Vikings Fanline: Vikings vs Packers 1-4-26

Eric Nordquist and Ron Johnson take your calls, texts, and talkbacks following the Vikings 16-3 win over the Packers.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Kind now for Vikings fan Line on the Minnesota Vikings
Audio Network. Your chance to talk about today's game with
the Vikings broadcast team. Joined the conversation on Vikings fan
Line by sending us a talkbacks through the iHeart app,
text the studio at six four six eighty six, call
eight hundred and three two oh five three two six,

(00:24):
or send us a message to any of our kfans
social channels.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Now it's your turn. Vikings fan Line starts now.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
DearS kfans, Ron Johnson and Eric Nordquist.

Speaker 3 (00:39):
A finale a US Bank Stadium Vikings win. They win
over the Green Bay Packers sixteen to three in Border
Battle one p thirty one.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
Vikings in the season with a winning record.

Speaker 3 (00:50):
How about that and enter into the twenty twenty five
Slash twenty six off season with a winning record.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
I'm Nordo from nine to noon.

Speaker 3 (00:59):
Ron Johnson's going to be jumping in studio here momentarily
whether it's talkbacks free iHeartRadio app, Hit that microphone next
to the play button and you can give us up
to your best thirty seconds text line six four six
eighty six brat Shawn Bryant, KFA and text line of course,
phone calls in vogue as well. Eight hundred three two
zero five three two six And as a matter of fact,

(01:20):
we're gonna jump to the phone lines right away. Check
in with Shane in Minneapolis. Shane, welcome to Vikings fan line.

Speaker 4 (01:28):
And there, how's it going.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
Beautiful day, my friend? What do you got?

Speaker 4 (01:33):
Yeah, beautiful day, School of Vikes winning the last game
of the year, and I don't care about uh us
maybe dropping in the draft. I want to end the
season on a good note, especially for our boys Arres
and Smith and c j M. Yeah, but more importantly
or stannpoint, I guess question for you guys. I was
just listening to Koc his little post game interview and

(01:58):
not gonna lie, he kind of dodged the question about
JAJ McCarty a little bit, and I heard one of
the commentators there on k Fan kind of say that too.
But I guess just my question would be, if you
guys they're just what are you guys thoughts on JJ
McCarthy in the quarterback position as a whole, because uh,
we got some moves we've gotta make, and I'm not

(02:18):
gonna sit here and hate on KOC and Quacy and
all them, but we did kind of go into the
we were kind of sloppy in terms of backup quarterback
position until the very end when we got Carson Wentz.
So I've been saying it for a little while now.
He definitely need to have the quality backup quarterback. For example,

(02:42):
I love me some Sean Hill back in the day,
but like he's not. He was in the he was
in a top tier backup quarterback, you know what I mean.
So yeah, not only be Yeah, so we gotta we
gotta have a quality quarterback. But I'm definitely not on
the bandwagon of Jaj McCarthy being a bus and whatnot.
I think, I mean, he's only played ten started ten

(03:04):
games and whatnot, so I think we got to give
him some time in a true offseason.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
Okay, Yeah, I appreciate the call.

Speaker 3 (03:12):
Shane entering the fold now Fox Nine's finest go for
great Ron Johnson at three Ron Johnson via x Ron
as Shane was was kind of asking, and I don't
know how much of the KO presser you heard while
you were simultaneously doing Fox nine work, but the question was,
I mean, clearly it's a question to answer and or
ask and it's a question we're all going to be

(03:35):
pondering around bouncing in our heads throughout the offseason.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
What up with JJ? Right and year one, it's the knee.

Speaker 3 (03:42):
Year two, three different sustained injuries, leaving the lost time.
He even leaves today's game a little early, so still
still some soreness with that very very small hairline fracture
in his hand, and he was a KAO, was asked about,
you know, is JJ your starter? And of obviously he's
stiff armed the bleep out of that thing and just

(04:03):
kind of moved on talking about you know, JJ's progression
and just can't wait to sink his teeth into the
offseason with the kid and come back in twenty twenty
six ready to roar. That is kind of the a
topic after a game like this, we'll get to, you know,
some flowers.

Speaker 2 (04:17):
It's consolation seasons. So we're loving CJ.

Speaker 3 (04:19):
Ham getting into the end zone, loving Justin Jefferson, third
player in NFL history with a thousand yards receiving in
his first six seasons. Dig all that quarterback is going
to be the hot talker. And you know the idea
of just even using quotes we've already heard bolstering potentially
the quarterback room, that quarterback room, whatever that level is,

(04:41):
however you would measure it needs to be lifted, needs
to be much higher in twenty twenty six.

Speaker 2 (04:47):
But what does that look like?

Speaker 5 (04:48):
You know what I mean?

Speaker 3 (04:49):
Where's your head at with all of that as we
do enter the offseason here?

Speaker 5 (04:53):
Ron?

Speaker 6 (04:53):
Yeah, I mean, if it was Peyton Manning, Drew Brees,
you name the list, right, they acts, this's your starting
quarterback next year. The answer is yeah, yes, right, So
the answer is not yes. So what is the answer.
It's everything he said. I think without saying it, he's
saying like, look, he can be the starter, but he
has some stuff to work one like this and it's
just that simple, like he.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
Has some stuff to work on.

Speaker 6 (05:14):
Justin Jefferson said, he I think what Friday I think
when he talked to the media, you know, he was like, yeah,
of course I want to have a better season. Of
course I love for JJ to be the quarterback, but
we need to do X, Y and Z. He needs
to fix X, Y and Z. So I keep hearing
those buzzwords he needs to fix, he needs to fix
right even today, you know, Jordan Adison wide open on
a double move. He throws it too hard, you know,

(05:35):
into the back of.

Speaker 2 (05:36):
The end zone.

Speaker 6 (05:36):
He threw it on time, he just threw it too
hard Like that same throw timing wise was great. Now
is just float it to the corner of the end
zone and let Jordannasen run up under it in toetap
the dB was on the ground. Those are the things
he's going to watch back on tape because there was
no reason to throw a fastball there. But again that's
just the lack of timing and whatever is going on
with him that just isn't working. So I say the

(06:00):
answer is, no, he's not the starting quarterback, but he's
going to have an opportunity to win the starting quarterback job.

Speaker 2 (06:05):
Yeah, and it's it's difficult too just looking.

Speaker 3 (06:07):
At this where Okay, so what does raising the level
in that QB room mean? Well, that means bringing in
I mean, you know the Carson Wentz move towards the
end of training camp, you thought you might have something
in a Sam Howell.

Speaker 2 (06:23):
Yeah, Kirk Cousins could come back.

Speaker 3 (06:24):
Kirk Cousins, things like that, And there's there's much time
to devote to some of these names that are out there.
Just at this stage, it doesn't look like the right name,
potentially the guaranteed name. If you're thinking veteran competitor that's
won at a high level, you might need to potentially
temper those expectations. We'll continue the JJ conversation here with

(06:47):
Jerry and Chicago Lakes. Jerry, Welcome to Vikings fan line.

Speaker 7 (06:52):
Hey, how you doing.

Speaker 2 (06:55):
I'm doing wonderful, Jerry.

Speaker 7 (06:58):
Yeah, I'm just finishing up the ice fishy day, drinking
a couple of golden lights. Just watch the Vikings just
pissed on the guys from up up in Green Bay.
Nothing better at school, Vikes, skull Vikes.

Speaker 2 (07:11):
What do you got?

Speaker 7 (07:14):
I'm just curious about JJ. I know you guys were
just chatting about him, but what do you think How
long do you think you give the guy? I mean,
he's a young guy, but do you think there's any
future with him or the team? I think you kind
of gotta maybe start moving some pieces around if you're
gonna really really lock him in for the future at all.

Speaker 3 (07:34):
Yeah, I appreciate the question. Jerry twenty twenty six. What
do you think, Ron? I mean, I just feel like
at this stage, I know he's young, and that's been
part of the ongoing conversation is just remember he's twenty two,
and there's there's credence to that.

Speaker 2 (07:47):
I truly believe that.

Speaker 3 (07:49):
But in the same sense, sometimes players might have more
time to season and evolve and grow in the league
than regimes have.

Speaker 2 (07:59):
And that's actually that's a talker I've.

Speaker 3 (08:00):
Seen kind of bandied about a bit, and I tend
to agree with that from the idea that it's JJ's
career is still very young and he has the right
to grow up. We just had a cat on our
team a year ago who many had written off, has
to jump around to a couple places, wins a fair
number of games with us. A year ago, he just
secured the one seed out West. Yeah, I'm sure there

(08:21):
are a number of people three four years ago like Donald.

Speaker 5 (08:23):
Right.

Speaker 3 (08:23):
I mean, I remember again Paul Charchion's emotional diet tribe,
the meltdown that he had in March of twenty twenty
four when he heard that the Vikings were signing Sam Donald.
It's one of my all time favorite freakouts I've ever
heard on these airwaves. We go out, we win fourteen games,
and it was a pretty nice season with Sam and
now he's the one seed in the NFC.

Speaker 2 (08:43):
Charge I have to say about that, since you know
it's just fleeting.

Speaker 3 (08:47):
You know, moments are fleeting, he probably forgot that had
ever happened. But to that end with JJ, he has
the right to grow and evolve. But in terms of
this team, and specifically for a coach a general manager,
that the big decision makers with the vikings and they
may not have five years to ride the roller coaster.
And so I guess just I'm shooting from the lip

(09:09):
on a fan line.

Speaker 2 (09:11):
As we end the season, it feels.

Speaker 3 (09:12):
Like next year kid has to show absolute progress. Kid
has to show just almost as important as his ability,
he has to show that he can stay on the
freaking field.

Speaker 2 (09:24):
Like this is a massive, massive year for McCarthy.

Speaker 1 (09:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (09:28):
So I'm going to go back to on my soapbox
about quarterbacks period. Young quarterbacks in the NFL some struggle
based off their college, right, because colleges oftentimes try to
make it so easy on the quarterback.

Speaker 2 (09:41):
The quarterbacks never grow.

Speaker 6 (09:42):
They win and they get you to the national Championship,
they win big to en championship, they win SEC championships.
But that whole like Florida thing, right, the check with
me is at Florida, they're all checking with their coach.

Speaker 2 (09:52):
The entire team. Quarterback's not doing anything.

Speaker 5 (09:54):
You know.

Speaker 2 (09:54):
You look at Northwestern, they used to do that, Oregon
used to do that.

Speaker 6 (09:57):
Now college football is allowing quarterback to have a microphone
in a headset. So now it's more NFL style. I
think that had to change. You had to give the
quarterbacks more NFL stuff in college so that it's not,
you know, drinking from a fire hose when they get
to the NFL. The problem is Jaj McCarthy was in
a program that helped him.

Speaker 2 (10:16):
Out a ton.

Speaker 6 (10:17):
Yeah, I mean, honestly, like not to make jokes about
Conner stallions, but they did help him out a ton. Right,
So now when you're when you have to do it
by yourself.

Speaker 3 (10:24):
On what fifty touchdowns from Blake Korum and yeah, I
mean they ran.

Speaker 2 (10:27):
The ball a lot, a great running game.

Speaker 3 (10:29):
But when you go from that to like having the
decipher defenses having to read from one to five, you know,
that's a lot, you know, and so how long is
it going to take him to do it?

Speaker 2 (10:39):
It could be never, you know.

Speaker 6 (10:41):
That's the one thing we have to be okay with
like not okay with sorry, but deal with He might
never figured out Sam Darnold. I don't know if it
was Kyle Shanahan or if it was Kevin O'Connell, but
he had both coaches coach him up and teach him.
You know, we know the Jets didn't do it, but
we know either Shanahan or O'Connell flip the switch. Sam
dars who he is now. I just think at the

(11:02):
end of the day, you are going to want to
bring in a veteran who Kevin O'Connell could kind of say, Okay,
you're smart enough to know this, this and this, just
do this. I don't know if JJ McCarthy, but Justin
Jefferson said it. They have to work out this.

Speaker 3 (11:12):
Offseason, like he has to be healthy, Like his hand
hurt today, so when is he going to be fully
back ready to.

Speaker 6 (11:18):
Throw to Jessee Jeffers Because Jess Jefferson said, Hey, look,
in order for us to be on the same page,
we got to work this offseason. They didn't work last
all season, and that's part of the problem.

Speaker 3 (11:26):
Well, there's a difficulty. I mean, you can put arbitrary
percentages on things. I saw a text in relation to
this kind of if I can find it here, the problem,
you know, say McCarthy improves twenty to thirty percent next year.
I don't know what that means in terms of arbitrary percentages,
but the point of the text is real in regard
to the fact that, similarly to even what we saw

(11:47):
this year round. Think about it, we're entering the offseason
here where he has the two and a half game
starting with Washington into Dallas, into the Giants game, leaves
it halftime. Those were true two measurable games of improvement
for JJ. McCarthy comes back from the concussion missus the
Seattle game, as bad as that thing was, and then

(12:08):
even today there are moments like, okay, this offense appears
to have moments of competence, even potential for explosion. What
we saw from McCarthy in those games significantly different than
what we saw earlier in this year. But regardless of
all of that, we're still entering the offseason with a Yeah,
I don't know, he's probably not the worst thing that's

(12:30):
ever taken the field in NFL history, But do I
believe that if he was to start seventeen games, that
this is a team that can contend that this is
a team that can compete.

Speaker 2 (12:39):
You don't know that either, So what type of markers?

Speaker 3 (12:43):
I just think it's very difficult, And I think if
you're if you're the Minnesota Vikings, it becomes a problem
in terms of how long do you stay invested.

Speaker 2 (12:53):
A lot of teams have made mistakes over the course.

Speaker 3 (12:55):
Of time, the ability to correct that and move forward
a different direction in some cases sooner than later, you
know what I mean. So yeah, I think he moves
into twenty twenty six like this is still the guy
that's competing for his starting spot and they're going to
do everything they can to put him on a platform
to succeed. I just can't necessarily see it beyond that
at this point. Next up twenty twenty six, big big

(13:18):
year for the kid.

Speaker 6 (13:19):
Yeah, I mean, if you think about a thirty percent increase, one,
he has to play seventeen games. So because a thirty
percent increase on nine games.

Speaker 2 (13:25):
I'm asking a lot, aren't I He's still on this stage.
He's still only at two thousand yards.

Speaker 6 (13:30):
You know, if you had a thirty percent increase on
this season just where he's at nine games, you're just
getting the two thousand yards. I don't think that's enough.
You know, you look at eleven touchdowns, so where are
you at now? Fifteen touchdowns? I don't think that's enough.
You've got twelve interceptions in there. You got to cut
those out. You got to, like you, they definitely can't
be an increase there. You know, you got to have
twenty touchdowns four interceptions, Like that's the next step, you know,

(13:53):
twenty five hundred yards. We're not accesing for a three
thousand yard season, but twenty five hundred yards because if
he did play this whole season, theoretically should.

Speaker 2 (14:00):
Have been around twenty nine hundred yards.

Speaker 6 (14:01):
If you double the output, that's that's the key, you know,
to this, because he had what he had one hundred
and eighty two yards today he's always at fourteen fifty
before the game he added one hundred and eighty two.
You just thought he should be three thousand yards. Could
have been a three thousand yard season on seventeen games.
But what does that look like? Is that twenty interceptions
and twenty touchdowns. I mean, that's that's the other part
of this, Like throwing the input and increase in yards great,

(14:24):
but is.

Speaker 2 (14:25):
He going to fix the things.

Speaker 3 (14:27):
Correct, Like you're increasing the amount of throws, you're increasing
the opportunity for twenty interceptions now, like you know, granted
we can say some.

Speaker 6 (14:34):
Of those interceptions were on the receivers. Guys were dropping balls,
tipping balls to dvs, you know, so what part of
that stat goes to the receivers? But again, I think
it comes down to what everybody keeps saying, is or
not everybody sorry Koc and his teammates. It's the fast
balls versus the two ball, and it's feet Where are
you looking? Where are you looking before you throw the ball?
Why are you running out of here where you don't

(14:56):
have to just throw the ball?

Speaker 5 (14:57):
Now?

Speaker 6 (14:57):
You know some of those things I think everybody is wondering.
And then I don't know if you saw the one
but Justin Jefferson on the Jalen Naylor end route where
he kind of ran and kept going, Justin Jefferson.

Speaker 2 (15:07):
Had a stop and wheel.

Speaker 6 (15:09):
If he had pumped to Naylor, Justin Jefferson's wide open
for a touchdown.

Speaker 2 (15:12):
I just don't know how much time he would have.

Speaker 3 (15:14):
But I'm pretty sure that was a conversation like, hey man,
you had the you had the TV ball, like, we
gave you the look for Justin Jefferson to come open
after Naylor cleared it out, and he took Naylor though,
and granted.

Speaker 6 (15:25):
It's probably like, hey, if this is not there, you
take Naylor. I think that this is there was there though,
nobody was covering Justin Jefferson on the wheel. And again
that's just that's just the game moving a little bit fast,
you know. And it's his first year, ten Gaines, Let's
see what it looks like next year.

Speaker 3 (15:39):
But you're right, it's a huge year for him next year. Yeah,
and if he's the if he's the star quarterback, well yeah,
well let's do this. We'll pause, and we got a
bunch of people on hold. I want to hear from
from the rooms. They got some some talkbacks via the
free iHeart radio app as well, and we're going to
continue this conversation in a non playoff year, whether it's Hey,
is this guy going to be back?

Speaker 1 (15:58):
Hey?

Speaker 3 (15:58):
Is it the Swan song for the defensive coordinator? Hey,
is it hof for Harrison Smith? Myriad things to get to.
Albeit still it's kind of just sour graves and sour
milk at this particular stage for your team, not getting
a chance to go into the postseason. As I'm watching
the Kiddies and Bears on my screen right here, looked
like the Falcons beat the Saints. So the Carolina Panthers,

(16:20):
despite losing yesterday, actually do win the division. Some weird
three way tie bit, A lot of fun things that
have playoff implications, and our favorite team is not a
part of it. But there are many things that we
can discuss here as part of Vikings fan line. A
five game win streakd and the twenty twenty five season
Vikings win sixteen to three over the Packers, splitting in

(16:41):
the border battle in twenty twenty five nine and eight,
the final record for the season for your favorite team.
Ron Johnson's here on Nordo. This is Minnesota Vikings Football.

Speaker 2 (16:50):
Is the radio home of the Minnesota Vikings. Boom F
one hundred.

Speaker 1 (16:55):
Point three KFAI Minnesota's home for football.

Speaker 2 (17:04):
Welcome back Vikings fan Line.

Speaker 3 (17:05):
Vikings wins sixteen to three over the visiting Green Bay Packers.
And after the game, I believe Ben Lieber got the
chance to catch up with Justin Jefferson in the locker room.
He got to his thousand yards receiving I believe Mike Evans,
Randy Moss, and Justin Jefferson are your three players in
league history to have one thousand or more receiving yards

(17:27):
in the first six seasons of their career and liber
chatting with Jets, let's listen.

Speaker 8 (17:33):
Thanks, a lot of you guys were down in the
Vikings locker room. It's crazy that the season is over
and this is the final one, but we got the
megastars lined up right now. Justin Jefferson, congratulations you hit
that thousand yard mark. Now that it's here.

Speaker 5 (17:46):
And you accomplished it.

Speaker 8 (17:48):
How much of it was on your mind going into
this game and kind of really throughout the whole.

Speaker 9 (17:51):
Season, Yeah, you know it really. I mean, of course
it was on my mind. Of course, it was a
goat that you know, I wanted to set love, that's sir.

Speaker 5 (18:03):
Of course.

Speaker 9 (18:04):
It was a goal that I wanted to achieve, and
you know, I felt like everybody in his locker room
wanted me to achieve that that goal as well. But
it was just about going out there and just playing
my heart out for this one last last time for
this season. Of course, not being able to make it
to that final dance or having the ability to make
it to the final dance. It was just all about

(18:24):
going out there and having fun playing with these brothers
that we have. I mean, just like every year, these
are the last time this team is going to be together,
so just trying to embrace that that whole moment. Of course,
to find it up the season at home, it definitely
was a great win.

Speaker 2 (18:41):
How are you able.

Speaker 8 (18:42):
To do that to kind of keep everything in your
mindset present week? You know, every day this week as
you get ready for the game, knowing that this is
gonna be the last game with a lot of these
guys in the locker room, and then also your own
personal milestones and your goals as well, how did you
maintain that presence throughout the whole week.

Speaker 9 (19:00):
Yeah, it's just really realizing that it's our last one,
our last opportunity to go out there and show the
world that you know what we got in show the
world that you know we're we're not just some some
bad team.

Speaker 1 (19:12):
You know.

Speaker 9 (19:12):
Winning these five straight straight games it means something to
these guys.

Speaker 5 (19:17):
It means something.

Speaker 9 (19:17):
Going into the off season and of course having to
rebuild and having to adjust to what we're gonna have
to to do this off season. So it was just
great to come out here see all of the guys
with smiling faces. Of course given shout out to Harry
and CJ on you know, being with this team one
last time. So we have great people in this building,

(19:38):
great people in this organization. Definitely great to play for
this organization today.

Speaker 8 (19:44):
What's it been like to play against Harrison Smith in practice?
I know, you guys probably battled a bunch, probably not
in true one on one situations, but you know, you
know that he's a future Hall of Famer out there
and you're playing against him and you see the nuance
of his game. What has he taught you both on
and off the field about this game?

Speaker 5 (20:01):
Sure, it's so much.

Speaker 9 (20:02):
You know, he's not really a guy that really talks much,
but he leads by example. You know, he leads by
going out there and just going what he needed to
do to get the job done. And to play fourteen
seasons at his position for one team is very hard
to do. So it's definitely kudos to him for leading
this organization, leading this team, uh to too many wins,

(20:25):
many turnovers that he has gotten. But I mean it's
respect as always, respect and love towards him.

Speaker 5 (20:32):
And what he has done for us.

Speaker 8 (20:33):
Well, it's that respect and love that I think everybody showed.
All the fans and the people in the stadium showed
him today along with CJ. Ham I mean, it was
a pretty special moment that they both had an opportunity
to get that love from the fans. When you think
about C. J. Hamm and what he means to this organization,
what do you think about he.

Speaker 9 (20:49):
Means more than than what people really think, you know,
just his journey, his story of how he got here,
how he's been in this on his team, in the mix.

Speaker 10 (21:00):
Uh.

Speaker 9 (21:00):
You know, it's not too many football fullbacks that's in
the league uh nowadays. But for for him to still
be in a mix getting a touchdown today, Uh, that
that that means a lot. I know, it means a
lot to him as well. Uh for his family, you know,
for for for his uh, for his people, it means
a lot. So I'm just happy to be a part
of it, happy to to know him, happy to you know,

(21:21):
be friends with them and have a relationship with him.

Speaker 5 (21:24):
Uh. But love brother always.

Speaker 9 (21:27):
But Uh, he's definitely a guy that you know, I
gotta keep you know, on close.

Speaker 1 (21:32):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (21:33):
Fans fans doll.

Speaker 9 (21:34):
So Uh, I mean he's he's a great human being,
he's a great player. Uh, and I'm honest to play
with him.

Speaker 8 (21:39):
You guys, like you mentioned, finished the season five straight
run wins. You guys have a lot of injuries, a
lot of offensive line issues, a quarterback situation that was
a carousel as well, and you guys managed to come
out here with a winning record. What does it potentially
say about the free agents that will probably come in
here and take a look at the Minnesota Vikings, the
draft picks that will inevitably get picked up by the
Minnesota Vikings. Like, what does that say today about what

(22:02):
they're going to experience here in a couple of months.

Speaker 5 (22:04):
Oh, it means a lot.

Speaker 9 (22:05):
It means that this fight is I mean this this
team doesn't give up easily. You know, we fighting to
the last go around, you know, And just what we've
been putting on tape for the last five weeks, we
got a lot of potential, a lot of things.

Speaker 5 (22:18):
That it's good to look at. But the work needs
to continue, you know.

Speaker 9 (22:23):
Of course, teaming up with JJ and off season team,
teaming up with a couple of these receivers in the
off season, getting the connection down, of course, growing the relationship.
But you know, there's a lot to get done for
this upcoming year. I'm excited. I'm excited to go to
work and see what we do this upcoming season.

Speaker 8 (22:40):
All right, last question for you. What beach are your
toes going to be in here in about a week
or two?

Speaker 9 (22:47):
Sure is any beach I can find with some sunshine,
with some sunshine, some good weather.

Speaker 5 (22:55):
I'm definitely looking forward to it.

Speaker 9 (22:56):
It's been a long season emotionally, physically, so I'm definitely
ready to get to it.

Speaker 8 (23:03):
Hey man, congratulations on everything this year, the thousand yards
being the most impressive team leader that this team needed.
In those moments. It showed, I think to everybody how
much you've matured and where you've come with your growth.
So I think everybody just wants to say thank you
for being the man that you are, for being the
superstar that you are, and being the humble superstar that
you are.

Speaker 5 (23:22):
Man, have a great offseason. Thank you all much respect.

Speaker 3 (23:25):
That's Ben Leber with Justin Jefferson and actually we're just
going to jump right into the phone lines here and
continue Vikings fan line. Vikings Victorious sixteen to three, balancing
the leadership plus the production getting over the thousand yard
humped today in some ways it's silver lining season for
your nine to eight non playoff bound Vikings. But Justin

(23:47):
Jefferson with Ben Lieber leads us to Garland in Cannon Falls, Garland.
Welcome to Vikings fan line.

Speaker 7 (23:53):
Hey, how are you guys?

Speaker 2 (23:55):
Wonderful? Thank you.

Speaker 11 (23:58):
I got kind of a two parter. First one to
start out by saying how appreciative as a fan I
am of Justin Jefferson in a game that doesn't matter
at all to go out there and play like that.
But at the second time or second point, I guess,
is McCarthy, do you think that the Wilfs are gonna
tell KOC the show us some film that says what

(24:20):
we have coming for us next year, because it's hard
to have too much hope going into twenty twenty six,
that's for sure. I'll hang up and listen to you guys,
and thanks.

Speaker 5 (24:30):
For the year.

Speaker 2 (24:31):
Yeah, thank you, I appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (24:33):
Yeah, I wonder how I mean the Wolfs by my
recollection and by my experience. Have you know part of
I think why most coaches have appreciated working for the
Wolfs is Mark and Ziggy for the most part, have
been hands off. Now they're aware, they're present, whether it's
weekly meetings and conversations.

Speaker 2 (24:52):
Always up to date on things.

Speaker 3 (24:54):
But as far as I can remember, I've I've never
heard about, you know, behind the scenes, just a darkness
like Ziggy or Mark getting on the phone with XYZ
coach and making mandates or digging too deeply into.

Speaker 2 (25:08):
The football side of things.

Speaker 3 (25:09):
But this again the importance of what twenty twenty six means,
not just for Kevin O'Connell, Quasia del Famenza and the
decision makers with this squad, but for McCarthy's career and
having to see you know again, beauty's in the eye
of the beholder. I suppose I felt really good about
some things that I saw more recently from the kid QB,

(25:30):
but still so much ambiguity and unknown with what we
can expect as a new standard, what we can expect
on a week by week basis.

Speaker 2 (25:37):
I would imagine that the.

Speaker 3 (25:40):
Wilson are going to be involved very much so in
conversations this offseason, not necessarily about mandates and swinging gavels,
but they're going to be apprized of every decision that
comes forth out of the those that make said decisions
in Egan.

Speaker 6 (25:55):
Yeah, I mean even you know, you look at you know,
Jim Irsey's daughter, you know what she's doing now. Like
I think more our owners are trying to figure out,
Like Jerry. I don't think anybody's gonna go full on
Jerry Jones, you know, just take over the GM role
and say this is my team. But I think when
you talk about billions of dollars, you know, these new
collective bargaining agreements that are coming soon, the new TV
deals that are coming soon with all the you know,

(26:16):
because there's so many new streams, like Netflix is all
much streaming games now, and what that dollar might look
like to the NFL owners, you want to put a
product out there.

Speaker 2 (26:24):
So you can get that money, yeah, you know. And
that's the big thing.

Speaker 6 (26:26):
I think when Netflix picked the Vikings for Christmas, they
were expecting, you know, a McCarthy you know versus you know,
golf type of day, you know, with playoff implications, and
it wasn't. I mean, the Vikings still came out and won,
and you know, the Lions stunk.

Speaker 3 (26:41):
Up the joint, but that wasn't the game they were
rooting no, that wasn't what they were hoping to string
Cowboys commanders was.

Speaker 2 (26:48):
No, no, no, no, no.

Speaker 6 (26:49):
I don't think when they told Snoop Dogg to come
in Minneapolis, I don't think that's what they thought he
was going to get.

Speaker 3 (26:53):
He probably tried to cancel. He doesn't even remember. Probably
now at this point, you.

Speaker 2 (26:56):
Know, I think he's case regardless.

Speaker 6 (26:59):
Yes, when you look at the owners, I think at
the end of the day, you can't change who you are.
I don't think they want to get too involved in
the football side of it, but they definitely want to know, like,
what's the plan, who's the who's the quarterback coming in?

Speaker 2 (27:09):
What are we going to do?

Speaker 6 (27:11):
You know, we drafted this kid, you know, really high.
Is this going to work out? You know, because they
know Kevin O'Connell has a heart for quarterbacks to say,
I don't want to just throw them to the Wolves
just yet. Let me see what I can do. But
Kevin O'Connell also has to say, well, this is my job,
this is my family as well. At some point, you know,
if something's weighing you down, you got to cut the

(27:31):
anchor and move on and we'll see what that looks like,
you know, if Jaj McCarthy comes back early and gets
hurt early this year, like this fall or even you know,
this summer, I think they're done. I think I can't
see them do it dealing with another injury riddled season,
you know, in year three with this guy with multiple
you know, it kind of becomes like, Okay, this is
what he is.

Speaker 2 (27:49):
Yeah, I tend to agree with you.

Speaker 3 (27:51):
I think part of those part of whether it was
Darling's question, whether it was his intent or not, just
kind of reading through it and I see it via
text and just do nine to noon. Throughout the year,
I've seen a ton of it. Fans want accountability, right,
Fans want accountability from going back in time and saying,
who made the decision that we were actually going to

(28:11):
put all the chips in the middle after a fourteen
win season?

Speaker 2 (28:14):
On the kid?

Speaker 3 (28:16):
How did you not know that maybe the floor wasn't
as high as you thought it was for the kid?
Why isn't Darnald here as he is now vining for
the one seed with another team out west? What about
Aaron Rodgers? What did those conversations look like in that room?
And so fans and the guy fans are the people
that buy the tickets and they sit in the stand,

(28:37):
so they're looking for accountability. So they're calling for the
general manager's head. They want to know who made every
single decision and they want all that information.

Speaker 6 (28:44):
Didn't want to be here, So I think that's what
fans have to remember too, is not on the vib
I mean, they didn't offer him a big enough deal,
but he didn't want to be here.

Speaker 2 (28:52):
If they wanted a three year deal, if they had
offered him the same contract three.

Speaker 6 (28:55):
Years, for sure, but like, would you have wanted to
offer Sam Donald, like because you don't know the fourteen
is coming again?

Speaker 2 (29:02):
Would you have like?

Speaker 6 (29:03):
I don't think people if they had made an announcement
Sam Darnold three years, one hundred million dollars charge would
have probably jumped out the window.

Speaker 3 (29:10):
Well, people would like he would have been frustrated at
that time because the most recent taste in their mouth
was the finale against Detroit and the playoff game in
the nine sacks. And people are still tweeting about that,
like is he gonna shut down after this buy? Like
he's going to get a chance to come after the
wild card? Is he going to screw it up again,
or is it going to the Super Bowl? Anything short
of hoisting the Lombardi. There will be those that have questions,

(29:31):
when is he going to turn into a pumpkin which
would match his hair color?

Speaker 2 (29:35):
I suppose, But to.

Speaker 3 (29:36):
That end, whether it's who made the decisions, wanting accountability
and we want to you know, you want to head
on a stick or you want you want to see
that And I think in the end this offseason, Vikings
fans are going to be disappointed in the regard that interior.
I think internally there are going to be a lot
of tough conversations this offseason in terms of with the

(30:00):
advantage of hindsight saying actually going backwards, this is one
of the more puzzling quarterback decisions that we've seen in
the NFL in a long time. It's east to sit
here at nine and eight consolation in silver lining season.

Speaker 2 (30:14):
You can go back in.

Speaker 3 (30:15):
Time now and say, oh, this actually doesn't make that
much sense, and you wonder you say Darnold didn't want
to be here.

Speaker 2 (30:22):
I think you would have been here for the right deal,
for the.

Speaker 3 (30:23):
Right deal, correct, But in the same way that they
handled Daniel Jones, it kind of sounded like, all right,
we're out against having you back, would love it, in fact, but.

Speaker 2 (30:32):
This is JJ's team.

Speaker 3 (30:33):
We're pushing as a franchise everything that we can towards
making him the focal point of Vikings football. And so,
if you're Daniel Jones, you chose Indianapolis because even took
five hundred thousand fewer dollars because you thought there might
be a real opportunity in Indy.

Speaker 2 (30:49):
Turns out he was right.

Speaker 3 (30:51):
And if you're Sam, the opportunity he's been gifted and
given in not gifted, he earned it given in Seattle,
and now he's taken advantage of it. Right, we're all
sitting here wanting accountability. What is up with JJ? What
is the next plan? Hey, I'm looking at the free
agent list. Oh, I bet we can get Daniel Jones
back with the Achilles. Oh that's fantastic. Gardner Minshew, is

(31:12):
he available? Can we trade for mac Jones? There's there's
a lot of frustrating and that's the name Mac Jones.

Speaker 6 (31:18):
You know, it's a name that's come up where people
are like, do you go get you another one of
those Shanahan guys?

Speaker 2 (31:23):
Yeah? Like I wanna work with Donald he did, and
he fixed Donald.

Speaker 3 (31:28):
That is the chicken order again with shanahead first, correct,
he and he gave Shanahan a lot of credit coming
to Minnesota.

Speaker 6 (31:35):
Yeah, you know, like DoD Shanahan, get him going, watching
him operate with back party and how he calls the
plays and how he sees the field and Koc just
kind of took on that responsibility and grew it to
fourteen wins? Could he do that with mac Jones? Mac
Jones has learned? Could he come here and push JJ
McCarthy to the limits of like, hey, I'm the guy
like mac Jones becomes the next brought party here for

(31:57):
the Minnesota Vikings, JJ maybe as a backup for a
couple of years, and he gets to play, you know,
he pulls the air the Jordan love you sit back
for a little bit more like learn it. Let's get
these feet fixed, let's get these eyes and arms fixed.
You know, let's let that hand heel up. You know,
let's let's watch how it should be and then you're
gonna get to play after that. You know, I just
don't know what the answer is, but I will say,
you look at Sam Darnold. We still have to see

(32:20):
playoff football, you know, like because we know Dani Jones
got hurt, so you can move on from that. But
Sam Donald playoff football now again. If he wins the
Super Bowl, I think everybody's gonna be sad. Everybody's gonna
be Okay, that could have been our super Bowl because
he has you know, you got Jackson Smith and Jig,
but you got Cooper Cup. You know that's the same
as Jordan As and Justin Jefferson. You know, I'm rooting
for Sam. Their offensive line is pretty good. If he

(32:41):
did it, yeah, he could win it. Though, to look
at the AFC to.

Speaker 3 (32:44):
Learn from last year and to come back now, he
didn't turn the ball over it all the other night.
Running for one hundred and eighty yards on the Niners
defense certainly did not hurt him. He had that opening
possession in the red zone in which he was dreadful.
It was almost an absolute mirror image of a year
ago where he had Charbonne first and goal with the
one looks off the wide open TD and ended up

(33:05):
taking a sack for like a loss of fifteen. So
he wasn't perfect that night, but he was efficient, got
it done. He's gonna get a bye week, everything goes
through Seattle in the NFC, Like that'd be cool to
learn from the tough moments a year ago, given the
growth that he already showed in such a short period
of time, and then even take another step the very
next year. He's won what twenty seven games, twenty eight

(33:26):
games now in the last two seasons.

Speaker 6 (33:28):
Yeah, no, he's that's for their weather late season and
dealing with that run game out there. I think that's
the key too, is now teams are gonna have to
deal with what they're used to. You know, some of
these teams that maybe don't travel as well to go
out there. It's it comes down there. But the Bears,
you know, say that they could be Chicago for Seattle.
You know, who knows what's gonna end. I mean, we

(33:49):
don't know where everybody's gonna hash out right now with this.
You know, Packers, could it be the Packers Bears playing
each other and then you know, three and four and
you know or sorry whatever, three and four make it
out and then Seattle has to end up playing what probably.

Speaker 2 (34:02):
The Panthers maybe, I mean, who knows what's going to
look like? This is such a weird year.

Speaker 3 (34:06):
Well, the consistency of some of these teams, as we've
been talking about, you know what the consistency is.

Speaker 2 (34:11):
They're all really good at running the ball. Ron Yeah,
they're all really good bears, eager running the ball. Even
mc vey likes to run. Yeah, I think their top
ten in rushing. You don't think about that.

Speaker 3 (34:21):
You think about Stafford and MVP and it's Puka, Pooka,
pooka till you're satisfied they're a top ten run operation.

Speaker 5 (34:27):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (34:28):
Interesting, you got it there, Just interesting.

Speaker 3 (34:30):
That's Vikings Vikings Fan Line continues on those of you
on hold. I got an interview I believe with Harrison
Smith around the corner, and we're going to continue to
take calls, texts and talkbacks Vikings Fan Line. Viking season
is over, sadly, but they get to a winning record.
Five consecutive victories put the Vikings from four and eight
to nine and eight as they close the book on

(34:51):
the twenty twenty five season. More of your takes and
talkers when we return. It's Kfan and the Minnesota Vikings
Audio Network.

Speaker 11 (35:00):
Minnesota Sports Station FM one hundred point three.

Speaker 2 (35:03):
Okay, thanks in Minneapolis, Paula, the sports.

Speaker 3 (35:07):
Leader, Vikings Fan line continues the third segment of Vikings
Fan Line Kfan Minnesota Vikings Audio Network Nordo here from
nine to noon, Ron Johnson with me Vikings win sixteen
to three, and just a reminder truncated Ish fan line

(35:27):
as we're out towards the end of this hour here
because the Minnesota Timberwolves are taking on the Washington Wizards,
and you're gonna get to hear that on your home,
not just for Vikings football, not just for wild hockey,
but also Timberwolves basketball as well. Let's go to the
phone lines here while Ron Johnson figures out the volume
on his tablet. Jackie slash Jacqueline in Minneapolis, Welcome to

(35:49):
Vikings Fan Line.

Speaker 2 (35:52):
Hi, Hey there, can you hear me?

Speaker 5 (35:55):
I can, yes.

Speaker 12 (35:56):
I just want to express I just want to express
my love for Harrison Smith for the last fourteen years.
My husband and I have had season tickets since his
rookie season and he's been my favorite player since then,
and today was so sad to see his potential last game.

Speaker 2 (36:15):
I am totally with you.

Speaker 3 (36:16):
I appreciate that call and your support of the team.
Longtime season ticket holders, Harrison Smith, fourteen freaking years for
this cat Ron and I was I was hoping. I mean,
it's a throwaway game, silver lining season as it is.
Can we get can we get Hitman one more pick?
Put him in the forty twenty club forty picks, twenty sacks.

(36:36):
I think it's re Rendez Barber and Charles Woodson the
only other two players in NFL history to achieve that
didn't get done as part of the border battle today.
But Harrison Smith and if you caught you were listening
to justin Jefferson's interview, he kind of spoke about it
was cool to see Harry for one last time, CJ
Ham for one last time, know well with either one

(36:59):
of them.

Speaker 2 (37:00):
CJ Ham as well, I mean just in the backstory
on CJ.

Speaker 3 (37:03):
Ham and finding his way to the NFL, finding a
way to stick what through through Zimmer and just kind
of a change in the offense new regime.

Speaker 2 (37:13):
He becomes kind of special.

Speaker 3 (37:14):
Teams captain guy, just a badass special teamer and his
work in spots instants less than maybe anybody would like,
or at least him for sure the offensive side of
the ball. But Harrison Smith another one between CJ and Harry,
the idea of seeing them play their last games.

Speaker 2 (37:32):
It kind of stinks. Yeah, and nobody knows. Like I said,
nobody knows.

Speaker 6 (37:36):
You know, I guess I got a chance to be
on the field and you know, talk to you know,
Xavier Rhoads and Andrewson djo Is down to Anthony Barr.
You know, we were all standing around and you know
then Brian Flores came over, Keenan mccardeal, Josh McCown quacy
came over there.

Speaker 2 (37:51):
You know, like everybody doesn't know. It's just one of
those like if this is it.

Speaker 6 (37:55):
Like Harrison's wife for the first time ever, got to
stand on the field and watch her husband come out
the tunnel. You know, normally she's up in the seats
and she's like, I'm gonna stay down here for this one,
you know, because it could be it.

Speaker 2 (38:04):
But the word could be it, you know, like that's
what they were using. It wasn't this is it.

Speaker 6 (38:09):
It could be right, And so we know Kevin O'Connell's
going to do is just do and let Harrison Smith
have his offseason and then at the end of the day,
like I said, September might roll around.

Speaker 2 (38:19):
Training camp's done.

Speaker 6 (38:21):
The seven million dollars is sitting on the table and
they found some space and carved it out, and they're like,
hey man, we got to seven meal for you come
out here and play safety. You got to practice once
a week and you get to do what you did
last year. And our defense is still here, flooris is
still here. Our quarter our kid quarterback is way better.

Speaker 4 (38:37):
Now.

Speaker 6 (38:37):
You know, we're gonna win some games with the offense,
not just the defense. It's a lot of money. There's
a lot of money, and so he might decide that
this is not the end. Like the Vikings have a chance.
And if the Lions are on the down tick and
the Packers look like you know, they're going to be
steady right there, and the Bears are the new Kings
of the North.

Speaker 2 (38:53):
The Vikings are right there.

Speaker 6 (38:54):
You know, they were one game away potentially from beating
the Bears and being NFC North champs.

Speaker 3 (38:59):
It's not far off. If you keep the offensive line
healthy and run the ball. What an odd year. It's
tough again, you win five straight. We're all those teams
totally in it. I mean, you beat up on Washington,
non playoff team. Cowboys needed that game. I look at
that as being an impressive victory in Dallas.

Speaker 2 (39:15):
The tie got the Packers in the playoffs. The tie
an did, didn't they? Yeah, both would be nine and
eight right now. Now have the tie break now, Jordan,
they don't sit everybody.

Speaker 5 (39:26):
They don't sit.

Speaker 6 (39:26):
Everybody, but they still today's lawyers with a still went
off on him. All right, okay, but we'd have Max
browseman're probably heading into the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (39:35):
Yeah, I don't. I don't like any of what we
just discussed, to be honest, I mean, we don't know
what the hand like Jaj McCarthy.

Speaker 6 (39:40):
I'm seeing videos on here and I'm watching the you know,
the refs talk and it looks like Jaj McCarthy saying, hey, sorry,
I tried to go or so I don't know what
he's mouth into his teammates as they come up, but
he's not shaking hands with the right hand.

Speaker 2 (39:50):
He's shaking with the left hand.

Speaker 1 (39:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (39:51):
So I just need twenty twenty six to be here
for that kid.

Speaker 3 (39:54):
I root for JJ the The the domino effect of
that thing not out at all is catastrophic for this
team and a massive setback when your tenth overall selection
doesn't materialize.

Speaker 2 (40:06):
That's why you have to have a really good quarterback
behind them.

Speaker 3 (40:08):
But I'm just done with twenty twenty five in terms
of I don't know when this injury was concerned or
was even incurred. Will he play? Won't he play? We're
gonna get a full week of reps and just see
what happens. I'm so exhausted by that.

Speaker 2 (40:21):
Yeah it was a Giants throw. That throw he threw it.
You can see his hand hit the guy's helmet. Yeah,
that was it.

Speaker 3 (40:26):
And I just I don't want to wish away seasons,
don't want to wish away games, want my team to
win every one of them. But having a little bit
of time to not converse about the injuries to the quarterback,
I'm on that. I'm also on Harrison Smith. Maybe we
can just do all the cart like Ron's talking about.
Let's find this some extra coins, some nickels and dimes
and couch cushions and egan and find a way for

(40:47):
two to two to come back in twenty twenty six.
For the moment, we'll settle with a conversation you had
with Ben Lieber in the locker room after the w All.

Speaker 8 (40:55):
Right, thanks a lot of guys. Yeah, we're down here
with the man of the hour. And the man of
the year really Harrison Smith, Harry, can you just take us?
I know this is probably a tough question because emotionally,
I'm sure you're all over the place, But like from
the second that you got your name announced at the
start of the game to the very end when you're
in in your interview and half the team's waiting for you, Like,
what were the emotions like from start to finish?

Speaker 13 (41:15):
I'm just trying to hold it together, to be honest,
It's a It means a lot, all the friendships and
relationships and ups and downs and.

Speaker 5 (41:26):
Just every everything that goes into it.

Speaker 13 (41:30):
You can sometimes forget along the journey and you see
it at the end and it's it's pretty specful.

Speaker 3 (41:37):
You know.

Speaker 2 (41:37):
What's it mean?

Speaker 8 (41:38):
I know that you know, we we do play this
game for the respect of teammates and peers, and you know,
to have the Packers players come over and dap you
up as well, like above everything else as far as
media and fans, Like, what's it mean to have sort
of this love and adoration from even the opposing players.

Speaker 5 (41:56):
Yeah, that's it's.

Speaker 13 (41:59):
Like you said, Yeah, like that kind of means the
most to me because I've always played the game for
the game. So when the teams you compete against the
most have respect for you, it means you did something right,
you know.

Speaker 2 (42:15):
I know you still have a lot to think about it.

Speaker 8 (42:16):
I mean, I don't know if anybody's really willing to
close the door on anything just yet, as you're kind
of agreeing with me with that. So, like you went
through this a little bit last year, can you take
us through the process of what the next maybe a
couple of days, a couple of weeks, maybe the months
look like before you make maybe make a final decision.

Speaker 13 (42:33):
Yeah, it's it's kind of different every year. I would
say days is not long enough. But you know, I
think when you kind of get send off a sendoff
like this, like might man, I don't really have a
choice now, It's like, you know, so I don't I
don't want to say anything really yet, but you know,
obviously leaning leaning towards you know, that potentially being it. Yeah,

(43:02):
but I'm not I'm not willing to say anything too
too definitive at the time. But you know that's obviously
where yeah, you know, things are kind of it's kind
of where I'm at and kind of where I started
going into the season and wish it would have gone
you know, just a just a little bit differently, just

(43:24):
so we could keep playing, because I think we were
kind of starting to figure some things out late in
the year. I think that's kind of the one thing
that that sings a little bit. But at the same time,
like I don't think like if there's an option to play, like,
I don't.

Speaker 5 (43:41):
It's not really in.

Speaker 13 (43:44):
Like most guys nature that I've even talked to that
are are forty five fifty retired and I could still
give you a couple of reps.

Speaker 2 (43:51):
Like, so it's just it's, yeah, it's interesting.

Speaker 8 (43:55):
Have you talked to Kendricks Kendricks, Yeah, if you talk
to Eric Hendricks about about his situation, you know, he
was He's out there, you know, posting about his cars
and his life and still don't work outs at U c.

Speaker 2 (44:07):
L A.

Speaker 8 (44:07):
And now he's starting linebacker for the forty nine ers
going to the playoffs. Like you feel like that's maybe
a possibility for you next year.

Speaker 2 (44:15):
I'm not gonna rule anything out. I think.

Speaker 13 (44:19):
That era of guys that I was with, you know,
Eric being being one of them. Obviously, there is a
lot of a lot of guys that knew ball and
know how to play, and like he could, he can
still do it. You know, even when he's working on
his cars, I know he's like, I wish I was
out there. So yeah, there's it's just it's it's tough.

(44:43):
It's tough to.

Speaker 5 (44:45):
It's tough to.

Speaker 13 (44:46):
It's tough for any for any athlete, Guys who come
out of college and think they're gonna make it and
hold on for a couple of years just working out.
You got Andrew d'paala, he was working out for like
three years, working at best Buy, no like, no shot,
no chance, and then all of a sudden he's here,
like thirty eight years old, three time pro bowler. It's

(45:08):
you know, it's just like kind of a kid's mindset.
But there's something about this game that there's just the
people who play it have so much drive. It's it's
hard to not give up on it, but like to
maybe let it go and focus it on something else,

(45:29):
which is a good thing as well.

Speaker 1 (45:31):
So we'll see.

Speaker 8 (45:32):
You know, you're you mentioned the kids part of it,
and you played this game with this this childlike enthusiasm
out there, and now you have a family of your own,
and if this is it if this is the final
chapter and this is your career as your kids get
older and they're kind of learning what daddy did and
what he you know, what he's known for. Like what
do you what do you hope that they take away

(45:53):
from your career? I know it's it's difficult, you know,
it's funny. I'll share this little anecdote with myself. My
my kids didn't My oldest, my daughter didn't know I
played football until she was in first grade and uh,

(46:15):
her her classmates actually brought it up to her and
she's like, my dad did what And she came home
from school and she asked, She's like, what did you
did You actually play like football? And so I had
to explain to her what it meant. And you know,
for her first gradeer, she still didn't really understand. But
you know it was it was a fun moment and
actually something that I think worked out the way I
wanted to that I didn't want her to know me

(46:36):
as just a football player. So is that something you
feel like it is going to be uh maybe in
the cards for you as you as your kids sort
of learn who you are.

Speaker 2 (46:45):
Yeah, that's the same sentiment.

Speaker 13 (46:48):
My my son's too, and he's he's already he already
knows the skull chant and PC's football on TV.

Speaker 2 (46:54):
He says, Data, it's.

Speaker 13 (47:00):
The football and the fandom and you know, all the
support and everything is great, but I think it's.

Speaker 2 (47:08):
The work that I want my kids to know about. Yeah, well,
you are a consummate pro.

Speaker 8 (47:14):
You always showed us the love and respect for the
game and the way that you approached the game and
the way you played. So I know we were talking
about this last year in the same situation, but you know,
I appreciate the man that you are and the player
that you are.

Speaker 1 (47:25):
Man. Thank you.

Speaker 5 (47:26):
Likewise, thank you.

Speaker 3 (47:28):
Ben Lieber, The hit man, Harrison Smith talking about not
just what it means to be a member of this team,
but long the long road traveled and speculation and decision.
What's up in the air moving forward for number twenty two.
Tremendous interview. Ben Lieber there with Harrison Smith. We're gonna pause, continue,

(47:49):
jump back into the phone calls, talkbacks, Free, iHeartRadio, app
hit that microphone, give us up to your best thirty
seconds six four six eight six bratch on Brian KFA
and text line one more segment to go a Vikings
fan line on kfan and the Minnesota Vikings Audio Network
the Twin Cities.

Speaker 2 (48:06):
So for vikingstar f one hundred point three.

Speaker 14 (48:10):
Kfan, Welcome back Vikings fan line.

Speaker 3 (48:22):
Vikings victorious sixteen to three in the Border Battle. I
believe it's number one thirty one. The Vikings improving. If
you're keeping track at home, they're seven and three in
the US Bank Stadium era at home against the Pack,
sixteen to three. Sands a late, going to take a
time out with one second left, you're not going to

(48:42):
shut us out and you get the late field goal
from McManus. I was yet another I mean it was
Clayton tuone. So what am I trying to do here? Okay,
it was Clayton tune.

Speaker 5 (48:52):
I get it.

Speaker 3 (48:53):
But the Vikings nearly shut out their second opponent of
the season, and they finished the season nine and eight.
Off that Off that interview, last segment with Ben Lieber
and Harrison Smith. This is going to be the final
segment here on the Vikings Kfan and the Minnesota Vikings
Audio Network. We're going to continue this Vikings fan line

(49:13):
on the flagship one hundred point three FM the Fan
right up until five o'clock five pm ish tip off
Timberwolves Wizards, your Home for Wolves, Hoops the Fan. But
off of that chat, the Brian Flores steam ron, we've
kind of framed it up nine to noon, just kind
of why your thoughts. Brian Flores, if he is back,

(49:36):
that infinitely increases the odds that Harrison Smith if he's
going to return, he would return if Flores is here.
If Flores was to leave and find himself a head
coaching job, and Harrison Smith would be returning to potentially
a new defense, Harry may ride off into the sunset.

Speaker 2 (49:54):
There's some sort of.

Speaker 3 (49:55):
Kinship and connectivity there. Harrison loves playing in Flores's defense.
That relationship is super strong. I think in some ways
Smith's returning. You can't talk about that without talking about
Brian Flores returning.

Speaker 2 (50:09):
Oh one hundred percent.

Speaker 6 (50:10):
And also it's like you already have the answer to
the test, Like I don't have to study because I
know the test.

Speaker 2 (50:16):
I know everything on his test.

Speaker 6 (50:18):
A new coach, he's going to have new terminology, new
thought processes, new things you can do.

Speaker 2 (50:22):
And can't do. Within my defense, yeah, he knows what
Flora's like.

Speaker 6 (50:25):
He could go to sleep, wake up and say, yup,
I know what I'm supposed to do here when I
see three receivers of this side motion out because you
saw it during the game today. Like there's a lot
of times when he line up outside guy motions, he
kick in, tight end, sets back, he goes back because
they're like, all right, we got to get out of this.
Whatever we were in, get out of it. Let's go
back to cover two. Brian Floyes is a big reason
why Harrison Smith can.

Speaker 5 (50:43):
Do all that.

Speaker 2 (50:44):
If you switch it up and not say you want
to switch it up.

Speaker 6 (50:47):
If he like you said I, if somebody's willing to
take a chance on him and you know, the Raiders
or whoever, then yeah, Harris Smith could say, I don't
really want to come back and play for a brand
new coach and have to learn everything all over again.
Flora's already hold me, I don't have to practice as much.
Floor has already told me what I can and can't do.
Like that could be a part of it. But again
I go back to at the end of the day,
head coach is Kevin O'Connell. So whether he finds a

(51:10):
guy that fits Brian Floyd's schemes, hey you got to
come in and do this because there are some Brian
Flores like minions out there from like the Miami days
and so and so forth that he could.

Speaker 2 (51:19):
Probably go find.

Speaker 6 (51:20):
I just don't know that that the chances of that
are what five percent that he finds somebody that can
do what Flores does and gets hers a smith to
stay well.

Speaker 3 (51:27):
And it kind of seems unreasonable too if I'm hiring
a defensive coordinator supposedly based on his merit, and then
given that Ko is so focused on the offense, there's
a fair amount of autonomy that you're going to give
that defensive coordinator to give him that autonomy to hire
him based on what you believe his merit, and then say,
but you're kind of gonna do what the previous guy did,

(51:50):
like you just gotta be that'd be there certainly when
you're looking for promotions and the next step on the
career ladder. I mean, there's there's a lot maybe that
you would concede in the efforts of getting that big chance.
But hey, now, terrific work, yes, absolutely, But see this
previous guy. Can you just like copy everything that, please?

(52:10):
Can you beat can you effectively be him?

Speaker 6 (52:13):
Can you come up with Frankenstein type of defenses, coverages
that don't make sense, but you end up covering cover two,
cover four, cover three. But get to it all kinds
of crazy ways and make sure your players.

Speaker 2 (52:26):
Know what they're doing. Yeah, that's a lot to ask.

Speaker 3 (52:28):
Oh and by the way, uh, welcome to Minnesota. I
don't think we've drafted a defensive starter since like twenty
twenty one, So we're just gonna give you a bunch
of players and.

Speaker 2 (52:38):
You figure it out.

Speaker 3 (52:39):
Dallas started to look good today though, Dallas Turner. Yeah,
I think he had eight s He leads the team.
He led the team in sacks this year. He looked
really good today. His evolution very important as part of
the twenty twenty six Vikings and beyond. Let's grab let's
grab a phone call here, Brian and Cannon falls. Brian,
Welcome to Vikings fan line.

Speaker 1 (52:57):
Hey, how are we doing?

Speaker 2 (52:58):
Wonderful?

Speaker 1 (52:59):
Man?

Speaker 3 (52:59):
How are you.

Speaker 5 (53:02):
Good?

Speaker 15 (53:02):
Thanks for taking my call? What do you got Hey,
I'm just wondering about I'm just wondering about. You know,
everyone has sold down on JJ McCarthy and things like that,
but I'm wondering how about our offensive line?

Speaker 2 (53:17):
Coach?

Speaker 15 (53:18):
You know we've been through a million offensive linemen, but
it just doesn't seem like our offensive linemen are always clicking.

Speaker 2 (53:27):
Yeah, yeah, I appreciate the call.

Speaker 6 (53:31):
Brian, what like sixteen different seventeen different combinations this year.

Speaker 3 (53:34):
I think we were in the twenties. I think we
were in the twenties. I will say this, And while
you know, if you listen to nine to noon, you're
never gonna hear us. You know, here's who's jobs on
the line. Here, here's who might get fired at the
end of a season. In terms of listeners, In terms
of just the aura around this team, GM's getting a.

Speaker 5 (53:54):
Lot of heat.

Speaker 2 (53:55):
Probably don't even need to tell you that.

Speaker 3 (53:56):
But the special teams coordinators, some frustrations around just whether
it was so penalty laden earlier in the season, some turnover,
some mishaps. Devin Duverne and the Bears game or Ravens
game rather no Bears game. Excuse me, used to play
for the Ravens, by the way, Devin DuVernay before he
went to Chicago. Uh, and then and then the O
line coach that's been that's been a popular talker. And

(54:17):
as we were discussing earlier on just kind of as
fans when the season doesn't go the right way. And
this is all fair by the way these people buy
the tickets, they go to the games.

Speaker 2 (54:27):
Hey, this was a disaster. It needs to be fixed.

Speaker 3 (54:30):
A lot of time that that comes out in the
form of there's a coach that needs to be fired
because of it, and I'm just I'm never going to
root for that to happen, but there is there's a
lot of heat around a team and a fan base
looking for accountability when it's well, why did we what?

Speaker 2 (54:46):
What did we see in Oryan Kelly? What did we
see in this?

Speaker 3 (54:50):
Think about from a depth standpoint, You trade away Vederi
and Low, you draft him a few years ago. Now
he's starting games. Uh, while is it Will Campbell the
high end? Is it Will Campbell or Will Johnson? The
high end left tackle for the Patriots? But Viderian Low,
former Viking now making plays out there. You think about
moving on from Garrett Bradberry and just sadly the concussions,

(55:11):
not that they can be predicted, but this happens to
be a person in Ryan Kelly that has a history
of them. And then we saw that manifest itself in
twenty twenty five, how they handled the return and just
I mean, what a freaking I mean in a season
of roller coasters at the team level, how about the
roller coaster of a year for Christian dearisaw And so

(55:32):
just all of those things going in a lot of
frustration around the O line.

Speaker 2 (55:36):
We're watching the Bears team right now at eleven and five.

Speaker 3 (55:39):
They're down thirteen to nothing, so they might just be
looking towards potentially mailing this thing in and finding their
way healthy into the postseason. But whereas that team regenerates
the interior of their offensive line with Joe Tooney Wiley
veteran the left guard, they get Drew Dahlman free agency,
the highest paid center I believe during the free agent period,

(56:00):
and then Jonah Jackson, his kind of career journeyman may
have been with the Lions before the Rams that worked,
And that's kind of just like the small margin of
between what looks great and what's awful. Right, Yeah, the
same thing about Ingram the interior side. Yeah, net Ingram
now he's protecting he's protecting CJ. Stroud for a playoff
bound Houston Texans team. Just a lot of frustration around

(56:23):
how that went, a lot of injuries can't be predicted,
but the connectivity and trying to keep all that together
is is drawing the ire of many.

Speaker 6 (56:31):
Yeah, I wonder how Garrett Bradberry would have done with
those four. You know, you put Donovan Jackson, Fries O'Neil,
and Darri saw injuries aside. If those five are healthy,
does Garrett Bradbury look like the guy that we thought
he should look like here he's looking like it now,
you know. And then Campbell, you know, the rookie with
the pages who got hurt. You know he's back, but

(56:51):
you just think about drafting offensive rush.

Speaker 2 (56:54):
Will Campbell by the way, Okay, yeah, not sorry.

Speaker 6 (56:56):
You look at the offensive lineman drafting them and I
forgot who I was talking to, but oh, random McDaniel,
and he was saying that offensive guard is tough for
a young guy.

Speaker 2 (57:07):
You know, it takes a while before you understand it.
And I got to trust the Hall of Famer.

Speaker 6 (57:13):
You know, maybe we gave up too quick on them,
you know, like I said, like it's or was it
the coaches that were coaching them?

Speaker 2 (57:19):
And that's that's what you got to figure that out.
That's not up to me, that's not up to you. Know,
the fans.

Speaker 6 (57:24):
That's up to the staff and the GM and whoever
to say, how are these guys moving on and being productive?
How are these guys moving on and getting you know, again,
is it the scheme is? What are we asking our
guys to do? That might be too much on the
offensive line?

Speaker 3 (57:39):
You know, you got to go through all that this
offseason and kind of figure out if you're simplifying it
for your quarterback pre snap, could you simplify it for
your offensive line?

Speaker 5 (57:46):
You know?

Speaker 2 (57:46):
And maybe that's the key, like maybe they're being actud
to do too much.

Speaker 3 (57:50):
Yeah, so I'm not again, accountability matters. I don't think
you're going to get paid off in the offseason. If
you're a Vikings fan and you're saying, I got a list,
should change, These guys got to pay. I don't think
you're gonna get paid off in the public square for that.
I think there's going to be a lot of it
dealt with internally. I don't know if that you know

(58:10):
what kind of changes that means. I'm not going to
speculate at this particular moment, but I will say, in
relation to this singular season, how on earth can you
have the I mean, even even if this team they've
drafted so poorly the last half decade plus, even prior
to Quasi and company, this is a team that was feed.

Speaker 2 (58:31):
They used to feast.

Speaker 3 (58:32):
Now they handle undrafted cats and just overpay and and
get the right guys that they love. They used to
just take seven seventh rounders every single year. Remember the
four third rounders. I think we talked about the four
of the four greatest third round picks in the history
of Rick.

Speaker 5 (58:46):
Vl Kel.

Speaker 3 (58:48):
Was Kellen mond Wyatt, Davis Chas Uratt? Was he in
that I think Chas Surratt and maybe Pat Pat Jones.
So the But to that end, even if this team
hadn't been drafting so poor, how do you apply that depth?
I mean, my goodness with with justin School coming in,
you have you have Blake Brandle playing maybe four of
the five positions this year, Michael Jurgens, and just Walter Rouse.

Speaker 2 (59:13):
Making an appearance.

Speaker 3 (59:15):
Nothing's gonna go right if you have to put potentially
ten or eleven offensive linemen on the field over the
course of a season. And so that's something to weigh
as well. The things you couldn't predict, the injuries.

Speaker 1 (59:27):
Let's do this.

Speaker 2 (59:27):
We're gonna pause and say we're gonna bit a doo.

Speaker 3 (59:31):
The Greater Vikings Audio Network Vikings Win Order Battle one
thirty one.

Speaker 2 (59:37):
At us Bank Stadium. They improved to nine and eight.

Speaker 3 (59:40):
Sadly they're seasons over, which means that our time together
on the Greater Audio Network is over as well. Thank
you so much to all of our great affiliates, all
those that listen and support for Max Fuller's work producing,
for Ron Johnson sitting here and answering all of my
dumb questions on Nordo from nine to noon. The season
ends at nine night on the back of a five

(01:00:02):
game win streak. We're going to continue this conversation on
the flagship one hundred point three FM, the Fan Free
iHeartRadio app live and local tomorrow with the Power Trip
Morning Show of course nine to noon.

Speaker 2 (01:00:13):
Brian McKnight. One last cry, but.

Speaker 3 (01:00:15):
A few more segments leading you up to Wolves, Hoops,
Wolves and the Wizards at the top of the hour.
But thank you so much for listening to Vikings football
over the twenty twenty five season. This has been Vikings
Fan Line on Kfan and the Minnesota Vikings Audio Network.

Speaker 2 (01:00:40):
And the Fan.

Speaker 1 (01:00:43):
Vikings Fan Line now continues on FM one hundred point
three Kfan and the Fan Radio Network. Postgame coverage on
the fan is presented by our broadcast partners, by will Shire,
by Infinity, by TimberTech, and by your local Chevy Dealers.
Joined the conversation on Vikings fin Line by sending us

(01:01:05):
a talkback through the iHeart app Texas studio at six
four six eighty six, call eight hundred and three to
two oh five three two six, or send us a message.

Speaker 2 (01:01:15):
To any of our kfans social channels.

Speaker 1 (01:01:18):
Now continuing to take your talkbacks, direct messages and calls.
This is Vikings fan Line with Ron Johnson and kfans
Eric norton Quist.

Speaker 5 (01:01:29):
What up?

Speaker 3 (01:01:29):
Vikings wins sixteen to three over the Green Bay Packers
US Banks Stadium, and the Vikings finished the regular season
their entire season in fact, at nine to eight, a
five game win streak to finish the season campaign and
the Packers already locked into the seventh seed.

Speaker 2 (01:01:49):
That's why we saw a lot of Clayton tune today.

Speaker 3 (01:01:51):
What a thrilling affair was Ron Johnson's with me Nordo
Max Fuller producing to the talkback machine free iHeartRadio app
Let's listen to a.

Speaker 2 (01:02:01):
Few Jake from Woodbury. Thanks, guys, I really love the show.

Speaker 10 (01:02:07):
There's just certain quarterbacks in this NFL league that don't
see me have the ability to really move the ball
down the field. But the other thing is can they
throw a deep ball and make a connection one or
maybe two in a game. Darnold could do it. I
watched Riley Leonard with the Colts do it today. But
then there's other guys like the Tune Kid, Frankly McCarthy
and Brosemer, and they have no chance of doing it.

(01:02:29):
There's something to this.

Speaker 3 (01:02:32):
I appreciate that talkback machine. Hit that hit that microphone.
Give us up to your best thirty seconds. Yeah, the
lack of explosion in this Vikings offense is saw let
me find this just kind of made me laugh just
reading a transcript. Ah, remember the GOODA days when Cousins just.

Speaker 11 (01:02:49):
To routinely throw for thirty touchdowns.

Speaker 14 (01:02:52):
Now we're not even at or even at fifteen.

Speaker 2 (01:02:55):
Boy, just we just can't have nice things. Thirty touchdowns.

Speaker 12 (01:02:59):
Oh man, that was so awesome.

Speaker 3 (01:03:03):
Well, have you know, sir, we have eighteen passing touchdowns
in twenty twenty five eighteen ron we have eighteen yeah,
in every count you know, other than will he won't,
he is in Brian Flores returning to the team. And
then whether it's nostalgic or just materially, what this defense
would look like without a Harrison Smith CJ.

Speaker 9 (01:03:25):
Hamm.

Speaker 3 (01:03:26):
There's some nostalgia peace associated with then just high end
special teams play and leadership, both of them certainly leaders
on and off the field, but all roads lead to
that conversation this offseason, are you prepared for it Ron
to spend four to five months talking about the quarterback position?

Speaker 2 (01:03:44):
Yes, I am.

Speaker 6 (01:03:45):
I'm ready for ready, I'm ready. I got my popcorn, ready,
I got my notes, I'm already like doing. I got
stats from the end of this So I'm only going
on five weeks, right, That's all I'm going to talk about.
I don't I'm not going to talk about the whole season, Okay,
I'm just talking about the last five weeks of Viking.
Last five weeks, last five weeks of Vikings defense. Offense, right, defense,
great offense blah.

Speaker 1 (01:04:05):
Right.

Speaker 3 (01:04:06):
Yeah, that's because we can't keep saying Jajon McCarthy X
y Z.

Speaker 2 (01:04:09):
Here's the stats. Hundred and whatever, sixteen hundred yards X
what like, what.

Speaker 6 (01:04:13):
What did the not high end you know that? What
did the last taste of jaj McCarthy feel like to you?

Speaker 3 (01:04:21):
If you had to look at this game, it was
him shaking his hand and walking off the field, right,
Would you want to eat more of that?

Speaker 4 (01:04:27):
Like?

Speaker 2 (01:04:27):
Would you put that on your plate for sixteen more weeks?
Seventeen more weeks?

Speaker 3 (01:04:30):
I'm general my diet has been fairly indiscriminate over the
course of time.

Speaker 5 (01:04:35):
So I would not it.

Speaker 6 (01:04:37):
Okay, No, And that's That's what I'm concerned with, is
like we keep hearing all this, fix this, fix this,
fix this. What is that going to look like? What
does fix this actually look like? What is I mean
they're not going to say exacts. I mean, I know
some stuff I'm not going to say on air, but like,
can you fix it? That's the question, Like it's you
can say it, but can you do it? That's That's

(01:05:00):
all I'm wondering, is like, yeah, we can keep saying
keep Sandy keeps saying it, but eventually there's a reason
why coaches move on from certain players quarterbacks, X, Y,
and Z, like they just can't get it done. I'm
not saying he's that guy. If it's very simple and
it can be fixed, I think he can be a
really good quarterback. We saw the fastball today. He has
the armstring. That's not a question. Question is does he

(01:05:21):
know when to use it?

Speaker 5 (01:05:22):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:05:23):
And and what's between those two years?

Speaker 3 (01:05:26):
Let's pause again. It's we are leading you up to
Wolves and Wizards. Hoops on the fan, Alan Horton, everybody involved.
Let's go howl and when we return, we'll hit you
with our local Chevy Dealers drive of the game. Hint
is the only touchdown in the game, but we're going
to play that and continue this conversation, getting closer to
Wolve's hoop, Vikings fan line sixteen to three, the final

(01:05:49):
Vikings ending the season nine to eight. More around the corner,
it's the fan Wolves Vikings fan line, Vikings win sixteen

(01:06:12):
to three.

Speaker 2 (01:06:14):
And nine to noon.

Speaker 3 (01:06:15):
We'll be live and local with the Power Trip at
five thirty am. We'll wake up in good morning, wake
up with the Power Trip. How about that nine to noon,
whether it's PA's postgame drive.

Speaker 2 (01:06:25):
By chats in the locker room.

Speaker 3 (01:06:27):
A lot to dig into that they can't be covered
just in fan line or just even in a Monday
nine to noon as the Vikings will begin their off
season a nine to eight team team with a winning record,
team that's not going to the playoffs. Big thanks over
the course of this season to our local Chevy Dealers,
by the way, for supporting Vikings fan line offering the

(01:06:47):
local Chevy Dealers Drive of the game, and we do
it each.

Speaker 2 (01:06:52):
And every week and one second here there we go.

Speaker 3 (01:06:56):
Vikings win sixteen to three that included one touchdown to
see a little bit of Riker today, a couple few
goals in an extra point. We appreciate that, but to
that end, it was a singular drive that ended in
a touchdown in the first half. Nine plays, fifty nine yards.
Clock was ticking down on the first half. Gotta go,
gotta go, Vikings did and it ended with this twenty

(01:07:19):
five seconds to go in the first half. Second and
goal from.

Speaker 11 (01:07:21):
The one straight I behind JJ CJ hamm in front
of ty Chandler Ben Simson motion to the left.

Speaker 2 (01:07:27):
Hand off CJ. Ham plows up the middle, touchdown.

Speaker 14 (01:07:34):
Vikings.

Speaker 5 (01:07:35):
Well done.

Speaker 13 (01:07:36):
CJ.

Speaker 2 (01:07:37):
Ham and the Minnesota Vikings have taken a twelve serial lead.

Speaker 3 (01:07:42):
Beautiful thing that did make it after the extra point
from Riker to that made it thirteen to nothing at
the break.

Speaker 2 (01:07:48):
Sixteen to three is the final? Again, just the thriller
that it was in the end.

Speaker 3 (01:07:53):
You want to beat the Packers, right, I mean you
weren't in college Ron saying yeah, geez it really just
not interested in this game because Wisconsin has X y
Z big time are out right, I guess.

Speaker 2 (01:08:03):
We'll just people were upset about the thirteen and a
half cover.

Speaker 6 (01:08:07):
I wonder about that, Yeah, that he called time out
with one second left and kicked a field goal.

Speaker 3 (01:08:11):
See, that's why you always want to shock the lines.
I had seen it at twelve and a half for
the most and I think via DraftKings it was thirteen
and a half, So that means some people took some
l's today. You kicked the field go yeah. And frankly,
given the scenarios in terms of who was going to play,
who wasn't going to play, Vikings lay in the points

(01:08:32):
made a lot of sense. So I wonder who who
won a couple bucks or yeah, And again just like
that's the way that like sports gambling, there are a
lot of bad things that can come from that. The
Packers bet on themselves some but some good things that
can come from. It is just taking a game that
otherwise maybe there's no interest in, and you're finding angles.

(01:08:54):
It can be a fun hobby, right, but uh, taking
an l in a meaningless border back.

Speaker 2 (01:09:00):
One of the packers got some actual players that bet
on themselves to cover, like Bo Melton, Trayvon Diggs doubling
up his one game salary. How about that they they
roll in. I think Trayvon Diggs, Yeah, made four hundred
and forty summer. It's like four and fifty thousan dollars
just to suit up for one game. Good for him,
get the percent engineer.

Speaker 3 (01:09:20):
The Cowboys offered him the contract, So you can't blame
Digsie for that one.

Speaker 5 (01:09:24):
But CJ.

Speaker 3 (01:09:25):
Ham, and that's been one of the talkers here is
just will he stay, will he go? He is a
free agent, as is Harrison Smith. Some other names that
might be bandied about here. Let's let's try to find them.
I had it in front of me at one point,
Harrison Smith, Ham Eric Wilson's going to be a talker
Ron into this offseason. The year that he had, he

(01:09:46):
just straight up went and stole a kid's lunch money.
He took Ivan Pace's job. Okuda. Sadly, it just we
I this was a reclamation project, a redemption tour. It
didn't work out Tavi or Thomas other than special teams
penalties very just not of note a season for Tavier
justin school, Rondell Moore leg injury and all of that.

Speaker 2 (01:10:06):
Ryan Right, the punter.

Speaker 3 (01:10:08):
Punter was pretty good this year. I like Ryan Right
and see if the plus size punter will be back.
The Paula long snapper. Does he still have it in him?
Can he do it at thirty nine? But but you
need to Jalen Naylor is probably going to be as
I'm just reading down the line that was listed based
on their respective salaries.

Speaker 2 (01:10:25):
But I would say a Jalen Naylor is a talker
in terms of what his future will be. I mean,
and you got to put him. I just think he's gone.

Speaker 6 (01:10:32):
I just think he's going to kJ Osborne, Right, same
thought process he left. It didn't really work out at
the next stops, right. That's what Jalen Naylor has to
kind of like think about, like this offense is built
for what he does from a from a.

Speaker 2 (01:10:45):
Speed standpoint, From a I don't have a lot.

Speaker 3 (01:10:47):
I get single coverage a lot right in this offense,
how much did he benefit from having eighteen or a.

Speaker 2 (01:10:53):
Three on field?

Speaker 6 (01:10:54):
You know, you become the number two, but now all
of a sudden, your number one is not a not
a name like rings Bells, you know, like like Ted.
You know, you know he's young, right, you know, so
is he really getting double coverage just yet?

Speaker 2 (01:11:07):
Not yet?

Speaker 6 (01:11:07):
So you end up going to the Panthers to be
a speedy guy for them. But now it doesn't like
you're not wide open, you're not getting single man coverage.
So that's what you have to kind of figure out,
is is it a value? Like how much more money
is it worth it? Where the Vikings might say, hey,
we're gonna match whatever offer sheet you get. Is he
willing to stay for that match or does he want

(01:11:28):
to move on and get out of the shadow of
Addison and Jefferson.

Speaker 3 (01:11:31):
I saw some people trying to use like Christian Kirk
as an example, and I don't think that's a good example.
I think even like Christian Kirk very very modest output
with Arizona before he got eighteen million dollars a year
to go to Jacksonville and actually earned his money for
the most part, until some injuries kind of caught up

(01:11:53):
with him eighteen minutes. Like I look at Jalen Naylor
and I'm like, you're gonna get like five or six somewhere.

Speaker 2 (01:11:59):
And but he's earned it. I think, well, see, that's
a tough thing. And if they cut TJ. Hockinson, the
money's there.

Speaker 3 (01:12:05):
He's been he's been reliable in spots. And well, here's
what we're gonna do. We're gonna pause, We're gonna come
back and put a rap on this thing. But the
free agent conversation certainly hot. As part of Vikings fan
Line on the Fan, ye welcome back just a little
over a minute to go, because we're gonna transition to
the Howl and the Washington Wizards here and your home

(01:12:27):
for Timberwolves basketball the Fan Vikings fan Line. Those of
you who listen on a week by week basis, those
of you were annoyed, those of you that have maybe
too many pops and then you call in and you
say whatever you want, that's all good.

Speaker 5 (01:12:39):
We love you for it.

Speaker 3 (01:12:40):
Thanks for supporting Vikings fan Line, Thanks for listening to
the broadcast from from the Boom all the way through
through Ron Johnson and yours truly Nordo from non to noon.
Thanks to Max for his production work and all that
goes into this Viking season.

Speaker 2 (01:12:54):
Sadly ending too soon.

Speaker 3 (01:12:56):
Vikings finished the season on a five game win streak,
but all for not in terms of the postseason. They
finished nine to eight. You dig that, but they're not
going to the playoffs and we're all just gonna sit
in our chairs and soak in what the future holds
for the NFC and AFC, for Ron Johnson, for Max
Fullerm Nordo.

Speaker 2 (01:13:15):
From nine to noon.

Speaker 3 (01:13:16):
This has been Minnesota Vikings fan line. Vikings ended on
a good note with the Border Battle. Now let's all
howl it's wolves and whizz around the corner on the
fan