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Norse Code Podcast Episode 566: The Burn Book

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*****Download Episode Here*****

Time stamps:

  • Carson Wentz (05:04)
  • 53-Man Roster (64:23)
  • Rest of the Mailbag (77:10)

Episode Notes:


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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...ode-podcast-episode-episode-566-the-burn-book
 
Vikings Awarded No Players on Waivers, Two Former Vikings Claimed

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The waiver claims are starting to roll in after today’s 11:00 AM Central deadline, and the team was not awarded any players during the waiver process, while two of the players they waived yesterday were claimed by other teams.

One former Viking got claimed by the team with the highest waiver priority, as linebacker Dorian Mausi was picked up by the Tennessee Titans. The other player was defensive back Reddy Steward, who was claimed by the Dallas Cowboys.

This means that all of the other players who were waived by the Vikings ahead of Tuesday’s 53-man roster deadline have cleared waivers and can come back to the practice squad for the Vikings if they should choose to bring them back.

Once again, it’s important to point out that the fact that the Vikings were not awarded any players on waivers does not mean that they didn’t put in any claims. They are down in the bottom part of the waiver priority list, so they could have put claims in on numerous players only to have those claims overridden by teams ahead of them on the list.

With the waiver process complete, all 32 NFL teams can start constructing their practice squads, and we’re tracking any potential signings for the Vikings on our Practice Squad Tracker.
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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...players-on-waivers-two-former-vikings-claimed
 
Ranking the Anticipation

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***NOTE: As I was posting this, word came down that Adam Thielen is back. Take the level of excitement below and add a heavy dose of Mark McGwire’s late ’90s vitamin regimen***

The anticipation has reached a crescendo! Of course, it always does this time of year. With the preseason slate in the rearview, fans of all 32 NFL teams bend their minds into a pretzel to engage in scenarios/delusions where their team somehow manages to lift the Lombardi Trophy come February. Everyone is tied for 1st place on Labor Day, after all.

For maybe 40% of those fan bases, there’s a legitimate degree of realism tied to the optimism. It’s not…inconceivable. Fortunately, our Vikings are firmly situated in this group. We’re coming off a 14-win season, led by the reigning NFL Coach of the Year, with a consensus Top 10 (if not Top 5) roster, and, if not for the Cousins injury in 2023, could be aiming for a fourth consecutive playoff appearance. That resume alone justifies the enthusiasm. Add to this the excitement that comes with a highly touted, Top 10 selected, first-time starting QBOTF in J.J. McCarthy, and visions of a deep playoff run come as naturally as me adding an unnecessary final leg to an otherwise winning parlay. Think Patrick Mahomes in 2018. Jayden Daniels last year. Only…better? A Super Bowl appearance? Yes, stranger things have happened.

The euphoria is palpable. In June, a SB Nation poll here at the DN found 48% of Vikings fans were already pumped for the season, with another 20% planning to get on board the hype train by the start of training camp. A July survey from The Athletic echoed this sentiment, with positive vibes recorded for the team’s leadership, direction, and outlook (projected average of 10 wins vs. just 6.5 in 2024). Similarly, fans were excited about J.J. McCarthy’s prospects and the potential of the improved offensive line. On social media, the optimism seems out of place given Vikings fans’ muscle memory and their historical, passionate love affair with doom. Like Tom tiptoeing across the room to grab a piece of cake, knowing Jerry is somewhere waiting to drop an anvil on his head.

Yes, we’ve been here before. The question is: Where does the anticipation for the 2025 season rank historically? It’s a fun game to play while waiting out the tedious final days before the games count for real. For this exercise, let’s focus on the modern NFL era, starting from 1980 onwards.

Top 5 Contenders:

1988 Season (Joe Montana Who?)

Reason for optimism: While going 8-7 in a strike-shortened, chaotic 1987 season, Jerry Burns’s scrappy bunch flipped the switch in the playoffs and turned into conquering road warriors, convincingly defeating the 12-3 Saints and handing Joe Montana his first-ever home playoff loss. To this day, the 36-24 whooping of the 13-2 49ers stands as the most impressive Vikings postseason victory of the post-1980 era. Of course, we came up just short in the NFC Championship Game against Washington (the eventual Super Bowl winner), but the table was set and the excitement sky-high to finish the job next season.

Result: A nice 11-5 season, anchored by a lights-out defense, and a Wild Card win against a good Rams team. But Joe Montana was Joe Montana, and the ’80s 49ers were a dynasty for a reason. 34-9 and that’s all she wrote. In perfect Vikings fashion, it would be even uglier against the Niners in the playoffs the following year.

1994 Season (Expectations to the Moon)

Reason for optimism: After two straight Wild Card appearances under new coach Dennis Green came up short, it was clear the team needed an offensive infusion. Scoring a combined 17 points in two playoff games wasn’t cutting it. Enter Hall of Famer Warren Moon, Mr. Video Game Offense himself. Man, was I pumped for this.

See rake. Step on the rake. Rinse. Repeat.

Result: A fine season: 10-6 and winning the NFL Central. But been there, done that. It was about the playoffs. Thirty years on, I’m still confused about that embarrassing 35-18 home loss to freakin’ Steve Walsh and the Bears. It was the uniformly perfect collapse. Moon played poorly; the defense looked as if there were eight guys out there, with no one able to tackle, block, or muster anything worthy of the moment.

1999 Season (Revenge for Gary)

Reason for optimism: 27 years on, I still think we beat the Falcons 8 out of 10 times that year. People forget they were 14-2; they beat a strong, Steve Young-led, 12-4 Niners team the week before. This tends to be lost in the discussion. It didn’t matter. The Vikings were the team of destiny—the record-breaking offensive juggernaut. Of course, we run it back in 1999. We get revenge for Gary Anderson.

Result: Despite Randall Cunningham quickly falling back to Earth, Jeff George appears and goes 8-2 for a 10-6 finish. A convincing Wild Card win against an aging (but still dangerous) Dallas Cowboys team got the purple neurons activated (We’re doing it!!!). Yeah, no. In perfect Vikings fashion, we bow out against the evil twin version of ourselves in the St. Louis Rams – a steamroller that came out of nowhere to steal our identity and Super Bowl championship.

2010 Season (Brett Rhymes with Regret)

Reason for optimism: See 1999. If not 8 out of 10 times, then damn close in terms of how many times we’d beat the Saints if given the opportunity. We outgained them 475 to 257 and held Drew Brees to under 200 yards passing (at the Superdome). I’ve said it here before: Only the perfect combination of unlucky bounces, bad decisions, and Bobby “the Brain” Heenan-level heel tactics could cost us this one. Five turnovers (-4 differential), capped off by the ill-fated, across-the-body Brett Favre interception. Twelve men in the huddle. Bountygate. Only we could check all the boxes. It sucked, but once Favre decided to run it back, the theme was revenge. Take no prisoners. 2010 was our year…finally.

Result: LOL. Murphy’s Law, baby! Favre’s natural, age-related decline was acerbated by the legal assault he suffered the prior January. The defense regressed. Brad Childress burned through the goodwill of two consecutive division titles so fast that Usain Bolt would be in awe. He didn’t even make it to Thanksgiving. Vikings fans were thankful when the nightmare season was finally over.

2018 Season (Cousins as the Missing Piece. To what? Still TBD)

Reason for optimism: If Case Keenan got us to the NFC Championship Game, Kirk Cousins lifts the Lombardi. That was the mindset. Simple. Nothing more, nothing less. Like the Pet Rock, Vanilla Ice, Harley-Davidson Perfume, or high school yearbook photos, people look back and ponder, “WTF were we thinking?”

Result: LOL, Part II. It started fine: 4-2-1 with a nice revenge win at Philadelphia in Week 5. Then we were 6-6-1. Then we needed to beat the Bears at home in Week 17 just to make the damn playoffs. Cousins? 20/33 for 132 yards, 1 TD, and a 23.5 QBR. The lone highlight was the famous argument with Adam Thielen on the sidelines.

Conclusion

I say this after walking away from the keyboard and giving it some thought. I genuinely put my anticipation for the 2025 season only behind that of 1999. Yeah, I said it. The rest? I’d probably go: 2010, 1988, 1994, then 2018. On the surface, this sounds absurd – we didn’t even win a playoff game last year. However, I mentioned it before, something feels different. The usual reflexive biases aren’t driving it. It feels unique and genuine, driven by established on-and off-the-field leadership, proven roster talent, and an unwavering belief that J.J. McCarthy is the real deal. The trend is also our friend, as Year 4 is historically a sweet spot for an NFL head coach’s tenure. Active HCs were a combined 99-47 in their 4th year, which includes Kyle Shanahan, who posted a 6-10 record due to an insane 166.6 adjusted games (AGL) lost to injury or COVID, the second-highest total in two decades.

The thrill of the chase keeps us going. At some point, the payoff will arrive. If not, well, we’ve had the football version of a cartoon anvil dropped on our head so many times it’ll feel like a feather.

So, how are we feeling? How does the anticipation for 2025 rank for you? Any past seasons I miss?

With that, I’ll see everyone next time with a look at Week 1 of the NFL season. We made it!
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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...anking-anticipation-minnesota-vikings-seasons
 
Vikings Officially Announce 16 Practice Squad Signings

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We had been tracking the practice squad signings for the Minnesota Vikings for most of the afternoon, and now the team has officially announced that they have signed 16 players. Nearly all of them went through training camp with the Vikings, but there are a couple of new faces among the group.

The team’s practice squad currently looks like this:

  • OL Henry Byrd
  • WR Dontae Fleming
  • S Kahlef Hailassie
  • DL Jonathan Harris
  • WR Lucky Jackson
  • WR Jeshaun Jones
  • WR Tim Jones
  • OL Vershon Lee
  • CB Fabian Moreau
  • OLB Gabriel Murphy
  • TE Bryson Nesbit
  • OL Max Pircher (International Player)
  • DL Taki Taimani
  • TE Nick Vannett
  • RB Xazavian Valladay
  • CB Zemaiah Vaughn

Moreau spent part of last season with the Vikings, appearing in seven games, primarily on special teams. He could provide some cornerback depth to a group that, at least on the surface, appears that they could use it.

The Vikings did sign a player from the International Player Partnership Program, but it was not punter Oscar Chapman, who went through training camp with the Vikings and ultimately lost the punting job to Ryan Wright. Instead, they used that spot on offensive lineman Max Pircher, who comes to the National Football League via Italy. Pircher started his professional career with Swarco Raiders Tirol of the Austrian Football League, and started in the IPPP with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. He was on the practice squad of the Rams team that won a Super Bowl while Kevin O’Connell was the team’s offensive coordinator.

Pircher’s time with the Rams lasted two seasons. From there, he spent time on the practice squads of the Detroit Lions (2023), Cincinnati Bengals (2024), and Washington Commanders (2024).

The Vikings using a practice squad spot on Pircher means that they still have room for one more player on the practice squad, as being an international player gives Pircher an exemption. We’ll have to see who the Vikings have in mind for that final spot.

For now, however, this is what the Vikings’ practice squad looks like. Any thoughts on this group, folks?
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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne.../minnesota-vikings-16-practice-squad-signings
 
Vikes Views: Which Preason Move Surprised You The Most?

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The Minnesota Vikings are still tinkering with the 53-man roster and Practice Squad. There were some semi-surprising moves made by the team. Which one surprised you the most?

Harrison Phillips Trade

Phillips was a popular player in Minnesota. He started all 17 games in all 3 seasons since joining the Vikings from the Buffalo Bills. Phillips was traded to the New York Jets making room for Jalen Redmond on the depth chart.

Adam Thielen Trade

The Thielen trade, for me, seemed like a social media push rather than an actual push until about a week ago. It makes a lot of sense on paper. The position is thin and Thielen can help this offense immediately.

Sam Howell Trade

Howell was a QB who had some promise. He played well for the Washington Commanders, leading the league in passing deep into the 2023 season. Howell was outplayed by undrafted rookie Max Brosmer and 2023 is a long time ago in NFL years.

Max Brosmer Making 53 Man Roster

It’s hard enough to make the roster when you’re drafted. Brosmer outplayed the veterans Howell and Brett Rypien. He proved he deserved a roster spot and fits nicely with the group of JJ McCarthy and Carson Wentz.

Gabriel Murphy Cut and Making it Through Waivers

Murphy joined the Vikings practice squad this week. He was a surprise cut to many and even more surprisingly, wasn’t claimed on waivers. Glad to see he’s sticking around in Minnesota.

Carson Wentz Signing

Wentz would’ve been a very popular player had he started his career in Minnesota. There are still a lot of NDSU fans excited to see him in purple. We’re hoping not to see too much of Wentz this year, but if he needs to step in, he is capable of leading the offense.
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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...ews-which-preason-move-surprised-you-the-most
 
Minnesota Vikings News and Links: Are Four Cornerbacks Enough?

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Well, the final 53 and practice squad is set. I think it is a little strange to only have 4 corners on the actice roster amd 2 on the practice squad. This cant be final right? They need at least one more on the 53 man roster IMHO. Maybe they think of the corners that are on the practice squad is enough?

I asked Google Gemini (and ChatGPT) this …

How many times have nfl teams only had 4 cornerbacks on the final 53 man roster?

Here is the response …

Information on the exact number of times NFL teams have kept only four cornerbacks on their final 53-man roster is not a readily available statistic. This kind of data would require a comprehensive historical analysis of every NFL team’s roster for every season, which is not compiled in a public, easily searchable database.

However, based on general knowledge of NFL roster construction and recent news, here’s what we do know:

It is rare, but it happens. Teams typically carry 5-7 cornerbacks on their 53-man roster, as the position is crucial for depth and special teams. Four is considered a very low number, and it often signals that the team either has a great deal of confidence in its top players or plans to add more cornerbacks after the initial roster is set (e.g., from waiver claims).

A recent example: A recent news report from August 2025 indicated that the Minnesota Vikings had only four cornerbacks on their initial 53-man roster. This is a good example of this practice in action.

Roster trends vary. The number of players a team keeps at each position can change based on the team’s defensive scheme, the talent on the roster, and the emphasis on special teams. Some teams might prioritize having more defensive linemen or linebackers, while others might stack up on defensive backs.

… I have to believe they have a player in mind besides the two on the practice squad.

Minnesota Vikings News and Links​


Vikings Pay ‘Heavy Price’ in Adam Thielen Trade

The Vikings sent a conditional 2026 fifth-round pick and 2027 fourth-rounder to the Carolina Panthers for Thielen, a conditional 2026 seventh-round selection and 2027 fifth-round pick

“This is a pretty heavy price for the Vikings to pay,” Breer posted on X. “But they initiated the talks, and had to get the Panthers on board.”


New Details Emerge from Adam Thielen Trade

If Thielen doesn’t play much — presumably because of an injury — Minnesota’s 7th-Rounder would morph into a 6th-Rounder. It’s conditional.

Charlotte Observer‘s Mike Kaye tweeted, ‘Per league source, conditions for the 7th round pick heading to Vikings from Panthers: Becomes a 2026 sixth-round pick if Adam Thielen is not active for 10 games or not on 53-man roster for 14 games. He played 10 games last year, fwiw, while dealing with a hamstring injury.”

Kaye also added, “The Panthers got the equivalent of a fourth-round pick for a 35-year-old WR on a lame-duck deal and saved $7 million, while negotiating with one team that cut that same guy two years ago.”

It’s essentially a 4th-Rounder for Thielen, a steep price.


Adam Thielen trade grades: Vikings deserve praise for reuniting with WR; questions arise for Panthers

Vikings: B+
This is a move that certainly deserves a pat on the back for the Vikings. Not only are they reuniting with one of the best route runners of this era, but the Vikings are making sure they have a No. 2 wideout in place while Jordan Addison serves his three-game suspension. This is the best-case scenario for J.J. McCarthy as well, as Thielen is one of the most reliable receivers out there, a perfect complementary piece for a young quarterback learning the ropes of playing in the NFL.

For the first three weeks, the Vikings will have Thielen to pair with Justin Jefferson. They also will have Jalen Nailor in the slot to get them by until Addison returns (assuming Nailor recovers from his hand injury). Minnesota will have one of the deeper wide receiver trios in the league once Addison returns, having Jefferson, Addison and Thielen to complement McCarthy for the rest of the season. The Vikings will also have T.J. Hockenson at tight end, giving McCarthy more than enough pass catchers to succeed. Parting ways with a 2026 fifth-round pick and 2027 fourth-round pick was costly, but necessary to make sure their quarterback has enough wide receivers on the outside to start the season.

The Vikings are giving McCarthy everything he needs to develop into a good quarterback. This is up to McCarthy to take advantage of the pass catchers at his disposal.

Panthers: C
The draft capital was too great for the Panthers to pass on trading Thielen, getting a 2026 fifth-round pick and 2027 fourth-round pick to part ways with a 35-year-old wide receiver toward the end of his career. From a front office perspective, trading Thielen makes plenty of sense.

For the development of Young, it makes little sense. Thielen was crucial toward Young’s success at the end of last season, as Young finished with 10 touchdowns to zero turnovers in the final three games (the first quarterback since Drew Brees in 2019 to have those numbers in the final three games). Young had a 102.9 passer rating Thielen last season, the second-highest of any of his pass catchers he threw 30+ attempts to.


MN Vikings Were Sniffing Around Another WR

While they were engaging with the Carolina Panthers on Adam Thielen though, the Vikings were also looking elsewhere. It would never have been smart to have all of their eggs in one basket.

Jalen Nailor has been injured for weeks and recently underwent surgery. Jordan Addison is suspended for three weeks. That adds up to MN Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell having opportunities on offense. Kendrick Bourne was someone that intrigued the Vikings, and now he’s on the open market.


MN Vikings Wide Receiver Went Under the Knife

During joint practices with the New England Patriots Jalen Nailor was on the field for the Vikings in a red no-contact jersey. He suffered a hand injury and has been out of action. Darren “Doogie” Wolfson shared an update on Skor North’s Purple Daily.

“Did Jalen Nailor undergo surgery on the left hand? I can tell you, there was a procedure done with the idea to be back for Week 1. I think, when the injury report comes out (Saturday September 6th) two days prior to the Monday night opener…I would imagine Jalen Nailor is listed as questionable. Now, if he can ramp things up in practice a day or two prior, maybe probable. I’m just thinking wide receiver, hand, that’s a tricky injury. The idea is, when you undergo a procedure to get back sooner, if he just lets it heal, he absolutely misses Week 1. There is this idea that Nailor is doing well, right now, with the hope to play Week 1 in Chicago.”
Darren Wolfson – Purple Daily
…
While Wolfson suggested that he thinks Nailor could be ready for Week 1, The Athletic’s Alec Lewis is still up in the air about that being a possibility.

“What they did not plan for is Jalen Nailor jamming his left hand in the second day of joint practices. Now, you ask, will Jalen be back for the first game? To me, I’m not totally sure one way or another. I wouldn’t go strong on it one way or another from what I’ve heard. If you don’t have him for Week 1, it places even more importance on the need for additional depth in the spot.”
Alec Lewis


NFL Insider Boldly Predicts a Vikings RB1 Change

Last season Aaron Jones was healthy and played all 17 games for the Minnesota Vikings. He’ll be 31 years old this season and banking on that reality to replicate itself is not a good bet. ESPN’s Dan Graziano doesn’t believe he’ll be the bell cow though.

The Vikings love Aaron Jones Sr. If you’ve ever talked to Jones, you know why. He is a great player and a great guy to have in your locker room. But he’s also 30 years old and coming off a 322-touch season.

The Vikings traded for Mason, the former 49ers back who they believe adds an explosive element to their run game. So far, they’ve been thrilled with Mason’s play, and they envision a pretty even split in running back duties this season between him and Jones. But during some Christian McCaffrey absences in San Francisco, Mason did show the ability to function as more than just part of a tandem. He ran for 789 yards on 153 carries last season. So it’s not hard to picture a scenario in which the Vikings decide to lean more on him as the season goes along. Again, nothing against Jones — this could just be the natural evolution of things in Minnesota.
…
If the Minnesota Vikings want to maximize Jones though, the goal should be to keep him fresh. Although he was active for every game last year, there were more than a few maladies he had to overcome. That’s part of the game but it doesn’t necessarily foster future success.


Again, we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:

  • No discussion of politics or religion
  • No feeding of the trolls
  • Leave the gender hatred at the door
  • Keep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)
  • Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tags
  • No pictures that could get someone fired or in serious trouble with their employer
  • If you can’t disagree in a civil manner, feel free to go away
  • While navigating the open thread, just assume it’s sarcasm
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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...gs-news-and-links-are-four-cornerbacks-enough
 
Vikings Reacts Survey: How Optimistic Are You Now?

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Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Vikings fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Alright, folks. . .it’s a little later than I would have wanted it to be, but things got a bit lost between the roster deadline and other things that were happening. But now it’s time for our latest SB Nation Reacts survey about the Minnesota Vikings, so let’s get to it.

Now that the rosters have been set and everything is pointing towards Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season, we want to know what your level of optimism is about the purple for this season. Are you more optimistic than you were earlier in the year? Or have you soured on the team a bit?

Our other question has to do with the new quarterback situation for the Vikings. We know the team signed Carson Wentz to fill out the depth chart with J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer, but now we want to know who you think the primary backup to McCarthy should be going forward. I have a feeling that I know the answer to this one, but we’ll throw it out there anyway.

As always, we invite you to cast your vote in our poll and make your voice heard in the comments section. We’ll have the answers to these questions at some point over the holiday weekend.

Have at it, ladies and gentlemen!
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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...ta-vikings-reacts-survey-optimism-2025-season
 
Week 1 – Which College Players Are Future Vikings 2025?

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Week 1 is here! Last week we saw Iowa State get the win vs Kansas State in Dublin. It was a good game. With 2:26 to go, Iowa State coach Matt Campbell had his team go for it on fourth-and-3 at the Kansas State 16-yard line. Becht found Carson Hansen for 15 yards and iced the game. That was a great call and it reflected how well the Cyclones were playing on defense.

There are some good games this week with a lot of top teams playing their first cupcake. For some teams, it may be the only cupcake.

After USC (for me), I am looking forward to seeing these games the most …
No. 1 Texas at No. 3 Ohio State
No. 9 LSU at No. 4 Clemson
No. 6 Notre Dame at No. 10 Miami (Fla.)

I am highlighting some players I want to try and watch too. I think the secondary and running back are two positions I will watch a lot this year. Offensive tackle as well in case the Vikings do not extend O’Neill.

Here is a list of players put out by the Senior Bowl. I think it should be a good guide about who to watch.
https://www.seniorbowl.com/top300/

Thursday, Aug. 28​


5:30 p.m. | No. 25 Boise State at South Florida | ESPN
Kage Casey | Boise State | OT | 6’5″ | 316 | RJR
Jayden Virgin-Morgan | Boise State | EDGE | 6’3″ | 253 | RJR


8 p.m. | Buffalo at Minnesota | FS1
Red Murdock | Buffalo | ILB | 6’3″ | 235 | RJR
Darius Taylor | Minnesota | RB | 5’11” | 215 | JR


9 p.m. | Nebraska vs. Cincinnati (in Kansas City, Mo.) | ESPN
Elijah Pritchett | Nebraska | OT | 6’5″ | 327 | RJR
Dane Key | Nebraska | WR | 6’2″ | 210 | SR
Dasan McCullough | Nebraska | OLB | 6’4″ | 235 | SR
Dontay Corleone | Cincinnati | DL1T | 6’1″ | 320 | RSR
Joe Royer | Cincinnati | TE | 6’4″ | 255 | RSR


9 p.m. | Miami (Ohio) at Wisconsin | Big Ten Network
Preston Zachman | Wisconsin | S | 6’1″ | 212 | RSR
Riley Mahlman | Wisconsin | OT | 6’7″ | 308 | RSR
Ricardo Hallman | Wisconsin | CBN | 5’10” | 185 | RSR


Friday, Aug. 29

Friday, Aug. 29​


7 p.m. | Western Michigan at Michigan State | FS1
Malik Spencer | Michigan State | S | 6’1″ | 192 | SR
Jack Velling | Michigan State | TE | 6’4″ | 244 | SR
Aidan Chiles | Michigan State | QB | 6’3″ | 217 | JR


7:30 p.m. | Western Illinois at Illinois | Peacock
Gabe Jacas | Illinois | EDGE | 6’2″ | 275 | SR
Xavier Scott | Illinois | CB | 5’11” | 190 | SR
J.C. Davis | Illinois | OT | 6’5″ | 320 | RSR
Josh McCray | Illinois | RB | 6’1″ | 235 | RSR


8 p.m. | Auburn at Baylor | FOX
Keldric Faulk | Auburn | DL5T | 6’5″ | 288 | JR
Eric Singleton Jr. | Auburn | WRS | 5’10” | 190 | JR
Xavier Chaplin | Auburn | OT | 6’6″ | 338 | RJR
Izavion Miller | Auburn | OT | 6’5″ | 311 | RSR
Connor Lew | Auburn | OC | 6’3″ | 302 | JR
Jeremiah Cobb | Auburn | RB | 5’10” | 196 | JR
Josh Cameron | Baylor | WR | 6’1″ | 218 | RSR
Jackie Marshall | Baylor | DL3T | 6’3″ | 290 | RSR


8 p.m. | Georgia Tech at Colorado | ESPN
Jamal Haynes | Georgia Tech | RB | 5’9″ | 190 | RSR
D.J. McKinney | Colorado | CB | 6’2″ | 190 | RJR
Arden Walker | Colorado | EDGE | 6’2″ | 250 | RSR
Preston Hodge | Colorado | CB | 5’11” | 195 | RSR

Saturday, Aug. 30​


12 p.m. | Syracuse vs. No. 24 Tennessee (in Atlanta) | ABC
Trebor Pena | Syracuse | WR | 5’11” | 184 | RSR
Jermod McCoy | Tennessee | CB | 5’11” | 193 | JR
Joshua Josephs | Tennessee | EDGE | 6’3″ | 245 | SR
Wendell Moe Jr. | Tennessee | OG | 6’2″ | 339 | RJR
Lance Heard | Tennessee | OT | 6’5″ | 340 | JR
Miles Kitselman | Tennessee | TE | 6’5″ | 256 | RSR


12 p.m. | Mississippi State at Southern Miss | ESPN
Isaac Smith | Mississippi State | S | 6’0″ | 205 | JR
Josh Moten | Southern Miss | CB | 6’0″ | 174 | RSR


12 p.m. | No. 1 Texas at No. 3 Ohio State | FOX
Arch Manning | Texas | QB | 6’4″ | 225 | RSO
Anthony Hill Jr. | Texas | ILB | 6’3″ | 235 | JR
Malik Muhammad | Texas | CB | 6’0″ | 190 | JR
Jack Endries | Texas | TE | 6’4″ | 240 | RJR
Michael Taaffe | Texas | S | 6’0″ | 195 | RSR
Trey Moore | Texas | EDGE | 6’3″ | 245 | RSR
DeAndre Moore Jr. | Texas | WR | 6’0″ | 195 | JR
Quintrevion Wisner | Texas | RB | 5’11” | 194 | JR
D.J. Campbell | Texas | OG | 6’3″ | 330 | SR
Caleb Downs | Ohio State | S | 6’0″ | 205 | JR
Carnell Tate | Ohio State | WR | 6’1″ | 191 | JR
Ethan Onianwa | Ohio State | OT | 6’6″ | 345 | RSR
Davison Igbinosun | Ohio State | CB | 6’2″ | 193 | SR
Max Klare | Ohio State | TE | 6’4″ | 240 | RJR
Sonny Styles | Ohio State | OLB | 6’4″ | 235 | SR
Jermaine Mathews Jr. | Ohio State | CB | 5’11” | 189 | JR
Phillip Daniels | Ohio State | OT | 6’5″ | 315 | RSO
Kayden McDonald | Ohio State | DL1T | 6’2″ | 326 | JR


3:30 p.m. | Marshall at No. 5 Georgia | ESPN
Christen Miller | Georgia | DL3T | 6’4″ | 305 | RJR
C.J. Allen | Georgia | OLB | 6’1″ | 235 | JR
Daylen Everette | Georgia | CB | 6’1″ | 190 | SR
Daniel Harris | Georgia | CB | 6’2″ | 195 | JR
Oscar Delp | Georgia | TE | 6’5″ | 245 | SR
Raylen Wilson | Georgia | OLB | 6’1″ | 235 | JR
Earnest Greene III | Georgia | OT | 6’4″ | 320 | RJR
Zachariah Branch | Georgia | WR | 5’10” | 175 | JR
Monroe Freeling | Georgia | OT | 6’6″ | 315 | JR
Lawson Luckie | Georgia | TE | 6’3″ | 240 | JR
Brett Thorson | Georgia | P | 6’2″ | 235 | SR
Noah Thomas | Georgia | WR | 6’5″ | 200 | SR
Dillon Bell | Georgia | WR | 6’1″ | 210 | SR


3:30 p.m. | Nevada at No. 2 Penn State | CBS/Paramount+
Drew Allar | Penn State | QB | 6’5″ | 235 | SR
Dani Dennis-Sutton | Penn State | EDGE | 6’4″ | 266 | SR
Nick Singleton | Penn State | RB | 6’0″ | 226 | SR
A.J. Harris | Penn State | CB | 6’1″ | 193 | JR
Zane Durant | Penn State | DL3T | 6’1″ | 288 | SR
Kaytron Allen | Penn State | RB | 5’10” | 220 | SR
Amare Campbell | Penn State | ILB | 6’0″ | 230 | JR
Nolan Rucci | Penn State | OT | 6’7″ | 308 | RSR
Nick Dawkins | Penn State | OC | 6’3″ | 298 | RSR
Drew Shelton | Penn State | OT | 6’5″ | 307 | SR
Olaivavega Ioane | Penn State | OG | 6’3″ | 348 | RJR


3:30 p.m. | No. 8 Alabama at Florida State | ABC
Kadyn Proctor | Alabama | OT | 6’6″ | 369 | JR
L.T. Overton | Alabama | DL5T | 6’4″ | 283 | SR
Deontae Lawson | Alabama | ILB | 6’2″ | 239 | RSR
Domani Jackson | Alabama | CB | 6’1″ | 201 | SR
Parker Brailsford | Alabama | OC | 6’2″ | 290 | RJR
Tim Keenan III | Alabama | DL1T | 6’2″ | 326 | RSR
Keon Sabb | Alabama | S | 6’1″ | 206 | RJR
Jaeden Roberts | Alabama | OG | 6’5″ | 310 | RSR
Kelby Collins | Alabama | DL5T | 6’4″ | 278 | JR
Germie Bernard | Alabama | WR | 6’0″ | 209 | SR
Jam Miller | Alabama | RB | 5’10” | 221 | SR
Bray Hubbard | Alabama | S | 6’2″ | 204 | JR
Cameron Calhoun | Alabama | CB | 6’0″ | 177 | RSO
Darrell Jackson Jr. | Florida State | DL1T | 6’5″ | 330 | RSR
Duce Robinson | Florida State | WR | 6’5″ | 220 | JR
Jeremiah Wilson | Florida State | CBN | 5’10” | 185 | SR
Luke Petitbon | Florida State | OC | 6’2″ | 295 | RSR


7:30 p.m. | Missouri State at USC | Big Ten Network
Makai Lemon | USC | WR | 5’11” | 190 | JR
Kamari Ramsey | USC | S | 6’0″ | 204 | RJR
Ja’Kobi Lane | USC | WR | 6’4″ | 195 | JR
Braylan Shelby | USC | EDGE | 6’5″ | 265 | JR
Eric Gentry | USC | OLB | 6’5″ | 215 | RSR
D.J. Harvey | USC | CBN | 5’11” | 174 | RSR


7:30 p.m. | No. 9 LSU at No. 4 Clemson | ABC
Peter Woods | Clemson | DL3T | 6’3″ | 315 | JR
Cade Klubnik | Clemson | QB | 6’2″ | 210 | SR
Avieon Terrell | Clemson | CBN | 5’11” | 180 | JR
Antonio Williams | Clemson | WR | 5’11” | 190 | RJR
DeMonte Capehart | Clemson | DL1T | 6’4″ | 315 | RSR
Tristan Leigh | Clemson | OT | 6’6″ | 315 | RSR
Blake Miller | Clemson | OT | 6’5″ | 315 | SR
Will Heldt | Clemson | EDGE | 6’5″ | 265 | JR
Wade Woodaz | Clemson | OLB | 6’3″ | 235 | SR
Khalil Barnes | Clemson | S | 6’0″ | 195 | JR
Jeremiah Alexander | Clemson | OLB | 6’2″ | 232 | RJR
Garrett Nussmeier | LSU | QB | 6’2″ | 200 | RSR
Harold Perkins Jr. | LSU | OLB | 6’1″ | 225 | SR
Aaron Anderson | LSU | WRS | 5’8″ | 187 | RJR
Mansoor Delane | LSU | CB | 6’1″ | 187 | SR
Nic Anderson | LSU | WR | 6’4″ | 216 | RJR
Patrick Payton | LSU | EDGE | 6’5″ | 250 | RSR
Josh Thompson | LSU | OG | 6’5″ | 301 | RSR
Whit Weeks | LSU | ILB | 6’2″ | 228 | JR
Barion Brown | LSU | WR | 6’1″ | 182 | SR


11 p.m. | Colorado State at Washington | Big Ten Network
Denzel Boston | Washington | WR | 6’3″ | 209 | RJR
Tacario Davis | Washington | CB | 6’3″ | 190 | SR
Jonah Coleman | Washington | RB | 5’9″ | 229 | SR


11 p.m. | Utah at UCLA | FOX
Nico Iamaleava | UCLA | QB | 6’5″ | 215 | RSO
Spencer Fano | Utah | OT | 6’5″ | 304 | JR
Caleb Lomu | Utah | OT | 6’5″ | 302 | RSO
Lander Barton | Utah | ILB | 6’3″ | 236 | SR
Tao Johnson | Utah | S | 6’1″ | 193 | RJR
Smith Snowden | Utah | CBN | 5’9″ | 185 | JR

Sunday, Aug. 31​


3 p.m. | Virginia Tech vs. No. 13 South Carolina (in Atlanta) | ESPN
LaNorris Sellers | South Carolina | QB | 6’2″ | 242 | RSO
Jalon Kilgore | South Carolina | S | 6’1″ | 219 | JR
Nyck Harbor | South Carolina | WR | 6’5″ | 235 | JR
Tomas Rimac | Virginia Tech | OG | 6’6″ | 318 | RSR
Ben Bell | Virginia Tech | EDGE | 6’2″ | 255 | RSR

7:30 p.m. | No. 6 Notre Dame at No. 10 Miami (Fla.) | ABC
Jeremiyah Love | Notre Dame | RB | 6’0″ | 210 | JR
Charles Jagusah | Notre Dame | OT | 6’6″ | 328 | RSO
Malachi Fields | Notre Dame | WR | 6’4″ | 220 | RSR
Aamil Wagner | Notre Dame | OT | 6’6″ | 291 | RJR
Jaden Greathouse | Notre Dame | WR | 6’1″ | 215 | JR
Christian Gray | Notre Dame | CB | 6’0″ | 187 | JR
Drayk Bowen | Notre Dame | ILB | 6’2″ | 239 | JR
DeVonta Smith | Notre Dame | S | 6’0″ | 205 | RSR
Jared Dawson | Notre Dame | DL3T | 6’1″ | 305 | RSR
Pat Coogan | Notre Dame | OC | 6’5″ | 310 | RSR
Francis Mauigoa | Miami (FL) | OT | 6’6″ | 315 | JR
Rueben Bain Jr. | Miami (FL) | EDGE | 6’3″ | 275 | JR
Carson Beck | Miami (FL) | QB | 6’4″ | 220 | RSR
Damari Brown | Miami (FL) | CB | 6’1″ | 190 | JR
Akheem Mesidor | Miami (FL) | DL5T | 6’2″ | 280 | RSR
Anez Cooper | Miami (FL) | OG | 6’5″ | 350 | SR
Keionte Scott | Miami (FL) | CB | 5’11” | 192 | RSR

Monday, Sept. 1​


8 p.m. | TCU at North Carolina | ESPN/ESPNU
Bud Clark | TCU | S | 6’2″ | 185 | RSR
Eric McAlister | TCU | WR | 6’3″ | 205 | RSR
Thaddeus Dixon | North Carolina | CB | 6’0″ | 186 | RSR

Yore Mock​


Pick 18. Jalon Kilgore CB South Carolina 6’1″ 211
Pick 50. Jake Slaughter IOL Florida 6’4″ 303
Pick 82. Nyck Harbor WR South Carolina 6’5″ 235
Pick 97. Quintrevion Wisner RB Texas 6’0″ 194
Pick 140. Domonique Orange DL Iowa State 6’4″ 325
Pick 157. Tao Johnson S Utah 6’1″ 200
Pick 173. Josh Moten CB Marshall 6’1″ 185
Pick 196. Derrick Moore EDGE Michigan 6’3″ 260
Pick 207. Darius Taylor RB Minnesota 6’0″ 215
Pick 232. Bud Clark S TCU 6’2″ 185
Pick 257. Samuel Omosigho LB Oklahoma 6’1″ 235


As always, enjoy the games!
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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...which-college-players-are-future-vikings-2025
 
Harrison Smith Dealing with “Personal Health Issue”

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The Minnesota Vikings will travel to Soldier Field in Week 1 to take on the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football, and they may have to do it without their longest-tenured player.

At today’s press conference in Eagan, head coach Kevin O’Connell said that safety Harrison Smith is dealing with a “personal health issue” that has kept him away from the team in recent weeks. The issue was not enough to cause the team to put him on injured reserve when they set the 53-man roster, which would have guaranteed Smith missing the first four games of the season. O’Connell did say that Smith would be “evaluated weekly” and that he is expected to make a full recovery.

That’s sufficiently vague, though it’s worth pointing out that it’s really none of our business what the issue is if Smith or the team don’t feel compelled to tell us what it is.

Smith is getting ready to start his fourteenth season with the Vikings after being selected by the purple in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He has restructured his contract in each of the past two seasons in order to facilitate his return to the team, and speculation continues to swirl that the 2025 season might be his last one before he hangs up his cleats and heads off into retirement.

It’s worth noting that the team did sign veteran safety K’Von Wallace to the last open spot on their practice squad on Thursday, and that might be insurance in the event that Smith is not ready to go when the Vikings get to Chicago a week from Sunday. This is definitely a situation that’s worth keeping an eye on.

Whatever it is that Harrison Smith is dealing with, we all hope that he puts it in the rear-view mirror sooner rather than later so we can see him back on the field with the rest of the Vikings’ defense.
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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...smith-personal-health-issue-minnesota-vikings
 
NFC North 2025 Season Forecast: Chicago Bears

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Now that all NFL teams have completed the preseason and made the cutdown to their 53-man rosters, including all the teams in the NFC North, it’s time for my annual forecast of how the Minnesota Vikings’ NFC North opponents will fare this season. It’s been an eventful offseason for the NFC North teams this year and judging by the odds, the NFC North looks to be the most competitive and best division in the league, top to bottom.

Having said that, it’s doubtful there will be three 11+ win teams in the division this season. The entire division faces a much tougher schedule than last season facing the AFC South and an injury-riddled NFC West. This season the NFC North faces the NFC East and AFC North. The AFC North is significantly better than the AFC South last season, and the NFC East is likely to be better than the NFC West was last season, given the injuries the 49ers had, and the Rams had against several NFC North opponents last year. The tougher non-division schedule is likely to bring down the win totals for NFC North teams this season.

That said, let’s take a look in more detail about what’s changed this season among the Vikings’ division rivals and how they may fare in the season ahead. I did a piece at the end of June sizing up the NFC North, detailing some of the issues and changes this offseason- some of which are outdated based on subsequent events- but I’ll start this series with the Chicago Bears and their current situation and prospects.


Chicago Bears​


The Bears have once again gone through a coaching regime change this offseason, replacing head coach and coordinators while opting to keep (and extend) general manager Ryan Poles. It seemed premature for the Bears to give Poles a contract extension through the 2029 season with two-years left on his existing contract, given that the team has gone 15-36 since he was named general manager in 2022, but the Bears apparently wanted to align Poles contract with that of new head coach Ben Johnson, who was the top head coach candidate this offseason after enjoying a few years of success as offensive coordinator with the Lions.

Coaching Changes​


Beyond hiring Ben Johnson as head coach, the Bears also signed former Saints head coach Dennis Allen to be defensive coordinator, and Declan Doyle to be offensive coordinator. Ben Johnson will be the offensive play caller. Johnson is expected to continue the offensive he was successful with in Detroit, while Dennis Allen is expected to run a more aggressive, blitzing defense with more man coverage than his predessor, Matt Eberflus who was both head coach and de facto defensive coordinator last season for the Bears.

The main task for head coach Ben Johnson will be to develop quarterback Caleb Williams, the #1 overall pick in last year’s draft who struggled in his rookie season. Johnson is in the process of adapting Williams to play within the structure of his offense, rather than the other way around. Williams’ super-power in college was his ability out of structure, which led to numerous comparisons with Patrick Mahomes, right or wrong, and ultimately to being selected first in a draft seen as one of the strongest for quarterbacks in recent years.

Key Roster Changes​


To that end, the Bears invested heavily in their offense during the offseason. That started in free agency with the acquisition of All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney, along with veteran center Drew Dalman, thought to be the best center available in free agency, and right guard Jonah Jackson, who played his rookie contract in Detroit and last season with the Rams. Beyond shoring up their offensive line, the Bears also drafted tight-end Colston Loveland with the 10th overall pick in the draft and wide receiver Luther Burden III with the 39th overall pick. They also acquired wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus in free agency, who may be ahead of Burden as WR3, replacing Keenan Allen from last season who was not extended.

Defensively, the main change was the addition of edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo, who the Bears hope will shore up their pass rush opposite Montez Sweat.

2024 Season Stats​


The Chicago Bears finished the 2024 season with a 5-12 record, including a 1-5 record within the division. They ranked 13th in points allowed (27th in yards allowed) and 28th in points scored (32nd in yards gained). They ranked 31st in net yards per passing attempt, and 31st in net yards per passing attempt allowed. In the ground game, they ranked 27th in yards per rushing attempt and 29th in yards per rushing attempt allowed. On third down, they ranked 31st in conversion percentage and 13th in conversion percentage allowed. In the red zone, which was easily the best area for the Bears last season, they ranked 8th in TD percentage and 2nd in TD percentage allowed. Lastly, when it comes to turnovers, the ranked 8th in turnovers lost offensively and 10th in turnovers generated defensively.

The Bears also ranked 20th in overall team PFF grade, including 27th on offense, 11th on defense, and 19th on special teams. Breaking it down further, offensively the Bears ranked 28th in pass offensive, 8th in pass blocking, 27th in receiving, 25th rushing, and 15th in run blocking as a team. Defensively, the Bears ranked 21st in run defense, 5th in tackling, 16th in pass rush, and 10th in coverage as a team.

In DVOA terms, the Bears ranked 25th in total DVOA, 27th in offensive DVOA, and 22nd in defensive DVOA.

Injuries​


Using the Adjusted Games Lost (AGL) metric to weigh the impact of injuries on the Bears last season, the Bears had the 3rd-lowest total. They had the 4th fewest AGLs on offense and the 9th fewest on defense.


Luck Factors​


I’m going to blend two measures of luck factors this year to hopefully provide a better overall measure of luck factors that can impact the outcome of a game. In the past, I’ve just used the Net Win Probabiliy Added measure, shown in the chart below for 2024, but this year I’m also going to blend it with the TeamRankings Luck Rankings, which are based on estimated wins, which is based on play-by-play expected outcomes vs. actual results, compared to actual wins. This encompasses some of the same factors as Net Win Probability but also considers less impactful plays.

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Strength of Schedule​


The Bears have the 7th most difficult schedule in the league this year based on over/under win totals compiled by oddsmakers. Last season they had the most difficult schedule by actual win totals of their opponents- not surprising given the records of the rest of the NFC North last season.

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After a couple tough division games against the Vikings and Lions, the Bears have a couple easier ones against the Cowboys and Raiders- but no gimmes either. Then they have an early week 5 bye followed by 12 games with only three easier ones in the mix- the Saints, Giants, and Browns at home.


Prediction for the Bears this Season​


The Bears have an over/under win total of 8 at the moment and are +600 to win the division.

Adding up the factors above into plus or minus wins over last season’s 5-12 record, here is how I account for the changes over last season:

  • Coaching Changes: +2. I give them two additional wins for Ben Johnson and the new coordinators but there may be some heavy lifting to adjust to Johnson’s scheme. Matt Eberflus might have been terrible as a head coach, but he was a decent defensive coordinator. I’m not sure Dennis Allen will be as good.
  • Roster Changes: +2. The main change was to the offensive line, but from a PFF grading standpoint, that wasn’t the Bears weak point on offense. Sure, they gave up 68 sacks, but how many were on Caleb Williams? The defense is largely unchanged and the receiver group may be a bit improved, but they had D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, and Keenan Allen last season and that didn’t do much for them. I will give the Bears offense an additional win to account for development of Williams and Odunze as well.
  • Injuries: -1. The Bears had good injury luck last season and I expect some reversion to the mean this year and the Bears don’t have much depth overall, nor do they have a training staff with a track record of fewer AGLs over several years.
  • Luck and turnovers: 0. Blending the two luck measures gives the Bears below average luck last season, but slightly above average in turnovers. Not enough overall to warrant a change.
  • Strength of Schedule: -1. I think the NFC North schedule is more difficult than it appears compared to last season, including for the Bears, who faced the Titans, Colts, receiver-less Rams, Panthers, and Jaguars to start the season last year, and later the Patriots too. There aren’t as many potential top ten draft pick teams on the schedule this season and the Bears were lucky to face the Rams missing their 3 top receivers and the injury decimated 49ers. The division isn’t likely to be as lucky this season facing injury-riddled teams.

Bottom line, adding up all of the above factors I arrive at a +2 over their 2024 record, or 7-10 for the season. That is likely to result in another last place finish in the division, given the strength of the other teams.



Follow me on X/Bluesky @wludford
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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/nfc-north/90200/nfc-north-2025-season-forecast-chicago-bears
 
Micah Parsons Packers Trade: Impact on Vikings and NFC North

What does Micah Parsons joining the Packers mean for the Vikings’ playoff hopes? Dive into the trade’s ripple effects, Adam Thielen’s homecoming, and the latest roster moves.


Vikings roster shakeup: Thielen’s epic return and Parsons’ Packers nightmare!—In this explosive episode of The Real Forno Show, hosts Tyler Forness and Dave Stefano dissect the Minnesota Vikings’ 2025 roster moves, from Adam Thielen’s sentimental trade homecoming to the seismic Micah Parsons deal to Green Bay. As a Vikings 1st & SKOL production partnered with the Fans First Sports Network, the show delivers raw analysis on how these trades reshape the NFC North, blending expert insights with fan passion for a must-listen Vikings podcast experience.

  • 53-Man Roster Breakdown: The youthful squad emphasizes UDFAs and rookies like Max Brosmer and Tai Felton, with strong O-line depth (10 spots) to protect J.J. McCarthy; surprises include trading Sam Howell to sign Carson Wentz and thin CB coverage, signaling completing a “bridge to contention” under GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
  • Thielen’s Trade Impact: Acquired from Carolina for pick swaps, the 35-year-old slot WR brings route precision, leadership, and familiarity with Kevin O’Connell’s scheme; expect 60-80 targets as WR3, boosting red-zone efficiency and mentoring young receivers amid Jordan Addison’s suspension.
  • Practice Squad Strategy: Heavy on offense (10 players) with defensive vets like Fabian Moreau and Gabriel Murphy; focuses on injury insurance and development, including international OT Max Pircher, aligning with long-term scouting.
  • Parsons’ Blockbuster to Packers: Traded for Kenny Clark and two first-rounders, Parsons’ $188M extension elevates Green Bay’s pass rush; Forness compares it to Reggie White, warning of tougher divisional games but noting Vikings’ elite tackles (Christian Darrisaw, Brian O’Neill) are best equipped to counter him.
  • Harrison Smith’s Illness: Vague updates on the veteran’s absence since August 11 spark concern; not mental health-related, possibly contagious, with hopes for a Week 1 return.

Listen:​

View Link

Watch:​


Dive deeper into these game-changing Vikings insights on The Real Forno Show, your go-to Minnesota Vikings podcast for unfiltered breakdowns and SKOL spirit. Whether you’re prepping for the Bears opener or debating NFC North odds, Tyler and Dave’s chemistry makes every episode a fan essential—subscribe now on Vikings 1st & SKOL for more purple passion!

FAN WITH US!!!​


Tyler Forness @TheRealForno of Vikings 1st & SKOL @Vikings1stSKOL and A to Z Sports @AtoZSportsNFL, with Dave Stefano @Luft_Krigare producing this Vikings 1st & SKOL production, the @RealFornoShow. Podcasts partnered with Fans First Sports Network @FansFirstSN and the network’s NFL feed over at Pro Football Insiders @Pro_FB_Insiders. Your ultimate source for NFL insights, breaking news, and expert analysis. From draft prospects to game-day strategies, we’ve got the inside scoop!

Question:​


What roster move excites you most for the Vikings’ 2025 playoff push and does the Parsons trade change it?
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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/real-...packers-trade-impact-on-vikings-and-nfc-north
 
Packers Bet the Farm on Micah Parsons

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The Green Bay Packers just completed one of the biggest blockbuster trades in recent years by trading for disgruntled Dallas Cowboys’ star edge rusher Micah Parsons. Parsons, an off-ball linebacker at Penn State, was drafted by the Cowboys in 2021 and since then was named 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year, 2x First-Team All-Pro, 1x Second-Team All-Pro, and 4x Pro-Bowler. He turned 26 in May. He has been top 3 in Defensive Player of the Year voting three times in four years, the exception being last year when he missed four games due to an ankle injury.

The Packers’ pass rush has been a weak point of their defense, as edge rusher Rashan Gary has been a disappointment, so has 2023 first-round pick Lukas Van Ness, and the Packers’ defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley does not like to blitz. The Packers had the second-lowest blitz rate in the league last season. The addition of Micah Parsons should provide an immediate boost to the Packers’ ability to rush the passer. He also provides star power that the Packers were lacking on defense.

That, combined with a top ten offense and defense last season in both points and yards, should be enough to get the Packers to another Super Bowl. At least that is the Packers rationale for acquiring Parsons.

According to Albert Breer, the Cowboys ultimately opted to part ways with Parsons because Jerry Jones no longer trusted Parsons enough to pay him a top contract like he did with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. There was also sort of a slow moving concern that the Cowboys roster was getting too top heavy and whether that was the right way to build their roster. They also found that only the 2015 Broncos won the Super Bowl driven largely by an edge rusher- Von Miller on his rookie contract. Finally, they also were aware that Parsons was not popular in the locker room like Prescott and Lamb. Breer reports that Parsons, “rankled teammates in different ways, seen by some as egotistical and self-centered. His podcast has created issues, too, that go all the way up to quarterback Dak Prescott.” Coaches (I’m sure Mike Zimmer was one of them) also had issues with Parsons for not being disciplined in his assignment on the field, opting to freelance in an effort to make splash plays while sacrificing run defense. Other pass rushers have had this issue, but apparently Parsons even more so. Some in the Cowboys organization were beginning to question his commitment to football, or whether he just liked what football had done for him.

Rare Opportunity or Desperation Move?​


One of the reasons this blockbuster trade was so stunning is because this hasn’t been the modus operandi of the Packers front office for decades. Indeed, it is the exact opposite. The Packers have largely avoided making any big splashes in free agency or blockbuster deals of any kind with the notable exception of moving on from Aaron Rodgers and trading him to the New York Jets, which is many ways was a long, drawn out drama over many years in which they first extended Rodgers and then decided to trade him.

So why the change of approach for the Packers now?

One reason may be simply because this was a rare opportunity to acquire a star player in his prime at a position of need for the Packers. There were reportedly six teams that were interested in trading for Parsons, but as the Cowboys demanded two first-round picks and a good player, apparently a good run stopper and team leader, most teams dropped out. But the Packers had apparently been interested in Parsons, should he become available, all summer.

It was rumored a day or two before the deal was announced that the Packers were offering two first-round picks and a second-round pick, along with a $45 million AAV deal for Parsons. That turned into two first-round picks plus Kenny Clark and a 4-year, $47 million AAV deal for Parsons, which was a 15% premium over the record T.J. Watt deal done in July for $41 million AAV. The Packers weren’t taking any chances they would be outbid, like they were in the blockbuster 2018 Khalil Mack trade, Brian Gutekunst’s first year as general manager of the Packers.

But looking at the cost to acquire Micah Parsons, this really concentrates the Packers salary cap in a handful of players for the next few years and cost them the lions share of their draft capital for the next two years as well, limiting their chances of adding quality, inexpensive players in the draft. The Packers are also paying Kenny Clark $35 million between this year and next to play for the Cowboys. The Packers just extended Clark last year on a 3-year, $64 million deal, which essentially became a one-year, $61.3 million extension after he was traded to the Cowboys.

Overall, the cost to the Packers in acquiring Parsons was similar to what the Chicago Bears paid to acquire Khalil Mack in 2018- two first-round picks and change, although there is a good argument that sending Clark to the Cowboys and taking a $35 million cap hit to do so is worth more than the later-round pick swaps between the Raiders and Bears in the Mack deal. The Packers, like the Bears, also made their new edge rusher the highest paid, only the Packers did so by a substantial margin- 15% or $6 million/year more, while Mack was only narrowly so.

Additionally, by making the trade for Parsons and the associated salary cap hits, the Packers are essentially writing off their 2023 #13 overall draft pick Lukas Van Ness, who will remain a rotational edge rusher for the last two years of his rookie contract. Slim chance at this point they’d pick up his 5th-year option in that role.

So why was Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst willing to pay more now when he wasn’t in the past? Maybe because now his job (and Matt LaFleur’s) is on the line.

One underreported change this offseason for the Packers was Ed Policy taking over for Mark Murphy as president and CEO of the Packers. At his initial press conference, Policy said that he doesn’t like having lame-duck head coaches or general managers working on the last year of their contract as it creates uncertainty, etc. Both Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst have two years left on their contracts. At the same time, Policy said he would not be extending either Gutekunst or LaFleur before this season, implying that the results of this season could weigh heavily on his decision to extend them or not. There is some dissatisfaction that after a strong first three seasons, the last three have been underwhelming with no division title or whiff of a Super Bowl during that time. Another second or third place finish in the division and/or a one-and-done in the playoffs or worse, not making the playoffs, and Policy may opt for a new regime to take over next season. That stress has shown up in Matt LaFleur’s press conferences, which have gone from more upbeat to more terse in recent years. There are those in Green Bay who also feel that with two playoff appearances since Jordan Love took over at quarterback, they’re not far away from a Super Bowl appearance.

So, acquiring Micah Parsons might be a last minute move by this Packers regime to be more competitive in a division in which they went 1-5 last season and still looks pretty tough, and hopefully make a splash in the playoffs and get their contracts extended. Whether that will work or not is, of course, problematic.

The ‘One Player Away’ Fallacy​


The Packers wouldn’t be the first team to believe that they’re just one player away from a Super Bowl. What looks good on paper often doesn’t play out that way once the season starts. That’s what history shows. There really isn’t an example of an edge rusher making the difference in a team’s Super Bowl run apart from Von Miller in 2015 on a rookie contract. One example recently cited is the Cowboys trading for Charles Haley back in 1990, and the team’s subsequent Super Bowl run. But that was powered more by the Hershel Walker trade made by the Vikings- who felt they were just one player away from a Super Bowl. That was the case with the Vikings again in 2018, when they acquired Kirk Cousins on a record contract after having made the NFC Championship game with the top defense in the league.

The Khalil Mack trade to Chicago was also meant to make the Bears a contender, in the dominant defense sytle of previous Bears contenders, but that never materialized. After an initial 12-4 season in 2018, they didn’t have a winning record for the remainder of Mack’s time in Chicago. They had a more formidible defense than the Packers do now, with first-team All-Pros Eddie Jackson and Kyle Fuller, Pro Bowler Akiem Hicks, Roquan Smith, Adrian Amos, among others including All-Pro Mack. But they also had Mitch Trubisky and the Bears never won a playoff game while Mack was in Chicago.

Even for the Cowboys with a solid roster on both sides of the ball and a top ten offense and defense for three seasons with Micah Parsons, they didn’t get any closer to a Super Bowl than Packers have in recent years.

How Top Heavy is Too Top Heavy?​


The other question that comes up with the Micah Parsons trade is how top heavy is too top heavy a roster in terms of salary cap concentration? Clearly having a number of top players that demand top contracts is a good problem to have, but as markets for nearly every position are reset significantly higher each year, and sometimes more frequently than that, the number of top contracts a team can afford to maintain has declined, even with a rising salary cap.

Next year the Packers will have 56% of their salary cap tied to just six players. Having so many eggs in just a half-dozen baskets creates added risks. Injuries or underperformance can have an outsized impact because the team has fewer resources to replace them, often lacks depth, and can be contractually bound to them. Top heavy rosters can also result in lower morale if lower-paid players feel they are undervalued, or the top players are given special treatment, or the team can’t afford to reward other players for good performance.

At some point a team with top players demanding top contracts has to move on from one or some of them because they can no longer afford to keep them and maintain a competitive roster. The Chiefs have been forced to do this the past few years, letting go some top offensive linemen and Tyreek Hill a few years back as the price tag for Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones continues to go up. Next year, Mahomes and Jones will consume 40% of the Chiefs salary cap. For just two players.

But while the Packers have decided to take on the risks of a top heavy roster, the Cowboys are moving away from it. The Philadelphia Eagles have also avoided as top heavy a roster with 42% of its salary cap tied to six players next season and just 33% this season. The Detroit Lions, by contrast are rapidly becoming a top heavy roster with 52% of their salary cap going to their top four players next season and still having to pay Aiden Hutchinson. The Vikings are similar to the Eagles in salary cap concentration both this year and next.

There is no clear line in terms of when a roster has become too top heavy, apart from not having enough cap space to field a 53-man roster, but clearly there is a point at which fielding a competitive team with a high percentage of salary cap going to a handful of players becomes too great a burden for even the best front office and coaching staff.

The mistake the Cowboys have made in recent years is waiting too long to extend top players, resulting in bigger contracts than need be, and in the case of Micah Parsons, not deciding to trade him sooner- before the draft- to maximize the compensation.

For now, the Packers will have the star but not much of the cost. But over the next three years, that cost will continue to rise as Parsons’ salary cap increases, and drafts go by with no first-round draft pick to replace aging or underperforming starters and less salary cap space to do so as well. And if the Packers fall short of high expectations, they could end up where the Bears were a few years after they traded for Khalil Mack- beginning a tear down and the long climb back to relevance.


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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/nfc-north/90229/packers-bet-the-farm-on-micah-parsons
 
Minnesota Vikings News and Links: Four CBs Are Enough!

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Well, the Vikings seem comfortable with only 4 corners on the active roster. Our excellent poster, Krauser, pointed out how the team only activated 4 CBs for a given game last year which is true. Still, the cupboard seems bare to me and any injury is going to be a problem. I do not know if there is much they could to though. If there was a really good corner available, that corner would already be signed to a team. I hope Vaughn continues to develop.

What Is Big Nickel? And Does It Explain Minnesota’s Lack Of Cornerback Depth?

Adofo-Mensah pointed out how the Vikings signed UDFA standout Zemaiah Vaughn and veteran Fabian Moreau to the practice squad for additional cornerback depth. However, what really caught my attention was Adofo-Mensa highlighting how Brian Flores plans to run a lot of big nickel.

Asked about the fact that there are only 4 cornerbacks on the active roster, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah notes that veteran Fabian Moreau is on the practice squad. Also notes the Vikings sometimes use "Big Nickel," with a safety rather than a cornerback.

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) August 28, 2025
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No matter how confident the Vikings’ brass is in Jackson, it doesn’t explain the decision to keep only four cornerbacks on the 53-man roster. Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell will never say it publicly, but the real culprit behind Minnesota’s imbalanced roster construction has to do with cash spending. Not to be confused with cap space, cash spending refers to the team’s revenue and annual budgets established by ownership. The Wilfs gave Adofo-Mensah a budget of $350 million to spend on player salaries for the 2025 fiscal year, and Kwesi has maxed out the credit card.
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Unlike the salary cap, there are no league-imposed ramifications for going over the budget. The Wilfs could theoretically grant Adofo-Mensah the ability to surpass the $350 million cash budget in 2025, but that’s unlikely to happen.


We got better news with the Thielen trade in that he agreed to reduce his salary to 4.25M with another 441K in per game roster bonuses. That is right in line with what Amari Cooper just signed for. Spotrac shows him with a 4.67M dead money cap hit in 2027 though. I am not sure how that is correct since the Vikings only took on his 2025 salary.

Minnesota Vikings News and Links​


Report: Vikings, Adam Thielen agree to terms on revised contract

The Vikings and Adam Thielen have agreed to terms on a revised contract, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. It’s a pay cut that helps Minnesota’s salary cap situation by reducing Thielen’s 2025 salary by $2 million. It also removes $4 million in incentives.

“This wasn’t about money — Thielen wanted to come home, and volunteered to help the team’s salary cap to make it happen,” Pelissero wrote.


Panthers GM: Adam Thielen was ‘adamant’ he wanted to go to Minnesota

“It’s kinda hard, when I sit Adam Thielen down in my office and he is just really wanting to go there and he’s pretty adamant that ‘this is what I want, this is where I want to go,’ I didn’t really want to stand in his way,” Morgan told Kyle Bailey of WFNZ radio in Charlotte. “It was something that he was really convicted about. He wanted to go and finish his career there. Obviously he’s from there, he has a house there, he has young kids. There’s a human side to it, too.”

Knowing that Thielen wanted to be a Viking and that the Panthers have some young wide receivers they’re excited about, Morgan was open to the possibility of a trade. But what he didn’t want to do was give Thielen away. A deal had to make sense for Carolina, too. The initial offer from Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings, per The Athletic’s Joseph Person, was a sixth-round pick for Thielen and a seventh. That wasn’t good enough.

“But at the same time, in my mind, I knew that I had to do what was best for the Carolina Panthers,” Morgan said. “So I wasn’t gonna give him away. A few offers that they did send over, it would’ve been a giveaway. As I was back and forth, back and forth with Kwesi, their GM up there, myself, (Panthers execs) Brandt Tilis and Eric Eager, sitting in the room, going through all these scenarios — we must’ve went through 10 different trade scenarios that we felt would work for us, and where we would be at the advantage.”
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“At the end of the day, we sent him there, we agreed to it,” Morgan said. “Adam being so adamant to go there, it was just kinda hard for me to stand in his way. (To have) him be here, maybe he’d be disgruntled, maybe he’d be fine, but we would’ve had to find that out.”


Adam Thielen credits ‘great’ Bryce Young for Vikings return: ‘I’m not here today without him’

Adam Thielen moved back home to Minnesota but left Carolina with positive vibes about his former quarterback, Bryce Young.

Asked about the Panthers quarterback on Thursday, Thielen credited his improved play with elongating his career and making a trade back to the Vikings possible.

“I will say this about Bryce, because he deserves the respect. He’s a great man. He’s a great leader. And he’s a great quarterback,” Thielen said, via Alec Lewis of The Athletic. “You saw that at the end of last year. Just the stuff he had to go through, the adversity through his first two years in the league. You don’t wish that upon anybody. For him to handle that, and to where he’s at right now. It says a lot about his character, and who he is, and what kind of player he’s going to be in this league. So much respect for him. Because I guarantee you, I’m not here today without him. Him trusting me. Him giving me opportunities. And believing in me to be able to still continue to play this game that I love.”


Predicting last-place team in each NFL division for 2025: Browns, Jets, Giants among potential cellar dwellers

NFC North: Minnesota Vikings
2024 season finish: 14-3 (second place, lost 27-9 at Los Angeles Rams in NFC wild card round)

The Minnesota Vikings continue to boast arguably the best offensive ecosystem in the NFL. They have 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year wide receiver Justin Jefferson, whose 7,432 career receiving yards are the most in NFL history in a player’s first five seasons all time.

He is surrounded by 2023 first-round pick Jordan Addison (who will serve a three-game suspension to begin the 2025 season), two-time Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson, Pro Bowl running back Aaron Jones and coach Kevin O’Connell — the reigning NFL Coach of the Year. All of that offensive talent will be tasked to 2024 10th overall pick J.J. McCarthy. The problem is McCarthy’s draft profile entering his rookie year was that of a bust, and then he became the first quarterback taken in the first round in the common draft era (since 1967) to miss his entire rookie season with an injury. McCarthy tearing his meniscus last preseason prevented him from developing while on the bench as a rookie.

He is also the first first-round quarterback drafted with zero collegiate seasons with either 3,000 passing yards or 500 rushing yards since these Vikings selected Christian Ponder 12th overall in the 2011 NFL Draft out of Florida State. The most recent passer selected in the top 10 like McCarthy without either such season at the college level was Detroit Lions 2002 third overall pick, Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington — he was a complete bust.

The NFC North is one of the best divisions in football, and having an unproven passer who didn’t produce at a high level in college could spell a last-place finish for Minnesota in 2025.


Could J.J. McCarthy be the Vikings’ Super Bowl savior? Author Seth Wickersham thinks so

Seth Wickersham, the author of the new “American Kings: a Biography of the Quarterback” book, believes McCarthy could lead the Vikings to multiple Super Bowl victories in the coming years. He said as much during an interview Thursday on The Rich Eisen Show, though context matters and head coach Kevin O’Connell is a big reason why he has so much faith in McCarthy.

Eisen: If you have to put your marker on any quarterback 25 and younger in the National Football League right now, knowing what you know about quarterbacking, makeups of quarterbacks, where they currently are, what they’ve done so far, you put your mark on this person to win multiple Super Bowls?

Wickersham: I’m going to go with J.J. How about that?

Eisen: McCarthy? Come on. Don’t just say that. You really would do that? Over Jayden Daniels for instance? C.J. Stroud is another.

Wickersham: I met with Kevin O’Connell for the book. He of course was a great college quarterback. Four-year starter at San Diego State. He got drafted by the Patriots, thought he’d learn from Brady and then take that knowledge elsewhere — and his career essentially ended. We talked a lot about those scars and how that informs how he coaches quarterbacks and looks at them and one of the things that he did, was when he was getting these tryouts with teams, he would try to make the wow throw, the John Elway throw, and knock the coaching staff over with it. And he kept getting cut. He realized later, he went back and watched all of Brady’s game-winning drives in Super Bowls and big games, Montana’s, Elway’s — and what stood out was how mundane they were. They looked like they were doing spring practice, even though the stakes couldn’t have been higher. He realized that quarterbacking is really about doing the obvious thing that’s right in front of you at the highest level you possibly can. There’s a reason why Caleb Williams really liked Kevin O’Connell, as I wrote about. He just knows how to speak quarterback and I think that they’re going to be really successful.


Vikings sign safety K’Von Wallace amid Harrison Smith uncertainty

With news of Harrison Smith recovering from a personal health matter, the Minnesota Vikings have beefed up the safety room by signing veteran K’Von Wallace to the practice squad.

With Smith’s status for the Sept. 8 season opener against the Chicago Bears up in the air, Wallace brings some needed depth to the roster. The 28-year-old was a fourth-round pick by the Eagles in 2020 and he’s played 71 games with four teams ever since.


Vikings can acquire Harrison Smith’s successor for free and why it involves Daniel Jones

Where things are going to be interesting is how the Vikings choose Smith’s successor. We’ve thought the last year might have happened multiple times, but he continues to return to the team for at least one more season. When do you make his successor a priority? The answer might have fallen right into their laps.

In a surprising move, the New England Patriots decided to move on from safety Jabril Peppers, releasing him on Friday afternoon.

It’s an interesting move by the Patriots for a number of reasons. The former first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2017 was signed by the Patriots to a three-year extension worth up to $25 million after three good seasons in New England. He played so well that Peppers was one of Pro Football Focus’s best players at the safety position.


Vikings making major bet with cornerbacks who could make or break their season

As of Thursday evening, the Vikings only had four cornerbacks on their roster. One of them, Byron Murphy Jr., is a proven veteran. Another, Isaiah Rodgers, has provided plenty of reasons to believe during training camp.

Behind those two? The Vikings have experience in Jeff Okudah and upside with Dwight McGothern. But there are concerns with both.
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Pass rush and coverage tend to be tied together. The quicker the quarterback gets rid of the football, the less time cornerbacks are forced to cover, and the lower the average depth of receiving targets.

The Vikings’ words and dollars spent leave no doubt. They believe that spending their resources heavily on the front end will be most beneficial.


Again, we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:

  • No discussion of politics or religion
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  • Keep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)
  • Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tags
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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...ta-vikings-news-and-links-four-cbs-are-enough
 
NFC North 2025 Season Forecast: Detroit Lions

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In my second installment of 2025 forecasts for the NFC North, I’ll focus on the reigning division champion Detroit Lions. In case you missed it, my first installment was on the Bears, and I also did a piece on the NFC North at the end of June, some of which is a bit outdated with subsequent events.

Coaching Changes​


It’s been an eventful offseason for the Lions. After a 15-2 division-winning record, both coordinators for the Lions took head coaching jobs- offensive coordinator Ben Johnson with the Bears, and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn with the Jets. Dan Campbell remains the head coach but does not call plays.

The Lions’ new offensive coordinator is John Morton, 55, who’s been an offensive assistant or wide receiver position coach in the league for most of the past 20 years, with a two-year stint as offensive coordinator at USC and with the Jets in 2017. Most recently he’s been the passing game coordinator for the Broncos under Sean Payton the past two seasons before being named offensive coordinator by Dan Campbell this offseason. Morton was a Senior Offensive Assistant for the Lions in 2022, so there is familiarity there, and the Sean Payton connection is a common one for Morton and Campbell. The desire is for continuity with Ben Johnson’s scheme of the past few years, but how well Morton can fill Johnson’s shoes as a playcaller and coordinator remains to be seen. Morton has only one year of experience as a coordinator in the league and that didn’t go well- the Jets’ offense finished near the bottom of the league that year, but it was the Jets so not entirely unexpected. Still, Morton has everything to prove at this point in what is likely the back-nine of his coaching career.

Defensively, the Lions hired from within, promoting former NFL linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, 37, from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator. Sheppard is well regarded within the Lions organization and Aaron Glenn appeared to be grooming him to be a defensive coordinator in the future. Once again the desire is continuity in scheme, but as a rookie defensive coordinator, Sheppard is an unknown quantity and will have a learning curve as he grows into his new role.

Key Roster Changes​


Of all the NFC North teams this offseason, the Lions did the least to improve their roster. In fact, they’ve likely regressed a bit along their offensive line. The Lions lost All-Pro center Frank Ragnow to retirement and All-Pro right guard Kevin Zeitler in free agency. To replace them, former starting left guard Graham Glasgow is moving to center, and is being replaced at left guard by 2024 sixth-round pick Christian Mahagony, who graded very well in two games last season as a starter. At right guard, the Lions are going with 2025 second-round draft pick Tate Rateledge. Going from two seasoned All-Pros to essentially two rookies is likely to have an impact, as its exceedingly rare for a non-first round draft pick rookie offensive lineman to perform as well as Ragnow and Zeitler did last season.

The Lions also replaced cornerback Carlton Davis with D.J. Reed in free agency. Reed, who turns 29 in November, has been a good man coverage corner in the past but is smaller than Davis at 5’9”, 190 lbs.. Overall, more of a lateral move. That’s about it for key roster changes for the Lions, however.

2024 Season Stats​


The Lions were 15-2 last season, including a 6-0 record within the division. They scored the most points in the league offensively and gained the second-most yards. Defensively they allowed the 7th-fewest points but ranked 20th in yards allowed. They had the 6th fewest turnovers offensively and 10th-most defensively. They had the 4th-highest 3rd down conversion rate offensively and ranked 3rd in converting touchdowns in the red zone. Defensively they allowed the lowest rate of 3rd down conversions and had the 7th lowest rate of touchdowns allowed in the red zone.

In terms of PFF team grades, the Lions ranked second in overall team grade, including second in overall offensive grade, 5th in overall defensive grade, and 7th in special teams grade. Breaking that down further, the Lions ranked 13th in pass offense, 15th in pass blocking grade, first in receivers grade, 5th in rushing grade, and second in run blocking grade. Defensively, the Lions ranked 10th in run defense grade, 3rd in tackling grade, 11th in pass rush grade, and 6th in coverage grade.

In DVOA terms, the Lions ranked second in total DVOA, 3rd in offensive DVOA, 5th in defensive DVOA, and first in special teams DVOA. Pretty solid all the way around.

Injuries​


Using the Adjusted Games Lost (AGL) metric, the Lions ranked 25th (8th worst) in AGLs last season. However, those AGLs were heavily skewed toward the Lions’ defense, which ranked dead last in AGLs, while the Lions’ offense ranked 2nd best. The Lions will be without top defensive tackle Alim McNeil to start the season this year, as he is still recovering from an ACL he suffered late last season. Defensive tackle Josh Pascal is also on the NFI list, meaning he’ll miss at least the first four games of this season. Additionally, the Lions have a number of backups that have suffered injuries to various degrees already.

Luck Factors​


As I mentioned in my first NFC North installment this year, I’m going to blend two measures of luck factors this year to hopefully provide a better overall measure of luck factors that can impact the outcome of a game. In the past, I’ve just used the Net Win Probabiliy Added measure, shown in the chart below for 2024, but this year I’m also going to blend it with the TeamRankings Luck Rankings, which are based on estimated wins, which is based on play-by-play expected outcomes vs. actual results, compared to actual wins. This encompasses some of the same factors as Net Win Probability but also considers less impactful plays.

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The Lions ranked 14th in the Net Win Probability added due to luck factors last season, and sixth according to the TeamRankings measure of luck.

Strength of Schedule​


The Lions have one of the toughest schedules in the league this season. And as I mentioned with the Bears, the NFC North schedules may be even tougher than they look compared to last season. The Lions may have just two games against potential top ten draft pick teams in 2026. Additionally, they face their toughest non-division opponents on the road: the Ravens, Bengals, Chiefs, Commanders, Eagles, and Rams.

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Prediction for the Lions this Season​


The Lions have a 10 over/under win total at the moment and are +190 to win the division.

Adding up the changes and other factors above, this is how I see the Lions this season:

  • Coaching changes: -3. The Lions lost both playcallers this offseason to head coaching jobs and replaced them with two guys with little or no track record as coordinators. They still have a strong roster on both sides of the ball, but losing two top coordinators and replacing them with guys that haven’t proven anything at this point carries a lot of downside risk while the chance of them being as good as their predecessors is low.
  • Roster changes: -1. The losses to the Lions offensive line are significant. Losing two All-Pros and replacing them with rookies is bound to have a negative effect on offensive performance, which was the strength of the Lions last season.
  • Injuries: +1. The Lions were hit the hardest defensively last season. I’d have put this at +2 except the Lions already have some injury issues to start this season.
  • Luck factors and turnovers: 0. The Lions overall were positively impacted by luck factors and top ten in both fewest giveaways and most takeaways. But on both counts not dramatically so and I’m inclined to give the Lions the benefit of the doubt here and not give them a slight negative here.
  • Strength of Schedule: -2.0. The Lions have a tougher schedule this season than last and their first-place schedule gives them the Chiefs in the AFC West and the Buccaneers in the NFC South. The Chiefs on the road may be one of their toughest opponents and the Lions lost to the Bucs last season.

Overall, that adds up to a 10-7 record for the Lions- right at their over/under. I doubt that would be good enough to win the division this season, but it could come down to tiebreakers.


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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/nfc-north/90246/nfc-north-2025-season-forecast-detroit-lions
 
SB Nation Reacts Results: Confidence High Among Vikings Fans

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They’re a bit delayed, but we now have the results of this week’s SB Nation Reacts results about our Minnesota Vikings, so let’s go ahead and get to them.

Our primary question for this week was how much your confidence in the Vikings has changed over the course of the offseason. Not surprisingly, most fans of the purple are still pretty confident in the team as we finally approach the team’s Week 1 clash with Chicago.

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According to the results of our poll, 46% of you say that your level of confidence in the team has not changed over the course of the offseason. I’m going to interpret that as being pretty confident in the team’s chances as opposed to just assuming that people thought the team was going to stink going into the offseason and that nothing has changed. Why? Why not?

Another 43% are more confident now than they were at the beginning of the offseason, while just 11% have less confidence in Kevin O’Connell’s squad than they had earlier in the offseason. I think a lot of us are expecting pretty big things from the Vikings, so this isn’t all that big a surprise, to be honest.

Our other question for this week was who you think should be the primary backup to J.J. McCarthy: newly-signed veteran Carson Wentz or undrafted rookie Max Brosmer. The results of this one sort of surprised me a bit.

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Of our respondents, 64% said that they believe Wentz should be McCarthy’s primary backup. I figured that a lot of folks would be on the Brosmer Bandwagon, given that he’s spent all offseason immersed in the offense and Wentz has only been here for about a week, but nearly two-thirds of you think that the former #2 overall pick should be the current #2 on the depth chart.

Those are the numbers from our latest SB Nation Reacts poll, folks! We’ll be back with the weekly confidence question and any other questions we can come up with later this week, because FOOTBALL SEASON IS HERE BABY WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/nfl-r...esults-confidence-high-minnesota-vikings-fans
 
Vikes Views: 2025 Season Preview

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The Minnesota Vikings outperformed almost everyone’s expectations in 2024. I thought the team would be ok (9-8), but not nearly as good as they were. Darnold excelled in KOC’s offense. Flores’ defense stood strong, for most of the season.

This season seems impossible to predict. I wouldn’t be shocked if J.J. McCarthy struggled and the Lions and Packers played well. I also wouldn’t be shocked if J.J. McCarthy excels in Kevin O’Connell’s offense and this talented roster wins the NFC North. It’s exciting times in the best division in the NFL.

You can see my previous three years here.

Week 1: Vikings @ Bears – MNF​


Starting off the season with Caleb Williams seems like a gift from the scheduling gods. We’ll thank Goodell’s staff and move on with this easy win. I haven’t seen anything from Williams that makes me think he’s capable of leading that offense. The run game in Minnesota with Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason will get a lot of work.

Vikings 20 – Bears 6

Week 2: Falcons @ Vikings – SNF​


This game is intriguing. Michael Penix Jr. came in for Kirk Cousins and played well last season. Bijan Robinson is a legitimate NFL running back. It’s not going to be easy. However, it’s the home opener for J.J. McCarthy and I don’t see him losing it. The Vikings defense is better than the Falcons defense and that’s too much for the Falcons to overcome.

Vikings 27 – Falcons 24

Week 3: Bengals @ Vikings​


This game is a tough one. Two international games coming up. I’d be a homer if I predicted a win here. The Bengals locked up all of their talent this offseason. They’re looking for a Super Bowl run and this buzzsaw is too much, at least this early in the season.

Bengals 34 – Vikings 23

Week 4: Vikings @ Steelers – DUBLIN​


I will have the pleasure of being at this game. The Vikings will get to see their old friend Aaron Rodgers one more time. He has no weapons outside of DK Metcalf and the Vikings front seven will be all over the 41-year old QB. The Steelers defense is good, but there are too many weapons with Addison back in action.

Vikings 30 – Steelers 20

Week 5: Vikings @ Browns – LONDON​


For the second year in a row, the Vikings will play at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Browns are a mess. They ruined their franchise for 10 years with the Deshaun Watson trade and contract. Joe Flacco is a corpse, and we might see one of the rookies eventually this season. I can’t see the Browns winning very many games. There is no talent on the offense. The defense is good. Garrett, Newsome, Delpit, Ward, it’s a talented lineup at all levels. The defense gives the Vikings offense the ball back a few times in good positions and the Vikings get it done.

Vikings 27 – Browns 13

Week 6: BYE​


Time to rest up and feel good about the hot start.

Week 7: Eagles @ Vikings​


The Vikings are 4-1 and everyone is ecstatic at the start. They’ll be coming off the bye week refreshed after two international games. The Super Bowl Champs roll into town off a mini-bye playing the NY Giants on Thursday Night Football the week before. The Eagles offense is too strong and the Vikings can’t keep up on offense.

Eagles 27 – Vikings 23

Week 8: Vikings @ Chargers – TNF​


The Chargers are an interesting team. Justin Herbert looks the part, but doesn’t seem to be enough. Omarion Hampton should provide some help at running back. The Vikings offense should be coming into their own at this point. J.J. McCarthy’s ears are a little wet and they might be able to put up some points. McCarthy plays well in front of his old coach and wins a shootout.

Vikings 35 – Chargers 31

Week 9: Vikings @ Lions​


This is going to be a tough environment. The Lions fans will be hostile. I don’t think the Lions will be as good as they were the past two seasons, but they are still formidable. The crowd noise and pass rush in Detroit is a little too much.

Lions 23 – Vikings 17

Week 10: Ravens @ Vikings​


The team is 5-3 heading into the midpoint of the season. MVP Candidate Lamar Jackson will come into town with Derick Henry and a stable of WRs. Justin Jefferson will ser an old friend Jaire Alexander on the other side. I think both offenses play well, but the other team in purple comes out with the win.

Ravens 30 – Vikings 28

Week 11: Bears @ Vikings​


The Vikings offense is rolling and the team is 5-4. This will be the start of a playoff run or a disappointing finish. The Bears are just what the teams needs to get back on track.

Vikings 27 – Bears 16

Week 12: Vikings @ Packers​


The first matchup with Micah Parsons. I like the fact that Kenny Clark isn’t in the middle to disrupt the interior OL as well. The Vikings hold off the Packers’ defense fairly well, but their offense is no slouch either. Packers win at home.

Packers 24 – Vikings 20

Week 13: Vikings @ Seahawks​


Old friend Sam Darnold will see the Vikings roll into Seattle. I think it’s a transition year for Seattle and Darnold is going to realize how much easier it is when you play with talent like the Vikings. The defense will be amped to stop their old teammate and the Vikings roll.

Vikings 30 – Seahawks 18

Week 14: Commanders @ Vikings​


The best QB of the 2024 NFL Draft will host Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders. The Commies are good because Daniels is special. Scary Terry is a consistent stud, and their run game should be improved. This will be a coach’s game and I’ll take Kevin O’Connell over Dan Quinn any day.

Vikings 31 – Commies 28

Week 15: Vikings @ Cowboys – SNF​


I don’t know how a team recovers from losing a player like Micah Parsons a week before the season starts. The Dallas defense isn’t nearly as good without Parsons. The offense is ok, but nothing special. I’d bet the Cowboys aren’t playoff bound and they’re running out the clock at this point. Fire Jerry Jones the GM.

Vikings 27 – Cowboys 16

Week 16: Vikings @ Giants​


Giants are another team that is not going anywhere. Their roster is corny Russell Wilson, the best QB 2 in Jameis Winston and a guy young enough his parents spell his name with the X. We’ll probably see Jaxson Dart in this game and Flores will love it.

Vikings 31 – Giants 13

Week 17: Lions @ Vikings – Christmas Day​


We’re done with the blowout for the rest of the season. The Vikings would be 10-5 at this point and possibly still in contention for the NFCN, but definitely for the Wild Card. The Lions, Packers, and Vikings all fighting for the same spots as last year. The Vikings lost in Detroit, but find a way to win at home.

Vikings 28 – Lions 27

Week 18: Packers @ Vikings​


The teams are in the playoffs and this could be for seeding/division. I like the Vikings at home with a season under JJ’s belt. They finish strong and head into the playoffs with huge momentum.

Vikings 27 – Packers 20

12-5 is my final tally. Last year I predicted a fast start and a dud finish. I was right about the start and predicted the downfall a few weeks too early. This year I expect the team to start off well also, but have a tougher middle part of the season. The Vikings will fair fine without Addison, now that Thielen will step in. However, there are some good teams in the middle portion of the season, and it will be a test with two international games mixed in. They’ll build momentum and we’ll have a fun January. Let’s hope for a healthy and winning season. Skol

Let us know what you think in the comments below. Sign up to join in!

Follow me on X @GA_Skol
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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...e-board/90231/vikes-views-2025-season-preview
 
Minnesota Vikings Odds: Vikings Slight Road Favorite for Monday Night

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We’re just a few days away from Monday Night Football in Chicago, and your Minnesota Vikings are currently expected to get their season off to a 1-0 start.

According to the folks from the FanDuel Sportsbook, the Vikings are a slight favorite to win their sixth consecutive contest at Soldier Field. They’re currently sitting as a 1.5-point favorite, with the over/under at 44.5 points.

The Vikings haven’t lost in the Windy City since 2019, when they fell 16-6 in a disastrous offensive showing. Since then, they’ve reeled off five consecutive victories, including last year’s 30-27 overtime victory that saw them blow an 11-point lead with less than thirty seconds remaining in regulation, only to get the game-winning field goal from (John) Parker Romo to escape with the victory.

Minnesota’s five consecutive wins at Soldier Field are tied for the longest such streak in the history of the franchise. The Vikings also won five in a row in Chicago from 1996 to 2000. The Vikings have won seven of their last eight against the Bears overall, with the lone loss coming on a Monday night at U.S. Bank Stadium in 2023 when the Bears won 12-10 without scoring a touchdown.

This game will see a couple of significant debuts for both teams. On the Chicago side, it will be their first regular season game under new head coach Ben Johnson, who came over from Detroit in the offseason after serving as their offensive coordinator. For Minnesota, fans will finally get to see quarterback J.J. McCarthy play in a meaningful game of football after he missed his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus.

What do you think of the odds going into Monday night’s game, folks? Do you think the Vikings should be the favorite going into this one?
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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...ight-road-favorite-monday-night-chicago-bears
 
Vikings Reacts Survey: Newcomers and First Touchdowns

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Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Vikings fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Ladies and gentlemen, as promised, we have a new set of SB Nation Reacts questions for you as the start of the 2025 NFL season is just a few days away. We’ve got a handful of questions for you about our Minnesota Vikings that you can ponder as we get closer to game day.

Our first question, as always, has to do with how confident you are in the Vikings going into the season here. Judging from our previous questions, I’d expect a relatively high number here since it seems like a lot of folks are expecting big things from Kevin O’Connell and the crew.

Our other two questions both center around Vikings personnel, with the first one being which newcomer you’re most interested in seeing take the field in purple on Monday night. I excluded J.J. McCarthy from this one because, honestly, he probably would have gotten 99% of the voting if he had been included. That’s why it’s focused on non-McCarthy players.

The second one is who you think will score the first touchdown of the 2025 season for the Vikings. I think I’ve gotten most of the likely suspects in there, but there’s always the “Other” option if you feel I’ve missed your pick.

As always, we invite you to cast your vote in our poll here and make your voice heard in the comments section, especially if you’re rolling with “other” for one or both of our questions.

Have at it, folks! We’ll have the answers to these questions for you sometime before the Vikings hit the field in Chicago.
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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...kings-reacts-survey-newcomers-first-touchdown
 
Vikes Views: Who Wins the NFC North?

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The NFC North is the best division in football. Three Super Bowl contenders and the Chicago Bears. The Green Bay Packers are the chique new pick to win after the Micah Parsons trade, but the Lions won’t give up the crown that easy and the Vikings are right on their heels. Who do you think will win the NFC North crown?

Detroit Lions

The defending NFCN champs had another disappointing playoff ending (much like our favorite team). They lost both their Offensive and Defensive Coordinators to head coaching positions. Pro Bowl C, Frank Ragnow, has also retired. That is a lot of changes for Dan Campbell to manage. It will be difficult for them to remain on top.

Minnesota Vikings

On Tuesday I wrote my 12-5 prediction for the season. I don’t think that will be enough to win the division. Last year, 11-6 was a 3rd place finish for the Packers. I don’t see the Vikings, Packers, and Lions losing 5 or more games. The Vikings will likely be Wild Card bound if my prediction comes true.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers made a splash move trading for Micah Parsons. They also drafted a WR in the 1st and 3rd rounds of the draft. They’ve filled in some holes while not losing a ton this offseason. They are still the youngest team in the NFL, but the team appears to be making a push to win now. Is Jordan Love good enough to make it happen?

Chicago Bears

The Bears hired former Detroit Lions OC Ben Johnson this offseason. They also revamped their offensive line in an attempt to improve the worst offense in the league in 2024. They’re a year or two away from being real contenders in this division.
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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...oard/90350/vikes-views-who-wins-the-nfc-north
 
Vikes Views: Who Scores the First TD of the Season?

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The anticipation for the Minnesota Vikings’ season opener feels endless, much like a child counting down the days to Christmas. When the Vikings finally face off against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football, who will step up to score the team’s first touchdown of the season?

Justin Jefferson

The league’s best WR isn’t known for scoring loads of TDs, averaging only 8 TDs per season through his first 5 seasons.

Aaron Jones Sr.

RB1 had only 5 TDs last season in Minnesota. He’s likely to see a lot of action as KOC tries to ease J.J. McCarthy into the game.

T.J. Hockenson

Hockenson is a big target but did not see the end zone last year. He’s hoping for his first TD since Week 12 of the 2023 season. Coincidentally, the TD was against the Bears.

Adam Thielen

Thielen will step into the WR2 role on Monday night. He’ll be amped to get back out there, especially against a division rival.

Jordan Mason

Mason had 3 TDs and 6 starts last season in San Francisco. He won’t see the lion share of carriers, but he should see some action to give Jones some rest. Love my fellow yellow jacket, but he might not get the right opportunity Week 1.

J.J. McCarthy

Will McCarthy run one in for the first TD of the game? It’s unlikely, but he did have 10 rushing TDs at Michigan.

Defensive/Special Teams TD

You can’t put one of these off the table with a Flores defense out there. The Vikings had 3 defensive TDs in 2024. Also, Myles Price looked good in the preseason.
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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/minne...s-views-who-scores-the-first-td-of-the-season
 
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