David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Vikings Earn ‘A’ Grade in Opener

Posted on September 11, 2022September 11, 2022 by David Shama

Describe the first game of the Kevin O’Connell era a rousing success. The Vikings dominated the Packers today in their NFL opener, 23-7, and deserve high marks for their performance.

O’Connell, the new head coach, called an impressive game in a new offensive scheme that included motioning wide receiver Justin Jefferson before the ball was snapped. The Vikings offense played with tempo and aggressiveness against a Packers defense considered one of the NFL’s best. Even the suspect offensive line exceeded expectations, providing time for quarterback Kirk Cousins to throw and also opening holes for Dalvin Cook.

Jefferson, heading into his third NFL season, showed why his NFL peers consider him one of the league’s elite players. He had 186 receiving yards on nine catches, an impressive 20.4 yards per reception. He scored both of Minnesota’s touchdowns during an explosive performance that included his second quarter 36-yard TD reception. It was an A+ day for No. 18 who befuddled Packer defenders in the first half when he scored both of his touchdowns.

Wreaking havoc on the Packers and setting a tone for a physical defense was outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith. He was part of a gang tackling effort in the third quarter that caused Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers to fumble. The Vikings turned that opportunity into a 56-yard Greg Joseph field goal to extend their lead to 20-0.

Smith and teammates came up with the defense’s biggest play of the day in the second quarter with the Vikings ahead 7-0. Green Bay had fourth down on the Minnesota one-yard line but couldn’t get in the endzone. Smith, Jonathan Bullard and Harrison Phillips stopped AJ Dillon’s run and a 79-yard Packer drive.

Smith, the former Packer signed by the Vikings in the offseason, not only earned high marks for his day but is worthy of a game ball along with O’Connell and Jefferson. When those three and the other Vikings and coaches weren’t frustrating the Packers, the boys from Green Bay were doing it to themselves.

On Green Bay’s opening play of the game, rookie wide receiver Christian Watson ran past defenders in the secondary and Rodgers delivered a pass into his hands. Those hands didn’t secure the ball, though, and an almost certain 75-yard touchdown.

The Vikings went on to build a 17-0 halftime lead and the Packers never came closer than when they scored a third quarter touchdown to trail 20-7. Rodgers showed frustration and anger as his depleted offensive line allowed pressure by the Vikings and his inexperienced receivers let him. Give the defending NFC North Division champions a D grade in their opener.

It was smiles all around by Vikings players and their delirious fans who did their best to disrupt Green Bay communications. Yeah, let’s give an A+ to the Purple Patrons, too.

Worth Noting

Don’t worry Gopher fans. Nebraska isn’t going after P.J. Fleck for its next football coach. Hiring coaches away from another Big Ten member school is a “no-no” in the conference.

Andrew DePaola, 35, is the oldest Viking; the youngest is Andrew Booth, Jr. at 21. Harrison Smith has played the most seasons with the team, 11. Blake Brandel and Brian O’Neill are the tallest Vikings at 6-7; Dalvin Cook is the shortest, 5-10. Dalvin Tomlinson is the heaviest at 325 pounds, while Chandon Sullivan the lightest at 189.

Ken Mauer, Jr., the St. Paul native with 37 years of NBA officiating experience, received a two-sentence letter from the league earlier this month notifying him of his termination. The letter wasn’t a surprise after he was suspended without pay all of last season for refusing to be vaccinated for COVID.

Mauer and other referees who took the same anti-vaccine position are suing the NBA in federal court. The league allowed players to decide whether to be vaccinated but mandated referees use the vaccine. “I just don’t think that’s right. I don’t think that’s fair,” Mauer told a luncheon group in Bloomington last Thursday.

The power of the National Basketball Players Association apparently made the league take a different stance with the players than it did with the officials. Mauer is prouder of the stance he is taking in litigation than the NBA career he loved. ”What I am going to win (in court) is that it’s wrong to take anyone’s civil liberties,” Mauer told his audience. “You should be allowed to decide for yourself whether or not you want to put a needle in your arm. …”

A practicing Catholic, Mauer has a strong religious faith. However, he doesn’t criticize others who choose to take the vaccine or wear masks.

Mauer, 67, was hired by the NBA before the 1986-87 season. At 30 years old he was on his way to achieving his life’s dream. He started refereeing in grade school and continued on from there including while on a baseball scholarship at the University of Minnesota. Others scoffed at his ambition to become the first NBA ref from Minnesota.

“Well, they’re doing JV games and I refereed 37 years in the NBA,” Mauer said. “They don’t laugh at me anymore. I am a little bit proud of that.”

Despite physical challenges like broken ribs, Mauer never missed a game during his career including 19 NBA Finals that he worked. He spoke to the CORES group at the Bloomington Event Center. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

Bruce Feldman’s August 31 story for The Athletic on 37 college football assistant coaches to watch this year included Minnesota defensive coordinator Joe Rossi (“one of the most underrated coaches in college football”) and running backs coach/assistant head coach Kenni Burns (“recruiting skills and ability to have all his guys ready to perform”).

Former Gophers basketball public address announcer Dick Jonckowski is battling his third round of non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and will learn Tuesday whether treatment has made him cancer free.

Steve and Dortothy Erban’s locally-based Creative Charters is offering transportation to all Gophers football away games starting with Michigan State September 24. That game will have customers flying out and back to Minneapolis the same day. The next road game, October 15 at Illinois, will have travelers Amtrak bound for Chicago and Champaign, and then returning home via plane. https://creativecharter.com/about.html

Among reasons to like the chances for the Guardians to win the AL Central Division is they close the season at home with six games against the Royals, a team that is 27 games under .500.

Ouch: Since 2002 the Twins are 38-98 against the Yankees. Since 2027 they are 2-16 at Yankee Stadium.

Word is Pete Najarian, the former Gopher and pro football player who is known nationally as a stock market guru, will continue indefinitely on WCCO Radio’s Sunday “Sports Huddle.”

All five of the Timberwolves preseason games will be televised. Bally Sports North will have the October 4, 9 and 14 games against the Heat, Clippers and Nets. ESPN will televise October 6 and 12 games against the Lakers.

At Cincinnati, where former Gopher administrator John Cunningham is the athletics director, the Bearcats’ home football games are sold out for the season.

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Vikings & Packers Sunday: What to Know

Posted on September 6, 2022September 6, 2022 by David Shama

Check the pulse of any pro football fan who isn’t eager to see Sunday’s Vikings-Packers game at U.S. Bank Stadium. For an opener this one has unusual intrigue and importance.

Start with the historic rivalry between the two franchises. Green Bay and Minnesota could both have 0-12 records and the matchup would have juice with players and fans. CBS has ranked it the No. 3 rivalry in the NFL of the 2000’s, and wherever it belongs there is no doubting the intensity past and present.

The Packers are all but a unanimous choice to win the NFC North Division, with the Vikings a favorite pick to finish second. Whoever wins Sunday will make an early statement about the division race.

“It’s really important for the Vikings,” a former NFL executive told Sports Headliners. “If they’re going to be threatening the Packers this year, they almost need to get a win. It’s the opener at home and it’s not going to be easy to win in Lambeau on New Year’s Day—let’s face it.”

The game will be the first for new Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and his staff. How they will perform is one of the game’s subplots. Another is both teams have unknowns regarding new players and veterans coming off injuries. A national TV audience, including a huge number of viewers in Minnesota and Wisconsin, will watch a game that will be broadcast by Fox in the coveted late afternoon time slot.

Here is analysis of the two teams including comments about offense, defense, special teams and coaching.

The Packers have the reining NFL MVP in quarterback Aaron Rodgers but the defense is also a happy topic in Green Bay. The unit’s standouts include corner Jaire Alexander, nose tackle Kenny Clark, and linebackers DeVondre Campbell, Rashan Gary and Quay Walker.

The Packers are expected to be one of the top defenses in the NFL. “I mean they are loaded on defense,” said the NFL authority.

The source, who asked that his name not be used, is cautious about predicting how the Vikings’ offense will matchup against the Packers because this will be O’Connell’s first game calling plays and the starters played minimally, if at all, in preseason. He did watch the regulars in joint practices against the 49ers (another top defense) and was impressed.

The offense will count on its established skill players and hoped for improved offensive line to do damage against the Packers. The quartet of quarterback Kirk Cousins (4-3-1 record against Green Bay), running back Dalvin Cook, and wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen is a group that NFL franchises envy. Tight end Irv Smith Jr., coming off an injury, is another valued receiver and is likely to play Sunday.

The offensive line might be the best in years. Brian O’Neill is a premier right tackle and second-year left tackle Christian Darrisaw impressed during training camp. Left guard Ezra Cleveland could be improved, too. Right guard Ed Ingram and center Garrett Bradbury are concerns. Ingram is a rookie and Bradbury, now in his fourth season, has struggled in the past including against Green Bay’s Clark.

The NFL authority said he’s not sold on Bradbury and it would be “huge” if Ingram can play well and help the veteran center. “We’ll see real quick about Bradbury in week one against Kenny Clark. He claims he put on 10 pounds. He’s trying to be stronger, anchor better, but he still had some trouble in training camp with Harrison Phillips who is a very good nose tackle.”

The source gives the edge to the Packer defense against Minnesota’s offense.

Regarding the Minnesota defense against the Packer offense, he isn’t discounting the loss of star wide receiver Davante Adams who was traded to the Raiders and the overall uncertainty of the Green Bay receiver group. Adding to the flux is that Adams’ successor, Allen Lazard, may not play Sunday because of injury.

There is also nail-biting in Green Bay about the availability of starting offensive linemen David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins who are coming off of knee injuries. Their absence Sunday enhances the likelihood giftedVikings pass rushers Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith may wreak havoc on Rodgers who this year could become the first ever to win NFL Player of the Year three consecutive seasons.

Outside linebackers Hunter and Smith have big upsides as pass rushers but also have histories of injuries. If healthy, Hunter and Smith can take a lot of pressure off the uncertain secondary that includes two inexperienced and vulnerable defenders, safety Camryn Bynum and corner Cam Dantzler. Rodgers and the Packers will likely take dead aim at Dantzler, a third-year defender, rather than 32-year-old veteran corner Patrick Peterson.

Expectations are Smith and Hunter can do a lot to improve a Vikings defense that gave up more passing yards than all but four other NFL teams in 2021. Only six teams gave up more rushing yards.

The defense may be improved but the Packers offense gets the nod over the Minnesota defense because of Rodgers. The 38-year-old quarterback still has a superb arm, accuracy and pocket presence that allows him to escape trouble. He ranks fifth all-time in touchdown passes and 10^th in passing yards. His 109.7 passer rating in road games was the best in the NFL last season.

Coaches? Green Bay’s Matt LeFleur has yet to produce a Super Bowl team but winning 13 games each of his first years is impressive. Now he could become the first NFL head coach since 1970 to do it four consecutive seasons.

O’Connell, 37, has no track record as a head coach. “You have to give an advantage there in week one (to the Packers),” the source said.

O’Connell is an offensive-minded coach and that’s expected to benefit Cousins and the passing game. Since his hire early this year he has tried to make the team culture inclusive and comfortable for his players. Does that raise a question about whether he can discipline and control the locker room? “I think that’s going to be fine and I think they’re going to want to win for him,” the source said.

The Packers were knocked out of the playoffs last winter partially because of a blocked punt. Special teams was considered a team weakness and LaFleur has brought in a new coach (Rich Bisaccia) to direct that unit. Adding to the special teams uncertainty is veteran kicker Mason Crosby coming off of knee surgery and not playing in the preseason.

“I think the Vikings could have an advantage there with Greg Joseph who I think is coming off a good second half of last season,” the source said. “He had a really good camp. In preseason games he kicked a 58 yarder in Denver. So he’s got a lot of confidence.”

The Vikings’ special teams also feature kickoff returner Kene Nwangwu who had two returns for touchdowns last season. Recent acquisition Jalen Reagor is a hoped for upgrade in punt returning. Rookie punter Ryan Wright won the punting job from veteran incumbent Jordan Barry.

The NFL authority gives the edge to Minnesota’s special teams and sees another important factor in the Vikings’ favor. A frenzied crowd will provide the Vikings a home field advantage and make on-field communications challenging for the Packers.

Add everything up and it’s evident why this game, with the Packers favored by only about two points, could be a classic matchup of iconic franchises. “We know there’s a good chance that this game is going to come down to the very end,” O’Connell said.

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Hunter & Smith May Hold Vikings’ Fate

Posted on September 4, 2022September 6, 2022 by David Shama

Predictions about the Vikings’ final 2022 season record run to extremes. Sports Illustrated, for example, has Minnesota at 7-10 while national talk show host Colin Cowherd is giddy about the Purple shocking the NFL with a 13-4 record.

Reality is speculating on a final record before the first regular season game is even played is challenging. Of course, it’s also fun.

The Vikings didn’t use their starters in three winless preseason games, the norm now for NFL teams. The Purple forecasting assignment is also more difficult because of the team’s new coaching staff headed by Kevin O’Connell. He is a rookie head coach and unknown leader, although the Vikings have a staff that includes veteran assistants.

The team was 8-9 last season, missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year. Sports Illustrated almost nailed Minnesota’s final record in its football preview issue in 2021 (predicting 9-8) and made the correct call about missing the playoffs.

S.I. was on the money last year in forecasting a second-place finish in the NFC North but in 2022 believes the Vikings will finish third behind the 11-6 Packers and (gasp) the 9-8 Lions. S.I. sees a possible scenario where the Minnesota offense is “middling” and the defense falters in its comeback bid.

Kevin O’Connell photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

Cowherd likes O’Connell’s resume as the former offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl champion Rams. He projects O’Connell will be a big help to veteran QB Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota offense. Cowherd’s gushing about the Vikings includes the prediction they will upset the hated Packers in the season opening game for both teams September 11.

Before Cowherd tells his audience the Vikings will win the Super Bowl, I asked a former NFL front office executive to jump in and offer his thoughts. What’s a best-case scenario for the Purple?

“I think if they keep (Danielle) Hunter and (Za’Darius) Smith healthy, and Cousins has a pretty good year, I think they’re a 10-win team and make the playoffs,” the source said while asking that his name not be used.

The two outside linebackers (may also play defensive end) have big upsides as pass rushers but also histories of being sidelined with injuries. If healthy, Hunter and Smith can take a lot of pressure off the uncertain secondary that includes two inexperienced and vulnerable defenders, safety Camryn Bynum and corner Cam Dantzler.

Hunter and Smith will need rest during games, with subs Patrick Jones and D.J. Wonnum available off the bench. “If they lose those guys (Hunter and Smith), or even one of those guys, it’s going to make just a huge difference,” the source said.

The NFL authority also said Cousins will be a key to a best-case scenario for the season. The veteran must play better in “crunch time” than in the past for the Vikings to make or even exceed expectations.

The potential positives for 2022 improvement include the schedule. The Vikings play nine of their 17 games at home and have only 7 true road games. They play the Saints in London on October 2 in a neutral site game that figures to be an easier assignment than trying to win in New Orleans. “I think that’s a big advantage schedule wise,” the source said about where the 17 games will be played.

Worst-case scenario for the season? Injuries wreak havoc, the authority said, citing names like Hunter, Smith, linebacker Eric Kendricks, running back Dalvin Cook and wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen as difference makers the Vikings can’t afford to lose in large numbers. (Jefferson, BTW, is Sports Illustrated’s choice to be NFL Offensive Player of the Year.)

Troubles, too, could include stumbling in the transition to new offensive and defensive schemes. If the Vikings falter on the learning curve that could contribute to losing a lot of close games again. Minnesota lost eight one-score games in 2021.

Regarding a disappointing 2022, the source summarized it this way: “So I think the worst-case scenario is the injury bug hits them, and they have growing pains with the new schemes on offense and defense, and they lose close games like they did last year and that knocks them out of the playoffs.”

With that scenario, his prediction is the Vikings finish 7-10.

Golden Gophers Notes

Wyatt Gilmore and Riley Sunram are two high school players to follow as the Gophers pursue their 2024 football recruiting class. Both have been offered scholarships and recruiting authority Ryan Burns from GopherIllustrated offers praise.

Gilmore, from Rogers, Minnesota, projects as a defensive tackle with Minnesota. “…I think he is going to be a really good pass rusher,” Burns said.

Sunram, from Kindred, North Dakota near Fargo, projects as a defensive end. “Riley Sunram I think is going to be a pretty special player,” Burns said. “I think he could be one of the best players to come out of the Dakotas in the last handful of years.”

The Gophers’ recruiting class for 2023 is holding at 18 verbal commitments, per 247Sports. Burns believes it could be November before there are additions to the class, with the possibility Minnesota will add players at cornerback, linebacker and receiver.

Credit past decisions in the University of Minnesota athletic department allowing the Gophers to pay less than market rate guarantees for home games against their three nonconference opponents in 2022. The $1,250,000 total is less than some Power Five programs pay out for one nonconference game.

Not only did the Gophers shutout New Mexico State 38-0 in their opener last Thursday night, but they also kept the Aggies from making long gains most of the game. Defensive coordinator Joe Rossi said last season Minnesota allowed the fewest explosive plays in the nation.

The Gophers played two of their backup quarterbacks in the fourth quarter to finish out the game, Cole Kramer and Athan Kaliakmanis. Offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca said during training camp it wasn’t clear who would replace Tanner Morgan if he were injured.

Head coach P.J. Fleck praised both his top backups near the end of camp. He said Kramer, a redshirt junior, had a “phenomenal camp.” Regarding redshirt freshman Kaliakmanis the coach said, “I am really proud of the progress he’s made, and he’s going to be a really, really talented player.”

Former Gophers in their debuts for other programs: RB Bucky Irving started and ran for 13 yards on five attempts for Oregon Saturday in its 49-3 loss to Georgia. Also Saturday, QB Zack Annexstad started for Illinois State and threw an interception returned for 100 yards while playing most of the game in a 38-0 loss to Wisconsin. On Friday night RB Ky Thomas started for Kansas, running seven times for 19 yards in a 56-10 win over Tennessee Tech.

Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle said his department has about $21.5 million to pay back on a loan caused by drastically reduced revenues during the pandemic. He also estimated the debt still owed on the Athletes Village in the $38 to $40 million range.

“Athletes Village has been an absolute game changer for our program,” Coyle said. “We call it the wow factor when a recruit comes into your building and they have a chance to walk through this facility. It’s good when they pull out their cell phones and they start taking pictures.”

Coyle plans to attend Lindsay Whalen’s induction Friday into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The legendary former Gophers and Lynx guard will join over 300 inductees in the basketball shrine in Springfield, Mass. Ex-Gopher and NBA star Lou Hudson is also part of the 2022 and will be inducted posthumously.

Coyle said Gopher athletes now have a 96 percent graduate rate, the highest ever at Minnesota. He also estimated that last school year over 130 of his athletes benefitted from more than 260 Name, Image and Likeness deals.

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