Questions Answered: Winning the North, Wolves Trade, Nwangwu as “Overlooked”

Jun 9, 2021; Minnesota Vikings running back Kene Nwangwu (26) catches a pass in drills at OTA at TCO Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by PurplePTSD. Today is the July 1st 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.


[brid video=”1043250″ player=”34130″ title=”5%20Unforeseen%20Breakout%20Players%20%20with%20Josh%20Frey” duration=”972″ description=”Josh Frey details five Vikings players who could break out in 2022 that fans wouldn’t expect.” uploaddate=”2022-06-29″ thumbnailurl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/19439/snapshot/1043250_th_1656524194.jpg” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/19439/sd/1043250.mp4″ width=”16″ height=”9″]

Q: A couple of pundits are picking the Vikings to win the NFC North. Do you subscribe to that theory? Why or why not?

Rodgers Wonnum
Nov 1, 2020; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive end D.J. Wonnum (98) causes Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

A: On the Vikings winning the division in 2022, we’re in believe it when we see it territory, for better or worse.

Do you really want to be the bloke who predicts a Vikings division title and then watches them go 8-9 again? Well, here’s the deal. For an ordinary first-year head coach, like Kevin O’Connell, finishing 8-9 would be an excellent building block. Such is not the case for the Vikings. An 8-9 record or playoff-less season would enrage fans. They’re tired of ho-hum seasons.

Sure, the Packers are sans Davante Adams. But do we really think Aaron Rodgers won’t figure it out?

Minnesota has the roster to win the division, but O’Connell must click as a head coach — like right away — for the experiment to work immediately.

Q: Do you think the Vikings will ever make a Timberwolves-like trade again?

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah

A: Well, hopefully not. The last time they tried it, they got laughed at for 30+ years via the Herschel Walker trade.

The Wolves gave up a lot to get Gobert, a defensive guru and outstanding rebounder. However, Adofo-Mensah could reasonably swing a blockbuster deal for his next quarterback if Cousins and O’Connell don’t click in 2022. His mentor Andrew Berry did it in Cleveland a few months ago — and that was a slimy transaction.

Adofo-Mensah is more than capable of seismic trades. He just first wants to see how Cousins meshes with O’Connell, which is fair.

Q: I read an NFL.com article about Kene Nwangwu as “overlooked” this season. Is he flying under the national radar?

Dec 26, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Kene Nwangwu. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.

A: You know Nwangwu because you’re a Vikings fan. The rest of the world doesn’t really care about him or perceives him as a guy who got lucky in returning a couple of touchdowns as a rookie.

Nwangwu has done nothing meaningful on offense. If he wants to be recognized nationally, he’ll have to showcase his tools inside the Vikings offense at some point. Until then, he’s a super speedy special teamer with breakaway speed. We’ll take it.


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 Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).


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