Wild – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

The Bet Here: A Nick Mullens Start at QB in Las Vegas

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

It will be surprising if Nick Mullens isn’t named the starting quarterback for the Vikings in their next game, December 10 in Las Vegas against the Raiders. Head coach Kevin O’Connell declined to name a starter during last week’s bye period, but Josh Dobbs is 2-2 in leading the offense and is coming off a four interception performance against the Bears November 27.

Mullens’ back injury likely prevented him from being the starter after Kirk Cousins suffered his torn Achilles season-ending injury against the Packers October 29. Mullens has the best understanding of the offense on a quarterback roster that also includes rookie Jaren Hall.

Dobbs was acquired in an October 31 trade with the Cardinals. Mullens came to Minnesota in a trade with the Raiders in August of 2022. Both he and Dobbs are 28 years old, have been with multiple NFL teams and are considered journeymen.

Nick Mullens image courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

Mullens’ experience with the offensive system could give the Vikings the best outcome in getting the ball to superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson in Vegas and for the rest of the season. Jefferson is expected to play next Sunday after being sidelined with a hamstring injury for almost two months. The whole offense is predicated on passing success with other superb targets in rookie WR Jordan Addison and tight end T.J. Hockenson.

Likeable and soft spoken, Mullens has been a supportive backup to Cousins. If he starts next Sunday it will be his first for the Vikings during the regular season. In 24 previous games in the NFL, including 17 starts, he has thrown 27 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions.

The future status of the Vikings quarterback leadership beyond this season is muddled. The club seems almost certain to take a quarterback in the first round. Minnesota could be on pace to draft around No. 20 and the best available then might be J.J. McCarthy of Michigan. He not only has passing skills but has the mobility to add another option to O’Connell’s creative schemes and play calling. He is young (turns 21 in January) and will need developmental time.

The Vikings and Cousins have to determine if they can figure out a new contract. Cousins is a free agent and a proven top 12 NFL quarterback but his bargaining power will be diminished coming off such a severe injury. Still, he would be valuable to the Vikings for a season or two while they groom a McCarthy.

But how do the Vikings determine their salary cap and budget challenges in 2024 with expensive new contracts that could start with Cousins at $35 million, Jefferson at $30 million and pass rushing whiz Danielle Hunter at $25 million.

Worth Noting

McCarthy’s coach at Michigan, Jim Harbaugh, is likely to leave the controversies of college coaching behind and take an NFL job in the coming weeks. Harbaugh interviewed with the Vikings two years ago with a resume that included taking a so-so 49ers team to the Super Bowl. Last week Yardbarker was quoting 5-1 odds he will be the next coach of the NFL Panthers.

Speaking of quarterbacks, a lot of fans have to be rooting for Cole Kramer to have a successful game leading the Gophers in their bowl game. The former Eden Prairie star enrolled at Minnesota in January of 2019 and has seen minimal playing time during his career including brief appearances in two games this season. He’s been the definition of the “loyal trooper” and it will be interesting to see if with starter Athan Kaliakmanis in the transfer pool he chooses to use his last year of eligibility at Minnesota in 2024.

The Gophers are targeting FCS passing leader Max Brosmer, the quarterback from New Hampshire who has entered the transfer portal. He was the team’s captain and is originally from Georgia. Brosmer was a semifinalist for the 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy recognizing the best football scholar-athlete in the nation for academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule told reporters recently “a good quarterback” costs $1 million to $2 million in NIL money. Presumably he’s talking FBS, not FCS, because the Gophers can’t afford that kind of money.

Dinkytown Athletes, the official collective of Gopher athletics, is making progress in generating NIL money including with creative ideas partnering with businesses. It’s believed NIL money will first be a priority here in retaining players on the roster.

Quarterback Hank Bachmeier, who once had an interest in the Gophers, is in the transfer portal and leaving Louisiana Tech. Coming out of high school in California in 2019, Bachmeier was one of the nation’s top ranked pro style quarterbacks and chose Boise State.

The Gophers haven’t played in the Rose Bowl since January of 1962 when they defeated UCLA in the “grandaddy” of all bowl games. That changes next year when Minnesota plays at UCLA on the Bruins’ home field, the Rose Bowl. Stillwater-based Creative Charters is already promoting a fan-trip to Southern California October 9-13.

Bill Guerin has fired two head coaches since becoming the Wild’s GM, Bruce Boudreau in 2020 and Dean Evason last week. If new hire John Hynes doesn’t last at least a few years, scrutiny will focus on Guerin who has yet to see one of his Wild teams make a deep playoff run.

After last night’s win over the Hornets in Charlotte, the Timberwolves are 15-4, the best record through the first 19 games of a season in franchise history.

Cleveland.com reports former Gopher and Minnesota native Jamison Battle is making a career high 38.6 percent of his three-point shots. Stephen Means of the website predicts Battle’s new team, the Ohio State Buckeyes, will win 73-61 against the Gophers tonight in Columbus in the first Big Ten game for both teams on the 2023-2024 schedule.

Popular emcee and former Gophers public address announcer Dick Jonckowski had a checkup last month and continues to be cancer free from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Dick was told he won’t need another checkup for a year.

David Mackay produced and directed a movie he filmed in Norway and Ireland titled “My Norwegian Holiday” which debuted Friday night on the Hallmark Channel. David is the son of Minnesota icon Harvey Mackay who has been a prominent booster of local sports and confidant to Gophers sports leaders over the years.

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Quarterback Josh Dobbs Reverts to Past Play in Loss to Bears

Posted on November 28, 2023November 28, 2023 by David Shama

Enjoy a Tuesday notes column.

The Vikings, now with a 6-6 record, produced one fourth quarter touchdown and a first half field goal in last night’s 12-10 loss to the 4-8 Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium. In his fourth game with the Vikings, journeyman quarterback Josh Dobbs threw four interceptions and other balls that were off target as Minnesota’s struggling offense was limited to 169 net yards passing and 73 yards rushing.

Dobbs, now 2-2 with Minnesota, transformed from hero to troublesome with his performance. The 28-year-old fit the labels that have followed him during his NFL career with other teams. He has been profiled as a QB who makes poor decisions and has ball security issues.

Kevin O’Connell image courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

After the game Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell was asked about his quarterback: “Yeah, Josh, as much as he’s done some really good things for us, he is still getting comfortable in our pass game, play-pass game, knowing where quick eligibles are to put the ball in play. Drop back pass, taking the right footwork, feet, and eyes, all those things. We’re working through that. Just, I think three of the interceptions were off of tip balls. Rhythm and timing of our offense just not feeling as crisp as we want to. …”

The Bears had seven penalties for 76 yards in the game. Their offense, with 317 net yards, was better than the Vikings at 242 but produced no touchdowns. Quarterback Justin Fields fumbled twice in the fourth quarter, once killing a drive that figured to set up an easy field goal.

Vikings veteran safety Harrison Smith is an admirer of versatile teammate Josh Metellus who forced two fumbles last night. Metellus can play multiple positions on defense and also contribute on special teams. “It’s a big deal,” Smith said recently about Metellus’ versatility. “He can play pretty much any role you want on defense, and he’s a really good specials teamer when you need hm out there. He’s just a football player. A really good one. You can put him anywhere and he’s going to affect the game. That’s really valuable. …”

Labeled the “Swiss Army Knife” by teammates, Metellus is used at nickelback, cornerback, linebacker and safety. He told Sports Headliners recently it can be challenging getting enough reps in practice at multiple positions. Not being able to “fine tune everything” on the field, Metellus will mentally rehearse to prepare. Regardless of position, he wants to play relaxed. “Just run around and hit,” he said.

Smith played eight seasons with Anthony Barr before he left the Vikings during the 2022 offseason. When the Vikings needed a linebacker earlier this month Smith put in a word to O’Connell and Barr was signed to the practice squad. He was elevated to the playing roster before last night’s game.

“I am a little biased because we’ve been good friends for a while, but yeah I told him (O’Connell) what I know about him as a player and a guy,” Smith said. “He’s a guy you want on your side. Big body, athletic, smart. You can do a lot with him.”

Smith, BTW, remains an avid golfer with a low handicap. His golf buddy on the team is linebacker Jordan Hicks.

St. Paul native Phil Housley, an assistant coach with the Rangers and former NHL great player, would have been a popular fan choice to succeed Dean Evason as Wild head coach. A hockey insider said Housley shares a friendship with Wild GM Bill Guerin who has hired former Predators’ coach John Hynes.

High school football players can sign national Letters of Intent on December 20. The Gophers’ 2024 class has 22 verbal commits and local recruiting authority Ryan Burns told Sports Headliners this group is “potentially the best one” of the P.J. Fleck era dating back to 2017.

There are no guarantees (as usual) that all the verbal commits will sign their paperwork. Other programs will be in pursuit of Minnesota commits in the weeks ahead. Defensive lineman Jide Abasiri from Eden Prairie High School recently received an offer from USC. The Gophers’ highest ranked commit by 247Sports, safety Koi Perich from Esko, has offers from USC, Florida State, Michigan and Ohio State.

Another Gopher commit receiving attention is quarterback Drake Lindsey from Fayetteville, Arkansas. Burns said Lindsey was using a Gopher towel a few days ago when his team won its state semifinals game and advanced to this week’s championship.

The Minnesota class is No. 30 in the 247Sports national composite rankings for 2024. Burns predicts the Gophers could add another commit or two. Possible positions? “You can’t take enough quality offensive and defensive linemen,” he said.

Brian Dutcher, the Bloomington native who coached the San Diego State Aztecs to the Final Four last spring, is featured in the CBS Sports series “Home Court.” Earlier in the year filming was done in California, Michigan and Minnesota where Brian sat on camera with his father, former Gophers Big Ten championship coach Jim Dutcher.

Brian was with three Final Four teams as an assistant at Michigan. He waited during part or all of four decades as an assistant at Michigan and San Diego State before getting his first head job at age 57 with the Aztecs. “He doesn’t chase other jobs,” said Jim who got his first head job at age 20 coaching Alpena Community College.

The Aztecs home games are sold out for the season. They are playing one of the most difficult nonconference schedules in the country with opponents that include Gonzaga, California, Stanford and Washington.

With starting pitchers Kenta Maeda and Sonny Gray headed to other teams, have to wonder if the Twins won’t trade veteran second baseman Jorge Polanco for mound help. Polanco, 30, is expected to make $10.5 million next season, according to Mlb.com/news who pointed out Monday the Twins have talented young infielders in Edouard Julien, Brooks Lee and Austin Martin.

Condolences to family and friends of Ed Cohen, 92, who passed away recently. A Twin Cities attorney, Ed served over 65 years as a member of the Gophers football gameday statistics crew.

Ed loved to tell stories and one of his tales was about Sid Hartman who in addition to being a newspaper man was an executive for the Minneapolis Lakers. Hartman was so critical of the officiating during a game that the referees wanted him ejected from the building. Hartman, sitting near courtside, refused. The refs had a crew remove the bolts from Hartman’s seat and he was carried out of the arena, Ed said.

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‘Critical’ Offseason Ahead for Fleck & Golden Gophers

Posted on November 26, 2023November 26, 2023 by David Shama

The Golden Gophers 2023 football team lacked talent and quality depth at too many positions. The result was a 5-7 overall record and 3-6 mark in the Big Ten that left them in a four-way tie for last place in the West Division.

Now coach P.J. Fleck and his staff face the challenge of upgrading the personnel and depth as the Big Ten transitions in 2024 to 18 football teams with no divisional play. And in the new world of college football Minnesota and other Power Five programs will try to figure out how to retain players and add players in the transfer portal who can contribute next fall while stockpiling incoming freshmen for development. The portal is open most immediately from December 4 through January 3, 2024.

The Gophers had experienced players at many positions, but they didn’t play consistent football. When things mattered the most—late in the season—they lost four consecutive games including Saturday’s finale with Wisconsin. A run of key injuries was problematic all season.

Minnesota could return most of its offensive and defensive starters, and special team regulars in 2024. The most significant losses are defensive tackle Kyler Baugh, center Nathan Boe, receiver Corey Crooms Jr., corner Tre’Von Jones, safety Tyler Nubin and tight end Brevyn-Spann Ford.

The best college teams excel at quarterback and along the line of scrimmage, offensively and defensively. QB Athan Kaliakmanis started all 12 games and was up and down in performance. Not only was his passing inconsistent but he made minimal plays with his legs. The offensive line blocking couldn’t match the performance of three recent seasons when Minnesota won nine games or more. Defensively, too often Minnesota’s line and linebackers were gashed with big runs, and the old nemesis of a poor pass rush continued.

Typically, Power Five teams lose a dozen or more players to the portal. Who those players will be on the Minnesota roster will be known over the next 30 days or so.

Where do the Gophers need help in the transfer portal? “Pick your position,” Ryan Burns said.

Burns, the local recruiting authority from GopherIllustrated, listed quarterback, receiver, running back and offensive and defensive lines as areas of need. If pressed for his top three he prioritizes corner, tailback and “probably quarterback.”

Burns predicts Fleck and his staff will prioritize Name, Image and Likeness money for players already on the roster. Retaining talents like RB Darius Taylor, offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery and end defensive Jah Joyner will be vital for next year’s team.

Burns said creating competition for Kaliakmanis is desirable but the Gophers are likely to find such a QB from the FCS or Group of Five level. Why? Because big name Power Five quarterbacks can command $250,000 and more in the portal.

Fleck, who has a 49-34 record at Minnesota and is fifth all-time in wins, starts his eighth season in 2024. He will have to sort out issues with the program including possible changes needed in coaching philosophy and schemes, and perhaps shaking up the staff.

Burns and others predict this offseason will be different. “Most critical one Fleck’s had, I would say,” Burns said. “It didn’t go their way this year—the breaks they probably weren’t anticipating, but still should have won two games, Illinois and Northwestern, and sitting at six or seven wins going into the Wisconsin game.

“If that’s the case I don’t know that there is as much fan reaction as there has been this season. …Being able to look short term and long term at the same time is going to be critical for him trying to figure out what the best thing is to adapt going into that 2024 new Big Ten world.”

Worth Noting

I am so sorry to write that my friend Jim Carter, the captain of the 1969 football Gophers, passed away on Thanksgiving evening in Palm Springs, California. I knew Jim for more than 50 years and he was a fiery competitor in sports, business and life. He was a loyal friend who cared deeply for the University of Minnesota where he also played hockey.

A great prep football player at South St. Paul High School, Jim could have opted for Notre Dame but instead chose the hometown Gophers. He was a star player and important contributor as the fullback on the 1967 Minnesota Big Ten championship team. The Green Bay Packers made a linebacker out of him and his NFL career lasted through the 1978 season.

Known to friends as “Hurricane,” Jim was challenged much of his life by emotions and addictions. He had been in recovery for about 20 years and devoted a lot of his free time to helping others with their addictions.

Jim passed away at age 75 after battling metastatic melanoma. Longtime friend, confidant and Gopher teammate Jim Brunzell wrote via email how he will miss their lunches, football get togethers and phone calls.

“Jimmy was a man’s man and called his life accordingly,” Brunzell wrote. “…May he rest in peace, ‘till we hug again.”

Former Gophers head football coach Tim Brewster has resigned as Colorado’s tight ends coach, per internet reports today.

Mike Conley, 36, is the poised point guard whose leadership is indispensable to the fast-starting Timberwolves. He has been in the NBA since the 2007-2008 season and an indication of his self-control is never receiving a technical foul.

Chet Holmgren, the 7-1 Minneapolis native in his first NBA season, is averaging 18 points and eight rebounds per game for the Thunder who play the Wolves at Target Center Tuesday night.

Tom Reid, the former NHL player and radio analyst for the Wild since the franchise’s inception in 2000, is the latest guest on “Behind the Game” with longtime host Patrick Klinger. Topics include how the recent death of Minnesotan Adam Johnson may influence safety new safety measures in the game. The show is available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPvNXskdASI&si=uLHbbftPajzUeD8W

Golfweek’s 2023 rankings of the best private courses in the state starts with Interlachen at No. 1 followed by Spring Hill, Minikahda and White Bear Yacht Club (tied at No. 3) and Hazeltine National. The next five are Windsong Farm, Somerset, Northland, Minneapolis and Golden Valley.

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