Minnesota
5 bold predictions for the Minnesota Vikings after the bye
![5 bold predictions for the Minnesota Vikings after the bye 5 bold predictions for the Minnesota Vikings after the bye](https://www.si.com/.image/t_share/MTkzMjEyNTU0Mjc5OTIxNTcx/usatsi_19093835_168397563_lowres.jpg)
The Minnesota Vikings have been higher than anticipated in 2022. Then once more, they’ve additionally been worse. With a 5-1 report, they seem like a legit contenders within the NFC, however whenever you watch their video games they do not constantly move the attention take a look at. In essence, the Vikings have been the NFL’s model of Kombucha. Candy at occasions, bitter the following, first rate at first and bitter on the finish.
Vikings followers understand how this story goes, however they’re hoping for a special ending in 2022. So what are the probabilities they will flip the script? Listed here are some daring predictions to assist us discover out.
1. Christian Darrisaw will make the All-Professional crew
When SI’s Albert Breer reported that Darrisaw was drawing Trent Williams comparisons throughout coaching camp, it was straightforward to dismiss as coach converse. Darrisaw was coming into his second season and Williams is on observe to changing into a first-ballot Corridor of Fame participant, however to date, Darrisaw has validated these claims.
Coming into Week 7, Darrisaw ranks sixth in PFF’s pass-blocking grades and fifth in pass-blocking effectivity. He is allowed three quarterback pressures over his final 4 video games and has two video games the place he hasn’t allowed a single stress.
It was secure to imagine Darrisaw was going to take a leap this yr, however no one thought it will be this large. Darrisaw seems to be a cornerstone of the offensive line and could possibly be the Vikings’ finest left deal with since Bryant McKinnie (and even Gary Zimmerman) was defending the blind facet.
2. Danielle Hunter will lead the Vikings in sacks
Whereas Darrisaw has been one of the vital nice surprises on the Vikings, Hunter could also be seen as a disappointment. The star edge rusher has simply 16 pressures and three sacks by means of the primary six video games, however there ought to be optimism that Hunter can flip it round.
PFF at the moment charts Hunter’s pass-rush win charge at 17.2%, thirty fifth amongst qualifying edge rushers with 20 p.c of the league lead in pass-rushing snaps. Za’Darius Smith leads the Vikings with a 22% win charge over the primary six video games, which is the very best charge on the crew.
The distinction between the 2 gamers is not that far off and it is also not too removed from Hunter’s profession win charge. In 2021, Hunter ranked tenth within the NFL with a 20.1% win charge. When he posted his highest general defensive grade in 2019, he had an 18% win charge. He had a 15.8% win charge in 2018 and nonetheless wound up with 13.5 sacks.
So what’s the issue? It could possibly be Hunter’s tackling. Hunter at the moment has a 20% missed deal with charge this season in comparison with 6.1% in 2021 and 6.6% in 2019. This could possibly be a residual impact from a season-ending pectoral damage final season and Hunter might get stronger because the season goes alongside.
If Hunter can end his alternatives, he ought to have the ability to problem Smith for the crew lead in sacks.
3. The Vikings will add a receiver down the stretch
Many Vikings followers are fantasizing about Odell Beckham Jr., but it surely is likely to be extra reasonable for the Vikings to scour the marketplace for another receiver forward of the commerce deadline.
Scroll to Proceed
Justin Jefferson at the moment leads the Vikings with 636 receiving yards however Adam Thielen is the following closest participant with 284 yards. With Ok.J. Osborn and Irv Smith trying extra like complementary items, perhaps the Vikings will look across the league for different choices like D.J. Moore, Chase Claypool or Elijah Moore.
D.J. Moore’s price ticket could possibly be out of the Vikings’ vary after ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the Carolina Panthers view him as “a foundational piece” of their roster, however Claypool or Moore could possibly be acquired so as to add one other layer of depth at receiver.
The Vikings might additionally simply throw warning to the wind and kick cash down the highway on a possible deal for Beckham. The entrance workplace has proven a willingness so as to add void years to contracts – such because the $2.25 million they’re going to pay Thielen in 2025 – and Beckham is the identify that would present the most important affect even when he isn’t able to play till December.
O’Connell’s previous expertise with Beckham confirmed that you would be able to by no means have sufficient receivers and with the passing offense in a rut, it is a good wager that the Vikings will add somebody within the coming weeks.
4. Brian Asamoah will unseat Jordan Hicks at linebacker
Keep in mind, these are daring predictions. On that notice, Hicks owns the third-lowest defensive grade on the crew in keeping with PFF and his protection grade is 79th amongst 82 qualifying linebackers. With Hicks trying a step gradual on movie, it is curious as to why the Vikings did not carry again Anthony Barr, who’s on a less expensive contract ($1.9 million) and has higher grades with the Dallas Cowboys.
Regardless, the Vikings have to contemplate giving Asamoah extra enjoying time as his 8.9 relative athletic score and 4.56-second time within the 40-yard sprint might add a component of velocity to the protection.
If the Vikings are going to proceed to play a passive model of protection, they’re going to want one thing higher at linebacker. There’s all the time a cause why coaches are hesitant to belief rookies however Asamoah ought to at the least see extra time on the sector if the protection goes to enhance.
5. The Vikings will earn home-field benefit within the playoffs
Not even probably the most optimistic of Vikings followers would have believed this was a chance originally of the season, but it surely’s a aim that is inside attain after a 5-1 begin.
The Vikings have a number of winnable video games down the stretch and if they will handle enterprise, they need to at the least be a 10-win crew. The important thing can be video games in opposition to Dallas, New England, the New York Jets and Giants, and a rematch with the Packers. In the event that they go 3-2 in these 5 video games, they’ve a superb probability to be a 13-win crew with room for extra.
After all, that may imply leaping the Philadelphia Eagles, who technically have a two-game lead over the Vikings by advantage of their Week 2 victory in Philadelphia. The Eagles have some robust video games of their very own down the stretch, nonetheless, together with two video games in opposition to the Giants and a matchup on the highway with the Cowboys and a visit to Indianapolis the place Nick Sirianni labored below Frank Reich as his offensive coordinator.
It is unlikely that the Eagles would stumble sufficient to cough up home-field benefit but it surely’s inside attain. That is a far cry from the place the Vikings have been over the previous two seasons and may lead the highway to the Tremendous Bowl going by means of Minneapolis.
![](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np-logo.png)
Minnesota
US Speaker of the House campaigns in Minnesota
![US Speaker of the House campaigns in Minnesota US Speaker of the House campaigns in Minnesota](https://kstp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SPEAKER-JOHNSON-IN-MPLS_SOT_00.00.17.28.jpg)
Amid tight security, Rep. Mike Johnson, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, arrived in Minnesota Sunday to drum up support for Joe Teirab — the Republican challenger looking to unseat incumbent Democrat Angie Craig in the 2nd Congressional District race.
Johnson used the back entrance of the burned-out Minneapolis 3rd Police Precinct building as the backdrop for his media event.
That building is not in the 2nd Congressional District, but Johnson used it to point out what he called Governor Tim Walz’s “failed policies.” Walz is now the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee along with Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Tim Walz and Democrats in Minneapolis allowed Minneapolis to burn for nearly an entire day before doing at all,” said Johnson. “From their records on the riots and crime, to the economy, to the woke ideology and to the border, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are simply too extreme for the American people.”
Teirab called Craig a “lock-step for the failed Biden-Harris agenda.”
“That’s what’s caused this mess, a power vacuum. We need to end that,” said Teirab. “We’re going to end that on day one when we elect Donald J. Trump as president, and we’re going to end that on day one when we grow the Republican House majority, and that’s why I am proud to be in the fight.”
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reached out to Craig’s office for a comment but has not yet heard back.
Minnesota
Minnesota State Fair breaks attendance record first two days
![Minnesota State Fair breaks attendance record first two days Minnesota State Fair breaks attendance record first two days](https://cdn.forumcomm.com/dims4/default/a7c1af2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1000x667+0+0/resize/1598x1066!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fforum-communications-production-web.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F11%2Fab%2F7f720a7d444b85a579417a7e3558%2Fmpr-fair.jpg)
FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. — The first two days of the Minnesota State Fair were blockbusters, setting new records for the popular event.
On opening day, Thursday, Aug. 22, 138,875 visitors streamed through turnstiles. On Friday, a 171,233 people strolled the Midway, ate corn dogs and gaped at crop art.
Traditionally, the first Saturday of the fair is even more popular. Last year, more than 212,000 visitors attended Day 3 of the fair.
The overall daily attendance record was set on Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018, with 270,426 people.
Minnesota
Minnesota Lynx Olympian’s Odd Stat Line vs. Caitlin Clark, Fever
![Minnesota Lynx Olympian’s Odd Stat Line vs. Caitlin Clark, Fever Minnesota Lynx Olympian’s Odd Stat Line vs. Caitlin Clark, Fever](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5512,h_3100,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_cardinal/01j64970p8a5bj4yb8b8.jpg)
Former Stanford Cardinal, current Minnesota Lynx star, and a bronze medalist in the Paris Olympics, Alanna Smith has a pretty solid resumé. Yet, in the Lynx 90-80 win over Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on Saturday night, her stat line was a bit perplexing.
She started, and recorded 27 minutes played with four rebounds, five assists and two blocks, but she didn’t score a single point in those 27 minutes. On the season she’s averaging 11 points per game, so that’s not unheard of. She has gone scoreless in the past. Everyone has a cold night.
But that wasn’t the case here. Smith didn’t even attempt a shot in this game. No field goals, no three pointers, no free throws. Zero points.
This felt odd, so we looked into it a bit further. The last time that Alanna Smith didn’t shoot the ball at least once, it was back in 2021 when she was with the Phoenix Mercury, a team that also touted (and still touts) Diana Taurasi and Britney Griner. This was on August 31, and Smith played all of two minutes.
At that point in her WNBA career, Smith had not yet started a game, but this season she has started 30 of her team’s 30 games. One caveat here is that the Lynx were on the back-end of a back-to-back, and Smith had tallied 33 minutes in the previous game, along with 15 points.
Even without attempting a shot on Saturday, Smith was still able to post a +14 in her time on the floor after putting up a +18 the night before, so her impact was certainly felt on the court, it just came in a different way.
With the win, the Minnesota Lynx have clinched a spot in the WNBA playoffs and currently hold the third seed, a half-game back of the Connecticut Sun for the two seed, and three back of the New York Liberty for the top spot. The Lynx have ten games remaining on their schedule, with their next contest scheduled for Wednesday August 28 against Taurasi, Griner, and the Phoenix Mercury.
-
Minnesota1 week ago
Readers and writers: Plenty of thrills and danger in these Minnesota author’s mysteries
-
Fitness1 week ago
A Guide to Pottruck Health and Fitness Center
-
Technology4 days ago
Breakthrough robo-glove gives you superhuman grip
-
Politics1 week ago
Trump assassination attempt: Secret Service makes big change to former president's outdoor rally security
-
News1 week ago
Video: Biden and Harris Announce Deal to Lower Drug Prices
-
Politics1 week ago
Youngkin takes victory lap against 'losing states' as Virginia marks $1B surplus: 'The playbook works'
-
News1 week ago
Over 100 of Donald Trump’s companies make no money: Financial disclosures
-
Politics1 week ago
House Oversight investigating Walz over 'longstanding connections' to China