PurplePTSD’s Top 2023 Stories: Post-Bye Starter Boost, Sneaky Development, & Former Vikings
Happy New Year, folks.
Safe to say the 2023 calendar year has been an eventful one. Minnesota has done marvellously and disastrously, oscillating between victorious Vikings and vanquished Vikings. Along the way, PurplePTSD‘s coverage has sought to keep readers informed and entertained. Take a look at some of the best stories of the past year as we march into a brand new year.
Some of PurplePTSD’s Top 2023 Stories
1) Justin Jefferson Isn’t the Only Vikings Starter Coming Back After the Bye: A lot of Vikings fans were optimistic coming out of the bye. After all, Justin Jefferson was going to get worked back into the offense and the defense was welcoming back Akayleb Evans. Picking up the win against the Raiders was nice, but the team has floundered since then.
2) The Vikings Benched a Promising, Powerful Defender: At times, Khyiris Tonga has shown off some impressive abilities. He’s a massive defensive tackle who should help to neutralize the opposition’s running game, but he has struggled to carve out super consistent role within the Brian Flores defense.
3) Very Sneakily, the Vikings Point Toward a Pretty Large Development for Week 1: Brian O’Neill is at such a high level that it’s near impossible to replace him. When healthy, O’Neill is one of the NFL’s preeminent right tackles. One wonders if he’ll be even better in 2024 since he’ll have had more time to bounce back from his Achilles tear.
4) Former Vikings Star Heads to Dallas for Playoffs: Xavier Rhodes was a legitimate CB1 for a little while in Minnesota. Folks, there’s no coincidence that the height of the Mike Zimmer defense coincided with the height of Rhodes’ career. Long and strong, Rhodes played excellently for several seasons before a relatively sudden drop off.
5) Former Vikings RB Continues His NFL Journey, Joining the Buffalo Bills: Always good to see the former Vikings get a shot elsewhere. Latavius Murray is far from the NFL’s most explosive runner, but he does offer good size and toughness. Nearing his 34th birthday, Murray is getting toward the end of his career.
Everyone at PurplePTSD sends along their sincere well wishes for a wonderful 2024. May it be filled with health, joy, and maybe even some Vikings success.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.
