Read our inside story on the 2024 Minnesota Vikings...
Go Long subscribers can access our peak behind the curtain. Something special is brewing in Minnesota because some things are as true now as they were when the sport was invented.
Greetings from Buffalo Niagara International Airport!
It’s been an eventful year of travel. In the summer, we got stranded on the I-95 in Florida until 2:05 a.m. And after hitting a deer somewhere south of Ridgway, Pa., in the middle of the night a few weeks ago, I figured it was best to fly. A reminder: Bucks are in rut. (Good luck to all hunters out there.)
This next trip will be a fun one — your investment will always be put to good use.
To start this week off, I wanted to share our feature on the Minnesota Vikings in case you missed it over the weekend:
SKOL! How old-school principles are fueling the 2024 Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings won again on Sunday, and who the hell cares if it was grimy? Minnesota’s defense molly-whopped Jacksonville, 12-7, and nobody in their right mind expected Kevin O’Connell’s team to be 7-2 past the midway point.
This is a team leaning hard into old-school tenants.
We learned a ton in conversations with several players on offense and defense…
Why Brian Flores’ defensive scheme is akin to “pickup basketball.” Harrison Smith explains. The comparison is perfect.
Shaquill Griffin says this Vikings defense can be an all-time unit. (“Fuck yeah! Why not?! We can get ahead of ourselves. We’ll take that pressure.”) There are angry players everywhere.
Sam Darnold threw three interceptions in Jacksonville. Nobody should be surprised if he bounces back. Teammates explain how the Jets castoff is resurrecting his career. He refused to blame anyone but himself.
I sat down with Jonathan Greenard at length. The Vikings’ top edge rusher opened up on the death of his father and stepfather, and how both experiences made him. The NFL is a cutthroat business. (“The show goes on and, honestly, if you’re being real, nobody cares. When you go through things, people care to a certain extent. But when you get to this point where everybody’s job is relying on you to do your job, you have to find a way to put those things to the side.”)
Brian Flores was described as a tyrant by players in the past to Go Long. His Miami tenure ended terribly. Some Vikings players were even a little worried heading into this season. But as they explain, Flores has threaded the needle. His hard coaching has been a virtue. As Stephon Gilmore explains, “soft” coaching plagues many other teams in this league. (Hello, Dallas.)
Of course, this entire season began with tragedy: the death of rookie Khyree Jackson. O’Connell knew exactly what to say in that moment — he usually does — and the Vikings have managed to keep Jackson’s spirit alive.
Subscribers can access our story — “SKOL: How old-school principles are fueling the 2024 Minnesota Vikings” — in full.
Thank you for supporting our independent journalism.
While in town, I also grabbed dinner with middle linebacker Blake Cashman. He wears the green dot for this defense, relaying all of Flores’ calls to the rest of the defense.
He’s the psycho this unit needs.
He lived absolute Jets Hell, too.
My podcast pal, Bob McGinn, has his 2024 All-NFC North Midseason Team posted.
McGinn chatted with scouts and execs across the NFL.
Bang it here for all of their sharp, unapologetic insight:
Miss a feature story this 2024 season? Links below:
SKOL! How old-school principles are fueling the 2024 Minnesota Vikings
'Through the storm:' Blake Cashman is the Minnesota Vikings' maniac in the middle
‘I can battle anything:’ Brian Robinson Jr. nearly lost his life... then gained a superpower
The Full Monty: Why Detroit Lions RB David Montgomery runs so damn hard
Ass-Kicking Origins: Why the Detroit Lions are built for 2024 football