All Things 2025 Minnesota Vikings In-Season Thread

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X going all crazy over this, can't say I really blame the angry mob, especially because it's attached to ESPN. It seems most everything ESPN touches goes to shit.

 





Vikes injury updates via KOC
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Kevin O'Connell Shares Hopeful Update on Harrison Smith Ahead of Vikings Opener

The Vikings may have veteran safety Harrison Smith back on the field in time for their Week 1 game against the Bears on Monday night. Though he didn't practice Wednesday, Smith is expected to try and play.
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The Minnesota Vikings secondary may get a huge boost for their opener against the Chicago Bearson Monday night.

Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell shared an update that safety Harrison Smith participated in a team walkthrough

Wednesday and is ramping up potentially to play at Soldier Field.

Smith, of course, has been away from the team from the team as he tends to an undisclosed personal injury that has kept him out of practice and the preseason since Aug. 11.

The veteran is set to enter his 14th season and is coming off another stalwart season where he had 87 tackles, three interceptions and 10 passes defended, while helping Minnesota reach the playoffs with a 14-3 record.

What Did Kevin O’Connell Say About Harrison Smith’s Return?​

O’Connell tempered all expectations by saying Smith did not practice Wednesday, but he did participate in the team’s walkthrough.

“The hope is we can ramp him up,” O’Connell said. “He’s back in the building and meetings and building up his workload for the week. We’ll see where he’s at throughout the remainder of the week.”

Smith is being listed by ESPN as questionable, though the Vikings have not divulged their injury report for Week 1 yet. The Vikings have remained mum on his injury other than reports that his injury was “not mental-health related” per the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and that it was not expected to be a long-term situation.
Smith has played at least 90 percent of the Vikings’ defensive snaps in every year in his career, and he played 94 percent of the team’s defensive snaps — despite missing Minnesota’s 27-24 win in Week 16 against the Seattle Seahawks.

Having Smith available against the Bears would be particularly advantageous, since he is one of the best safeties at defending the run in the NFL, and the Bears are expected to lean heavily on D’Andre Swift and mobile quarterback Caleb Williams to open up their passing attack.

Smith earned a 76.5 run-defense grade from Pro Football Focus in 2024, the 27th-best mark among 171 safeties to qualify — even at age 35.

What Did Kevin O’Connell Say About The Vikings’ Injured Players?​

Aside from Smith, the Vikings are holding their breath on left tackle Christian Darrisaw and wide receiver Jalen Nailor. O’Connell was asked about Darrisaw’s status, since he practiced Wednesday and is recovering from a season-ending knee injury last year.

“He looks really good,” O’Connell said. “He’s had some really, really good progression days.

“We’ll see how he feels. Ultimately, Christian is such an important player to our team that we want to make sure we’re smart about the plan. But he’s earned the right, by all the things he’s done, there’s no reason to make the decision for any other reason for what is best for [Darrisaw] and he’s going to be heavily involved in that.”

O’Connell cited the Vikings’ long season, and their off-kilter early-season schedule that includes consecutive games across the pond in Great Britain, as factors that could affect whether they hold Darrisaw out ahead of their Sunday Night Football game against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2.

“Knowing we’ve got 17 games, including a short week next week and ultimately our trip overseas there’s got to be a big-picture mindset to a player of Christian’s caliber,” O’Connell said. “Our jobs are to make sure we’re doing what’s best for the team for the greater duration of 17-plus games. What that means for Monday night, I don’t know.”
 








kg21 said:
Lions at Packers

Go Lions!
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I have some action, some fairly strong positions, shorting the Lions and with GB/MN finishing 1st and 2nd in the NFC North, either order would be extremely beneficial. So I hate to say it but Go Green Bay.

GophersInIowa said:
Correction, go meteor!
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This is always, always, ALWAYS the correct answer.
 




gophersfan said:
The Los Angeles Chargers just beat the Kansas City Chiefs. What a game.
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At some point the chiefs have to have the opposite side of the coin and lose these one score games consistently across a season. LA looked like clearly the better team all night.
 

Ogie Ogilthorpe said:
X going all crazy over this, can't say I really blame the angry mob, especially because it's attached to ESPN. It seems most everything ESPN touches goes to shit.
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So, do you watch the Masters on ESPN during their 1st & 2nd Round coverage? Sounds like the Augusta broadcasts have about the same limited commercial inventory as they planning for Red Zone?

In general I don't get the disdain for ESPN on this matter. Blame Zygi Wilf and his 31 other NFL Ownership group cohorts who each are netting 10s of millions of righteous bucks for selling out. Think it would have been any different if FOX, NBC/Peacock or any other broadcast partner won the bid?

Anyone with a DVR can avoid commercials anyway.
 

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