Former NFL Linebacker Is Riding with the Vikings in 2023
Josh Frey
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This offseason, a number of folks have determined that the Detroit Lions should be considered the favorites in the NFC North during the 2023 season. After a smashing success on HBO’s Hard Knocks last summer, and a 2022 regular season that stunned the world with Detroit finishing 9-8 and knocking off the Green Bay Packers on the road in Week 18, they’ve become the NFL’s sweetheart that everyone is rooting for in 2023.
The faith in Detroit makes a lot of sense, considering their offense should remain productive alongside obvious improvements on the defense with acquisitions of Cam Sutton, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and others.
However, not everyone is drinking the blue and silver Kool-Aid as we approach training camp. On ESPN’s First Take, Domonique Foxworth made the case for Detroit being the top dog in the NFC North, but his co-host and former NFL linebacker, Sam Acho, opted to ride with the Vikings this season. Here’s a look at what the former Chicago Bear had to say of Minnesota:
“Last year, the Vikings were 13-4. The Vikings still have Justin Jefferson. The Vikings still have Kevin O’Connell. The Vikings are still a force to be reckoned with,” Acho argued. “I was like you, I got excited about everything that the Lions have done during the offseason.”
There certainly was a lot to get excited about with the Lions this offseason. They made all the aforementioned improvements to their defense, and their strong running game from 2022 should be even a bit better with David Montgomery in the backfield. However, Detroit wasn’t the only team to improve this spring. The Vikings added Jordan Addison at receiver, and Brian Flores’ scheme should be a breath of fresh air in Minnesota in a similar way that Kevin O’Connell’s offense was last season.
“I remembered that there are other teams in the division, mainly the Vikings, that are saying, ‘Hold on now, we didn’t look great in the playoffs, but we still won 13 games last year,'” Acho continued. “No, I’m not saying the Vikings are going to win another 13 games, but we can’t just sign, seal, deliver, stamp it, and send it to whoever we need to send it to that the Lions are going to win this division. Like I said, I thought that weeks ago, but then I remembered that there are other teams in this division that have something else to say about it, and I think the Vikings are gonna win it.”
In all, there’s a reason that many people are calling the NFC North the most tightly contested division in the NFL this year. There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding each roster right now, but at least on paper, there’s an argument to be made that each group got at least a bit better this offseason.
The ESPN analyst isn’t the only person riding with the Vikings this season. In fact, he isn’t even the only Acho riding with the Vikings. Sam’s brother, Emmanuel, who works for FS1, recently ranked his top five NFC teams heading into the season, and out of the NFC North, it wasn’t the Lions that made his list. Instead, it was the Vikings that came in at No. 5.
We are just a few weeks away from the start of training camp, and during that time, we will learn a lot more about what each team is capable of this season. For now, though, it doesn’t seem safe to rule out any team in the NFC North this year.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.