s division championship.

Part of the looming opportunity, too, for Cousins is playing for his next contract. This off-season he and the Vikings didn’t agree on a contract extension. The former fourth round draft choice of the Redskins, has had to prove himself before in both college and in the NFL, and so this fall is more of the same. “…Wanting to go out there and prove it again, and do it again, and play at the highest level I can, and that’s really where my focus is,” Cousins said.

Minnesota’s quarterback could see his fame and profile enhance with a soon to be released Netflix film called Quarterback. Netflix had inside access last season to Cousins on and off the field as part of a film that also included Mahomes and Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota.

The quarterbacks were mic’d up for every game including the Cousins-led greatest comeback in NFL history when the Vikings rallied to defeat the Colts after trailing 33-0 at halftime. The docu-series will show Cousins and the others in all kinds of situations from the huddle to inside their homes with families.

The humblest of celebrities, Cousins has never sought the spotlight with the Vikings but the nature of his position and circumstances in 2023 have him poised to be the center of much attention.

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