Wild – Page 24 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Justin Jefferson Stays Humble in Spotlight

Posted on December 3, 2022December 3, 2022 by David Shama

Justin Jefferson is receiving a tsunami of recognition and praise but the 23-year-old wide receiver has his ego in check, according to Vikings teammates.

The third-year LSU alum is a game changer, and although no NFL wide receiver has ever been named league MVP, Jefferson’s resume is deserving of consideration. This week he was recognized as the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for November. And just days ago his name led all NFL players in fan voting for the 2023 Pro Bowl.

In November Jefferson’s 480 receiving yards led the NFC and he had the second-most receptions in the conference with 29. With the Vikings going 3-1 during the month, Jefferson’s 480 receiving yards was second in the NFL only to the 487 of the Raiders’ Davante Adams.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Jefferson had eight receptions of at least 20 yards during the month, the second-most in the NFL behind Adams. He led the NFC in yards from scrimmage with 490, over 100 more than Lion Amon-Ra St. Brown’s 385, who ranked second. This is the second time Jefferson has been named NFC Offensive Player of the Month.

Jefferson was also named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Bills November 10. In a Minnesota overtime win for the ages, he had 10 receptions for a career-high 193 receiving yards. That total is the most in an NFL game this season.

“He’s always played at a really crazy high level,” Harrison Smith told Sports Headliners. The Viking veteran safety is in his 11th NFL season and appreciates not only Jefferson’s talents but his character, too.

“…He’s such a big superstar (but) he doesn’t have like a standoffish personality. He likes to just be one of the guys.”

When tight end T.J. Hockenson joined the Vikings in early November after a trade with the Lions, Jefferson welcomed him. “He gets to know everybody. He builds a relationship with everybody,” Hockenson said. “It’s cool to be on the same team as him and be in the same locker room.”

Justin Jefferson image courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

Teammates describe Jefferson as a friendly, smiling, talkative and energetic person who is having so much fun with the game he loves. “He is one of the best people I’ve been around,” Hockenson said. “Just very fun-loving guy. Loves the game. It’s like he gets to go out at recess every day when we step onto the field. …”

Amen to that says running back Alexander Mattison. “Just a kid having fun, playing the game. And he hasn’t changed his ways since he came in (the NFL). Just that kid in love with the game and it’s rubbed off on us.

“I think he keeps some of the older guys…everyone around him, keeps everyone young. So yeah, his energy is always having fun, laughing, and enjoying the game, enjoying the life we live.”

Fans, not just in Minnesota, but across the country are on board with Jefferson. The NFL announced on Monday that his 90,313 votes leads all players in balloting for the 2023 Pro Bowl Game. He is in prestigious company with other top vote getters like Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, followed by RB Saquon Barkley of the Giants and WR Tyreek Hill from the Dolphins.

Some may consider Hill the NFL’s top wide receiver but there are plenty of observers who think Jefferson deserves that spot. The Jefferson hysteria, that includes raves over his ability to make the most difficult of catches, has led to speculation he will one day rank with the greatest ever to play at his position.

Mattison was told Jefferson is having his name mentioned in the same breath with legendary receiver Jerry Rice, considered by many the best ever WR. “It’s crazy to think about, just within three years to be having these conversations. But you just kind of take a step back and look at the facts,” Mattison said. “And they’re realistic conversations to have which is crazy to actually think about. …”

Hockenson knows how revered Jefferson is already. “I think he’s one of a kind. He’s a special player. He’s one of the best to do it in this league. I am sure at the end of this (his career) he’ll be one of the best to do it ever.”

Hill is the NFL’s highest paid receiver, reportedly with a four-deal of $120 million. Jefferson is a lock to receive a new contract from the Vikings in 2023 paying him much more, perhaps over $150 million for five years.

Mattison doesn’t expect the payoff to change his friend. “Somebody like him he’s not going to have that conversation with you (about money)…as humble as he is, but he definitely is well deserving of that.”

Worth Noting

Offensive right tackle Christian Darrisaw (concussion) and tight end Ben Ellefson (groin) have been ruled out for Sunday’s Vikings and Jets game at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Smith (ankle) indicated Thursday it’s likely he will play. “It sure seems like it. I don’t know, though. We’re not there yet.”

Fourth-year Vikings center Garrett Bradbury has often been maligned in the past but Pro Football Focus notes the former No. 1 draft choice has given up just two sacks and is responsible for only four penalties in 741 snaps. PFF gives him a respectable grade of 71.

“…With the relationship with Kirk (Cousins), their communication throughout games and in-game has been huge for us,” said head coach Kevin O’Connell. “And I think physically he’s done a lot of good things in the run and pass game, kind of fitting with what we want to do. So, I’m really happy with the type of season Garrett’s had so far, and I’m hoping to continue to just get that consistent play out of him.”

Since Kene Nwangwu’s rookie season of 2021, he leads the league in kickoff return touchdowns with three including Thanksgiving night when he scored on a 97-yard return against the Patriots. The Vikings’ specialist has the third most kickoff return touchdowns in team history behind Cordarrelle Patterson and Percy Harvin, who both had five. Nwangwu is averaging a touchdown every 13.7 return (41 career kick returns).

Disappointing news for Gophers’ fans that record setting senior Mo Ibrahim wasn’t among the three finalists announced this week for the Doak Walker Award recognizing the nation’s best running back. Juniors Chase Brown, Illinois; Blake Corum, Michigan; and Bijan Robinson, Texas; are the finalists.

Many friends and admirers attended the wake in St. Paul this week for legendary former University of St. Thomas and Cretin Derham-Hall baseball coach Dennis Denning, 76, who recently passed away. “The line was out the door to get inside, and I got to the funeral home when it started at 4 p.m. An amazing tribute to coach Denning,” per an email from former Cretin baseball player Bill Robertson.

The Wild gets a stamina challenge this weekend playing Saturday afternoon at home against the Ducks and then facing the Stars in Dallas starting at 2 p.m. Sunday. Former teammate Ryan Suter, 37, has no goals and four points for the Stars who haven’t played a game since Thursday night. The Wild is 8-7-2 in its last 17 games in Dallas.

The Golden Gophers men’s hockey team has outstanding speed on the roster and has scored five or more goals in four of their last five games including 5-0 over the Spartans last night in East Lansing.

Canterbury Park will likely have a later start to the season in 2023 than normal because of redevelopment and improvements in the stable area. The Shakopee racetrack’s expected schedule will be from May 27-September 16, as proposed to the Minnesota Racing Commission.

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PAT Misses May Catch up to Vikings

Posted on November 20, 2022November 20, 2022 by David Shama

The 8-1 Vikings have won four of their games by four points or fewer. “Close shaves” are commonplace in the ultra-competitive NFL and there is reason for concern with kicker Greg Joseph.

Joseph missed four extra points last season and already has that many in 2022. His four misses are tops in the NFL, per Lineups.com. He has failed to convert an extra point in almost half the games so far including last Sunday against the Bills when the Vikings needed overtime to win.

A missed extra point can change the strategy of a game, forcing a team to deviate from preferred options and sometimes compounding a bad situation with poor choices. Missed PATs can also change a season or playoff success. How unfortunate for the Vikings if during this so far magical season things went south in the playoffs with a missed conversion that blocked their postseason path.

Joseph has been okay on field goal attempts, making 72.1 percent. He is a perfect 12 of 12 between 20 and 49 yards but just one of six from beyond 50. He has been mediocre on touchbacks, with 55.3 percent of his kicks not being returned.

Meanwhile the Raiders’ Daniel Carlson, the former 2018 Vikings fifth round draft choice who coach Mike Zimmer became impatient with after just two regular games and released, is a perfect 18 of 18 on field goals including five from 50 yards or more. He has missed one extra point.

Joseph, 28, signed with the Vikings as a free agent in the 2021 offseason and has made multiple NFL stops including game appearances with the Browns and Titans. He told Sports Headliners earlier this fall he hopes to keep playing well into his 30s: “Oh, I feel like I’m only gonna get better and better and stronger and stronger, which is exciting. I keep trying to reset my ceiling every year. So yeah, just excited. …”

Long snapper Andrew DePaola said he and Joseph and holder Ryan Wright are good friends. They will go out to dinner together, golf or shoot paint ball guns. Any miscues on the field are felt by all three, DePaola told Sports Headliners. “…It’s tough when things don’t work out the way you want them to,” he said.

DePaola also said Joseph has the following mental approach: “not too high, not too low, just try to stay in the middle and do our jobs the best we can.”

Vikings leader and safety Harrison Smith said teammates are supportive of Joseph, regardless of results. Smith also said, “Kickers, you don’t want to mess with them too much. Let them do their thing but definitely let them know we have their back.”

Worth Noting

Vikings left guard Ezra Cleveland talking about second year left tackle Christian Darrisaw moving toward the NFL elite at his position. “For sure, with the way he works and the way he has been playing. If he is not already there, then he is on his way.”

Cleveland said with the Vikings playing Sunday and then again on Thursday, players will need to start their recovery process sooner than in a normal week. Instead of Monday, body work will start Sunday night after the game at U.S. Bank Stadium against the Cowboys and in preparation for the Thanksgiving evening home game with the Patriots.

Cleveland said growing up his mom prepared corn beef and cabbage for Thanksgiving dinner. Last year he smoked his first turkey and probably will prepare another this week for his girlfriend and dad. “May be out-source the pie…or something. I don’t know how to make pie.”

Tight end T.J. Hockenson played against the Cowboys earlier this season before the Lions traded him to Minnesota. He said that familiarity with scheme and personnel could be helpful. He caught four passes for 48 yards in his team’s 24-6 loss to the Cowboys.

Smith said the feeling around this year’s team is unique to what he’s experienced before in his 11 years with the Vikings. “We feel good about what it takes to win when the time comes. It doesn’t mean we can’t play better, different spots here and there. …”

Smith on 32-year-old cornerback Patrick Peterson who had two interceptions and three solo tackles against the Bills: “He is running around like he’s a young kid. Looks explosive and springy and just ready for action.”

Former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber on Twitter writing about his old team: “One very noticeable trait to this Vikings team is no matter what happens, there is no flinch… especially on defense. It’s all about lining up and playing the next play no matter what. Incredible.”

Golfweek.com reports Kirk Cousins and his wife have purchased a golf course in western Michigan near Holland. He and Julie have a home in the area, are familiar with the course and know the previous owners, per a November 10 online story in the Holland Sentinel.

Glenn Caruso (photo courtesy of University of St. Thomas)

Congratulations to St. Thomas for winning the Pioneer League football championship with a 8-0 conference record. The Tommies won a league championship in just their second year as an FCS program with about two-thirds of their 22 starters being Minnesota natives.

Tommies coach Glenn Caruso, who has led a remarkable transition from Division III to Division I, wowed a CORES lunch crowd earlier this month with his authenticity and commitment to his players. He wants his student-athletes to have different experiences and that’s why the Tommies will play a home-and-home against Harvard starting next year in Boston, with a return date in 2029 in St. Paul.

Caruso said wife Rachel has been cancer free now for five years.

Condolences to the family and many friends of legendary University of St. Thomas and Cretin Derham-Hall baseball coach Dennis Denning, 76, who passed away last week. St. Thomas men’s basketball coach John Tauer wrote this on Facebook: “Six state titles and two national titles pale in comparison to the indelible impact he had on all of us. He taught us to ‘Dare to be Great’ and it remains one of our program mantras.”

“The Amazing Hondo”, the popular magician and former St. Paul athlete, is among the many mourning the loss of Dennis. He emailed to share the news his former Winona State basketball coach Les Wothke and Dennis both passed away last Wednesday. Wothke, 83, took Winona to the NAIA finals in 1973 and 1975 and later was head coach at Army. “Losing two legendary coaches on the same day is something I shall never forget,” Hondo wrote.

Early season home results: Tauer’s Tommies defeated (on November 11) St. Francis of Brooklyn, 84-48, two days after the Gophers beat them, 72-54. Down the road a game between the two Minnesota Division I programs seems likely.

Don’t hold your breath, though, for a renewal of the St. Thomas and St. John’s football rivalry. FCS teams can’t play Division III opponents.

As of Friday, Ben Johnson’s Gophers had made .543 percent of their free throws in four games, ranking No. 339 in the country.

Tip of the cap to the Twins new uniforms with clean looks and various offerings. Just in time for holiday shopping.

The Athletics latest NHL power rankings have the Devils No. 1, the second-season Kraken No. 12 and the Wild No. 17 among 32 teams.

Dick Jonckowski emcees the Minnesota Old Timers Hockey Luncheon at Mancini’s Char House tomorrow (Monday, November 21). Former North Star and media hockey authority Tom Reid will be the main speaker.

Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury turns 38 November 28, while Golden Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck has his 42nd birthday November 29.

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Vikings Near ’98 & ’09 Fast Starts

Posted on October 30, 2022October 30, 2022 by David Shama

The Vikings are 6-1 after today’s 34-26 win over the Cardinals. With a win next Sunday over the Commanders, they can match the 7-1 starts of the 1998 and 2009 teams that are among the best in franchise history.

Those two teams went on to 15-1 and 12-4 regular season records respectively. Both flirted with Super Bowl trips before losing in NFC title games.

No one should put the 2022 Vikings in that company yet but the latest edition of the Purple has been impressive so far this season. They’ve managed to win five straight often making timely plays in close games (winning twice by eight points, and three, four and seven).

That was true today when Za’Darius Smith and Harrison Phillips put together consecutive sacks of Cardinals’ QB Kyler Murray in the closing seconds of the game. Smith had three sacks on the day, a fitting achievement on a day when sack master Jared Allen of the Vikings was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor.

The raucous crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium was noisy today, even by their ear-pounding standards. This town loves a winner and the citizenry is passionate about the local NFL team above all others. Fans were giddy about the possibility of seeing the Vikings remain among the NFL elite today.

“You can’t say enough about our fans today, the noise they brought,” Vikings QB Kirk Cousins said on KFAN after the game. “From the first half to the last it’s just a tremendous environment. It’s a privilege to get to play here.”

Cousins completed 24 passes today and moved to 3,000 career completions. He is the 31^st QB in NFL history to reach 3,000 completions. He has also thrown a touchdown pass in 37 consecutive games.

The Cardinals’ set their defense to stop the Vikings outside offense so Minnesota took advantage rushing inside for many of their 173 yards. Dalvin Cook ran for 111 yards, approaching his total in last year’s loss to Arizona when he had 131. Cousins even ran for 22 yards including a rare touchdown run of 17 to score Minnesota’s first touchdown.

Cousins and the Vikings, though, have struggled this season against blitzes. The Cardinals used one to force a Cousins fumble in the third quarter that set up a touchdown drive narrowing the score to 28-23.

As usual, though, the Vikings won with contributions from the offense, defense, special teams and the crowd (4-0 record at home). The Vikings converted three Arizona turnovers into 13 points in the second half. Typical of seizing opportunities by this team.

Worth Noting

Reserve quarterback Nick Mullens recently praising the communications between the coaching staff and players: “If you can communicate, you can execute. That’s been a great trait for us here.”

Mullens said head coach Kevin O’Connell and his staff have created a player-friendly environment that includes expectations and boundaries. “The players are very aware of the standard that the coaches and ourselves hold for each other,” Mullens said. “Upholding that standard each week is what we strive for. And we’ve done a good job and look forward to just keep earning the right to do that.”

For a home game like today that started at noon Vikings will arrive at the stadium about 9:30 a.m. Veteran safety Harrison Smith will use the hot tub to warm up his 33-year-old body and doesn’t go out on the field much prior to kickoff. “Just try to get the body warm and loose. Nothing crazy,” he recently told Sports Headliners.

Smith said he doesn’t sleep well after games and sometimes tries to catch up on rest Monday when he’s also doing an assessment about his body. He will get a massage on Mondays or Tuesdays. Later in the week there will be more practice and preparation for the upcoming game.

“I’ve played golf a few times on Tuesdays (this year),” Smith said. “It’s a good excuse to get some vitamin D if the sun is out. If I am hurt, though, I don’t play.”

Vikings kicker Greg Joseph, 28, talking last week about his future in football and hoping to keep playing well into his 30s: “Oh, I feel like I’m only gonna get better and better and stronger and stronger, which is exciting. I keep trying to reset my ceiling every year. So yeah, just excited. …”

Plans after football? “Whatever God has in store for me,” Joseph said.

Axios Sports points out that dating back to last Thursday and going through November 22 “there will be either FBS college football or NFL every single day.”

St. Paul native Pat Eilers, who played safety for the Vikings and Notre Dame, has made (along with wife Jana) a $5 million donation to his alma mater to support the director of sports performance position. The Eilers have provided previous gifts to Notre Dame and their children have attended school there.

It seems like a roll of the dice as to what kind of season starting Wild goalie Marc–Andre Fleury can have at age 38. Coach Dean Evason and GM Bill Guerin must be monitoring his performance and calculating how to handle the goalie roster.

Fleury’s 38^th birthday is November 28, the same age that goalie Gump Worsley was a member of the Stanley Cup Canadiens decades ago. Worsley won another Cup with the Canadiens in 1969 at age 39 (almost 40) and is the oldest NHL goaltender to have that distinction. Worsley later played for the North Stars and retired at age 44.

Retired Twins executive Terry Ryan, who was with the Phillies after leaving the Twins, is living in Eagan.

It was 35 years ago last Tuesday the Twins defeated the Cardinals in Game Seven of the 1987 World Series in Minneapolis. Wheaties boxes celebrating the World Series championship are available for sale on Ebay.

The Timberwolves sold $5 upper level tickets for home games last week against the Spurs.

Timberwolves limited partner Alex Rodriguez has purchased a home in Minnesota.

Stillwater-based Creative Charters is offering a same day trip to the Minnesota-Nebraska football game Saturday in Lincoln and has space available on the plane. Kickoff is 11 a.m.

St. Thomas football coach Glenn Caruso speaks to the CORES lunch group November 10 at the Bloomington Event Center. He is a six-time National Coach of the Year and is leading the Tommies in their second season of Division I competition where they top the Pioneer League at 5-0. CORES is open to the public but reservations must be made by November 7. More information about CORES is available by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

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