PurplePTSD: 5 Things To Look For Vs. Chicago

Press release from the PurplePTSD:

Christian Stoinev

2022-01-08

The Vikings are entering their final game of the regular season this Sunday against the Chicago Bears with literally nothing to play for. Their loss last week vs. the Packers eliminated them from the playoffs and confirmed what most of us already knew. It’s time for a change. Whether the Vikings choose to change personnel (as in, shaking up the roster), change their coaching staff by moving on from Mike Zimmer, and/or move on from General Manager Rick Spielman, change is coming and soon we will know what the Wilfs believe is the best strategy. One thing is for certain though, there’s a game to be played this weekend and there are still several things to be looking at that could be helpful in figuring out the direction of this team. From least important to most important, here are the five things to look at for this Sunday’s matchup vs. the Bears.

5. Camryn Bynum: The rookie safety has played some pretty good ball this season. His breakout performance came in the Vikings loss to the Baltimore Ravens when they found out hours prior to kickoff that they would be without starting safety Harrison Smith. This forced the Vikings into starting Bynum and the kid balled out. He finished with 12 total tackles and his first NFL interception. He’s gotten increased playing time since and has fared well. He currently sits at 28 tackles along with a sack and that interception of Lamar Jackson. Expect him to get plenty of playing time this weekend. Another solid performance could allow the Vikings to feel good about having a starting spot taken by a 4th round pick in his 2nd season.4. Justin Jefferson: Jefferson is probably the most fun thing to watch this weekend. Not only for the exciting plays that he can provide but also because he could be stat chasing. While I’m not a fan of stat chasing, in a meaningless game like this, why not? There’s nothing to lose; in fact, a loss is probably better for this team at this point to solidify a better draft pick. Jefferson currently sits at 103 receptions, 1,509 yards, and 9 touchdowns. Expect him to get his 10th TD this weekend and try to get yet another 100+ receiving yard game to add to his already packed resume. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jefferson have a huge game on Sunday. 3. Kellen Mond: Mond isn’t the most important player to watch this weekend, but perhaps the most exciting. Considering the quotes from Mike Zimmer last weekend where he pretty much threw the kid under the bus, it should be interesting to see how this plays out.

I don’t expect Mond to even be active for this game, especially with Zimmer saying that they plan on playing starters and Mond not even being the backup QB on the depth chart. However, if he sees any playing time at all, it means Zimmer has lost power within the franchise and can all but guarantee that he’s gone by Monday. Mond seeing any playing time would be a decision that definitely isn’t Zimmer’s and at that point the big bosses are stepping in and over powering the way the head coach does his job. 2. Ihmir Smith Marsette: The Vikings have a lot of veterans on the team that we have loved to see grow within the organization. One of those players is Adam Thielen, and as much as it pains me to say this, one of the ways the Vikings can overcome Kirk Cousins large contract is by cutting or trading veterans and replacing them with young guys on rookie deals. While people can speculate what will happen with Cousins this offseason, as of now he’ll be on the Vikings next year and as of now, he’s got a huge cap hit. I’m keeping my eye on how the Vikings use Ihmir Smith Marsette this weekend. With Thielen sidelined with an injury and KJ Osborn all but having locked up the WR3 spot (at the very least) for next season, the Vikings may want to take a look at what ISM can become. If he shows any promise, it might incline the team to move on from Thielen’s large contract and turn to the young guys to play alongside their sensational WR1 in Justin Jefferson. 1. It’s all but guaranteed that this is Mike Zimmer’s last game as the head coach of the Vikings. Although he’s provided us much stress and possibly anger at times, it’s important to look at his time as a whole. In his eight seasons as the head coach, Zimmer’s record is 71-56-1 with three playoff appearances, including an NFC Championship berth. This is easily the most disappointing season, considering the talent on this team, but I’m hoping to see the fan base appreciate the man for his time in Minnesota. Say all you want about Zimmer, but he never really lost a locker room and you could never question his effort. Sometimes there can be an appreciation when parting ways, and this is one of those times.

This press release was produced by the PurplePTSD. The views expressed here are the author’s own.