Purple Headlines of the Week: The First Win, Reinforcements Show Up in Week 4, a Benched Defender
The Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers met at Bank of America Stadium for a Week 4 matchup between two 0-3 teams.
Minnesota found a way to get off the schneid and earn their first win of the season. Along the way, though, there were plenty of purple headlines over the course of the week. As the Vikings begin preparation for the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5, here is a look back at all the purple headlines from this past week.
Vikings Finally Get in the Win Column
We have to start off by going over the Vikings first win of the season. Despite two first half turnovers by Kirk Cousins and the Vikings offense, Minnesota’s defense was able to lead the way for their first win of the year.
The group allowed zero points during the second half, and the Vikings offense did just enough to come away with a 21-13 win. Harrison Smith had a historic game as well, with 14 tackles, 3 sacks, and a forced fumble.
Now, the Vikings head back home for a huge test against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5.
Vikings Get Reinforcements
Some of the newest Vikings faces were able to show off their skills on Sunday. Marcus Davenport, who had missed all but four snaps through the first three weeks due to an ankle injury, played 45 snaps with the defense in Week 4 and recorded his first sack in a Vikings uniform.
On the offensive side, we still did not see either Garrett Bradbury or Dalton Risner on the o-line, but RB Cam Akers got onto the field for the first time since being acquired by Minnesota. He accrued seven touches on the day that went for 51 total yards. The Vikings had their best rushing performance of the season with Akers in the mix, so hopefully, this is something to build off of moving forward.
The Vikings Benched a Young Defender
While there is a lot of positives to take away from this weekened, there are also some disappointing developments out of Minnesota. It appears that Khyiris Tonga may have been benched. The massive nose tackle has played just 21 defensive snaps all season, and he has been a healthy scratch in each of the past two weeks.
Instead, the Vikings have been relying on Harrison Phillips and Dean Lowry to do much of the heavy lifting on the defensive line. The Vikings acquired Tonga last season, and he appeared in 11 games during 2022, including starts in Weeks 17 and 18. Hopefully, he can get back to his 2022 form and provide some extra help for the Vikings defensive front.
In Case You Missed It…
As usual, we have a list of extra reading material for our especially-studious Vikings fans. Enjoy the Victory Monday, and happy reading!
- NFC North Round-Up, Week 4
- Kirk Cousins Making His Case for an Extension
- 10 Reactions to Panthers-Vikings
- The Vikings Top 7 Trade Candidates
- A Historic Week 4 for Harrison Smith
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.