Questions Answered: Most Surprising Thing about WAS, Woods in CAR, Irv’s Next Team?
Dustin Baker
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The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by PurplePTSD. Today is the November 5th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
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Q: What’s one thing folks might not know about the 2022 Commanders?
A: They’re outstanding in defensive 3rd Down situations.
Washington allows opponents to convert 3rd Down just 31% of the time, which ranks third-best in the NFL. During the Commanders quiet three-game win streak, defense has led the charge. The offense hasn’t really improved during the switch from Carson Wentz to Taylor Heinicke.
The Commanders get off the field on 3rd Down. The Vikings rank 18th on offense in 3rd Down situations. Advantage Commanders.
Q: Which Vikings player who left the team in the offseason is playing the best elsewhere?
A: Xavier Woods.
According to Pro Football Focus, Woods has a 66.7 grade through eight weeks down in Carolina. Of course, that team isn’t faring too well, but Woods is doing his part.
Here are the rest of departed Vikings grades as of November 5th:
Grades from PFF,
Vikings Players Who Left in 2022,
Thru Week 8:
? Xavier Woods (66.7)
? Mason Cole (64.1)
? Tyler Conklin (59.9)
? Anthony Barr (56.1)
? Armon Watts (55.7)
? Ihmir Smith-Marsette (43.5)
Q: If Irv Smith is unlikely to be a Viking in 2023, where do you think he’ll end up?
A: Well, this is a guessing game where one has 1 in 32 odds of being correct.
But we’ll take the New Orleans Saints. Smith is from Louisiana, and their TE room right now is a hodgepodge of Juwan Johnson and Taysom Hill.
Otherwise, the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, and others make sense, too. Minnesota’s trade for T.J. Hockenson likely means Smith is nearing the end of days in Minnesota. This season is the final year of his rookie contract.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).