Benching Xavier Woods In Favor of Camryn Bynum May Be Wise
At the beginning of the year, Xavier Woods was showing promise for the Vikings. He made smart plays, partnering that intelligence with good physicality in run support. More recently, though, Woods has struggled, further exacerbating the concerns in the secondary. It’s the stretch of several rough games that has me wondering if it’s now time to see if Camryn Bynum can replace Xavier Woods.
The rookie safety made a strong impression in his start in place of Harrison Smith. Per Pro Football Reference, he had twelve tackles and an interception against Baltimore; he then had 6 tackles, a sack, and PD against the Chargers. For his efforts, Bynum received a 90.4 grade on PFF, an elite number for his admittedly small sample size. Unfortunately, injury has made it impossible for him to get back onto the field, though the expectation is that he’ll be back out there against the Bears on Monday.
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Part of what’s so encouraging about his play is the versatility. He has played 6 snaps along the DL, 45 in the box, 28 at slot CB, 3 out wide, and 91 at free safety. In the past, Zim has emphasized that not just anyone can be the Robin to Harrison Smith’s Batman. The veteran coach needs a player with savvy versatility so he can then use Smith in creative ways to generate confusion for the opposition (see some good examples of The Hitman’s pre-snap tomfoolery here and here).
Now, the corners have definitely put Minnesota in a difficult position. Patrick Peterson isn’t the player he used to be, Bashaud Breeland is awful at football, and Mackensie Alexander has struggled mightily in his return. Cameron Dantzler has upside but apparently struggles to understand his assignments; Kris Boyd provides great physicality but can get lost in coverage. It’s these realities that make stellar safety play crucial.
Take a peak at this touchdown catch by James Washington. Peterson is playing outside shade, suggesting he’s expecting help over the top from Woods:
On a play like this, one wonders if having Camryn Bynum instead of Xavier Woods would have made the difference. It’s a bang-bang play, one that really hammers home the cliché that football is indeed a game of inches. Sure, Peterson could have been closer, and yet the reality remains that Woods ought to be the deepest man. Getting beat deep in that scenario seems to be mostly on Woods.
On MNF, the Vikings will want to avoid the missed opportunities that characterized the Steelers game. Making the switch at safety may be one way to help a secondary that has under performed for most of the season.
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