Minnesota Vikings Podcast: Robert Smith Joins + Game of Thrones Style Rapid Fire Questions to Preview Week 1 | Episode 110

journey to the super Bowl starts. Now, the slate's clean, everyone's O and O. Your destiny is now what you make of it. Months and months of workouts, practice, OTA's camps, it all comes down to this week to go out there improve you're the best. Joining me on the pod today the usual suspects. We've got Vikings dot COM's Chris Corso, Gabe Henderson, producer Jay Nelson. It's game week, guys, how are we feeling. I'm excited. I'm super excited, and they're

kicking it off with a huge game tonight. So for me, when I've been seeing everything, there's the anxiety of the week and working through all of our programs, all of our shows, but tonight's game being Dallas Tampa and Tampa is huge, and I am super excited for tonight's game. Yeah, I would say the same because last year I wasn't able to experience a normal season openers, So this year reacts on the road, so we get the opposing teams fans,

so it's a different experience. So I'm excited about that. I mean, I'm not anxious yet, maybe asking that after the podcast where right now I'm feeling good. I want to see this offense. I want to see the Vikings offense out on the field. We didn't get to see them all together during the preseason. Dalvin Cook, Adam Feeling Justin, Jefferson and Kirk Cousins. Let's see this thing come together. Yeah, a lot of guys we have yet to see on

the field this season. Super excited to see a lot of those names, as it's my first season to cover the Vikings and I can't wait. I'm not gonna lie with all of the business that goes into a game week on our end, I'm really pumped that we don't have this Thursday game. Let it marinate a little bit. Get you guys more content out there. There's some exciting things that have been going on this week. We've got an exciting podcast for you today to get you ready

for everything Sunday. I hope you're ready for some fun. Got some games to play. There's a hint we will close the show with a little themed game that we've got planned up cooked up for you. We're gonna have a lot of fun with that one. And in between all of that, we have a fantastic interview with Vikings legend Robert Smith. He's actually working with the Vikings Entertainment Network this season as an analyst and obviously what a treat to have a guy like that to help break

down the game on Sundays. So let's get to it. The Minnisota Vikings hit the road in Week one. They open up the twenty twenty season in Cincinnati against the Bengals, Mike Zimmer's former team. A little bit has been made about that this week. Zim not so much. You know, the kind of guy is. He says, this is his team now. He's really not worried about them Bengals right now except don't beat them. Yeah, but he's actually five

and two in his season openers here in Minnesota. Yeah, and those season openers pretty much are our big test to where you are as a team. All offseason. You have all the talk, all the speculation of Okay, this is what our team is going to be. When snap one comes, that's when we can stop speculating and start reacting. And we know Zimmer He's been with his team for eight years, so it's not much of a homecoming for him per se as the media is trying to make it.

But it makes for a good story, right, And I think this will make for a good game, and I'm sure he has his troops already. I'm just I think I'm sorry. I told you asked me after the podcast if I'm getting anxious, and I think I'm getting anxious about the game, not this podcast, but about the game because these teams are fairly even and pretty much every aspect, Ben leever, and now we're talking about earlier that earlier,

this week about it. So we'll see how things, how things play out, and how things shape up, because it is gonna be exciting. Gabe's anxiety took like what five minutes of things. Well, I'm operating on three hours to sleep right now. I understood I understood the anxiety of the week has been bubbling all week for everybody. Even just walking around the building, you can tell it's week one, Like guys want to get going with the regular season.

We heard it all offseason. It's like, yeah, this is the offseason, but wait till we get to week one. Now it's here and it's like it's go time. And

they all know that. And I think also kind of a little bit of the stink of preseason and going on in three for all of them, with all the questions that not only in you know they might have on what's going on, but the public and all the criticism, I think they're ready to go out there and put their best foot forward and just kind of proved everybody, now we're fine, we got this and it's Week one

against the Bengals. So like we were talking about before, Yeah, he might not think about it as much, but you know, Zimmer's got a little extra for this week. Yeah. I was gonna say, you know who's ready to get going, it's Mike Zimmer. He has never had a bad defense until last year, and he admitted and he said it in the off season. You've seen a little bit of it in the preseason, not having all the guys out there.

Now he's got Daniel Hunter, Michael Pierce, Dalvin Tomlinson, all new members of this defensive line that we didn't have last year. He's ready to put it out on the field against a kind of creepily good offense in the Cincinnati Bengals. I've been saying it all week to people, Joe Burrow had a really good season last year before he had that injury. So, Tatum, I know you know a lot about Joe Burrow being over there in LSU.

But yeah, we're gonna preview this matchup here today. But I'm a little worried about this Cincinnati Bengals offense a little bit. Talk about anxiety, I'm not You're not at all. I'm worried about their defense more. What about Jamar Chasey there. Well, we can get into the naty gritty in just a second. I have something special plans, so you know we can go back and forth. Then. Yeah, so let's start things off.

I wanted to get your thoughts obviously on specifics about the matchup, but just kind of in a different way this week. I wanted to go around and we'll start with well, start Jay right here to my left. Get your thoughts. Two things you like and one thing you're nervous about. I'm gonna somewhat piggyback off what Carso is just saying, And for me, it's actually d Hunter being back,

having to kneel back on this defense. We know how big of a game wrecker he can be, especially when it comes to putting pressure on the quarterback and getting sacks. I think having to kneel back if he is as full go as we think or I have been told he's supposed to be. He is an absolute game changer and I am super excited to see what he does this weekend. Second thing, just having football back. Like I said before, it's there's you know for Thursday night football,

for the kickoff for the season for the Vikings. It's Sunday in Cincinnati. I'm just excited to have real football back with real fans in the stadium, and I just want to see what that energy is going to be. Like what am my most nervous about. Let go Trey Hendrickson. Trey Hendrickson is my guy on that Cincinnati defense. That makes me nervous because he is a game wrecker from twenty seventeen to twenty nineteen, he had six and a half sacks. In twenty twenty he had thirteen and a

half sacks. And he is a guy that people are pointing to saying, if you want to see what's potentially going to happen with this Vikings offensive line, watch the matchups with Trey Hendrickson. He's the guy that makes me nervous this weekend. All right, Gabe, two things you like, one thing that makes you nervous. One thing that I like is Dalvin Cook. We haven't seen him all off season.

We know he's a dynamic back. He I mean, I think it's what second overall running back on the NFL top one hundred this year, rightfully, so I'm sure he's aiming for that number one spot. But Dalvin, I'm just thinking this is the game that we see him again. Last year, the Cincinnati Bengals defense, they gave up ninety yards to eight different running backs last year, and I think Dalvin Cook can be that guy that starts that

trend again this year. I think he can be a guy that gets a hundred yards rushing or you know, just split the defense. I'm just thinking of a mirab Dula this offseason, three really good games in the preseason. I'm just like, you know, if that was Dalvin Cook, that that fifteen yard game turns into thirty yards now, and this we know the Cincinnati Bengals defense is still trying to figure things out. So Dalvin Cook is one

thing I like. The other thing I like is this wide receiver unit, the Vikings wide receiver unit against their DBS, barbecue chicking the lad against Mike Hilton t Well, Trey Wayne is of course he's not playing. And then Cheeto O Woozy like those guys, you know, they they have experienced, but they're still trying to figure things out also, and then a new entire I guess, an entirely new starting secondary to know what they had last year. I think

that will play into our favorite. And I'm just looking at the Eli Apple Adam Feeling match up alone January fifth, twenty twenty Wildcard game against the New Orleans Saints. Adam Feeling went for seven seven catches, one hundred twenty nine yards and talk about barbecue chicken. He met, he put him on a roaster and slow cook that thing. So I think that'll be part two this week. I'm hungry. You know it is earlier. I mean, Cincinnati is known

for their chili, so I don't know. Maybe my stumach could be hurting, but I think Cheeta a woozy stomach could be hurt. And also just running after Adam filling. But one thing that makes me nervous, Jay, you took it from me. So I'm gonna go to the other side of I'm not gonna go to the other side of the ball. I'm gonna go to a different position group. I'm a big Jesse Bates fan. Free safety for the Cincinnati Bengals. I'm interested to see how Tyler Conklin and

Chris Herndon will match up against their safeties. Their safeties are there, they're two playmakers in their defense. They'll lead the team in tackles, which doesn't say good things about their defensive line. But I mean one on ones. We know third downs they're gonna blitz and our corner and our tight ends are gonna be one on one with their safeties. And of course Erst m Junior is night here. So what is Tyler Conkling going to do? What is

Chris Herndon going to do? So that's going to be interesting. That's one thing that makes me nervous. I'm sure Clint kobe Ak will put him in the right position to make plays, but on paper, that's one thing that's standing out to me. Of Coursel, You're up next. I'm really excited about the Eli Apple matchup as well. He's a decent amount of Eli Apple. Seemed like Adam Feeling always had his number. I don't know if he's gonna guard

Justin Jefferson. Well, we'll take that too. But the other thing I'm really excited about is our six hundred pound defensive tackles against the Bengals offensive line. I think the Bengals offensive line, I don't want to say too much bad about them right now, but I don't think they're the strongest in the NFL. They just traded one of their starting centers to the New York Giants and Billy

Price out of Ohio State. I don't think there's much there for Dalvin Tomlinson and Michael Pierce to really contend with. I think they're gonna have a good game in the rushing game against Joe Mixon, and I think they're gonna get after the quarterback as well. Tatum that those are probably the two ones I had the Eli Apple thing. That's too easy. I mean, we're all excited about that.

I mean you do have to think about it this way. Yeah, Joe Burrows coming off an injury, awful looking injury, and the first defensive line that you're going to face is Hunter, Tomlinson Pierce and want him before bringing up the depth on our defensive Yeah, that's exactly right. Crazy Meldon Richardson's just hanging out waiting to get out on the field. On the field, yeah exactly. So. Uh yeah, that's why defensive line. That's why defensive line has to be my pick.

I have to say the Matt you you were talking about matchups game, I think this is the matchup that we want to see be enforced early by Mike Zimmer as well. I want to see him dialing up those those middle a gap blitzes, let the linebackers play in space. I want to see Nick Vigil, who's a guest on one of our shows this week, really get involved against his former team. So I want to see the defense.

That's that's what I'm excited about, nervous about. I'm gonna say our old line, I want to see how this group comes together. We talked about the offense and not coming together yet completely out on the field in the preseason. The old line's a question mark for me. I want to see what happens in the running game. I think Dalvin Cook will hold his own either way, but I want to see how they do when Kirk Cousins drops back and looks for Adam Feeland and Justin Jefferson against

those dbs. Tatum, I'm really that those are the two matchup. It's one in the trenches, Tatum. That's what I'm looking at. I'm looking to the trenches. I like that. I like that. Look. Now I'm going to go on the outside. I'm super excited to see this combination of Feeling and Jefferson again this season. After you have a rookie record breaking year,

what is next for you? Obviously we talked or you guys were able to talk to Justin Jefferson a lot this week on the Audible, and I think he's confident and I like his confidence. So for me, when you look at this duo when they're both on the field, it's really pick your poison. Feeland such a vet. Jefferson is quite quite good. Yeah, So at this point, who you're gonna get? What are they gonna do. I'm excited to see this first group figure out how they're going

to cover that duo. And then I guess my other piece of excitement, I'll kind of piggyback a little bit on your your nervousness. I'm I'm excited to see this offensive line come together because they have no choice. If you're gonna give Kirk Cousins enough time, welcome to Minnesota. Welcome. So I've heard, if you're gonna give him enough time to make good decisions, which you know he enjoys the a clean pocket, I think that um, I think that's good.

And I think with the juice of Brian O'Neill's contract extension, knowing that there's some longevity on the line will hopefully give them a little extra spark. Seeing Riley Reef on the other side of things as an opponent now instead of a teammate, might be like, you know, let's prove we can be just as good without them, you know

that kind of mindset. So, speaking of Riley Reef, I know we were talking about I know we had a lot of entailed conversations off camera before and I was saying, I got myself into a rabbit hole just researching the Cincinnati Bengals last night and ran upon an article written by their team reporter, and he says Riley Reef is their best offensive lineman this year. That's That's what. That was my point before game. I think we gotta, we gotta get after Joe Burrow. I mean, he's gonna be

he's gonna be his life. Yeah, he was sacked thirty two times in ten games. You wonder why he got injured. You know, he didn't have the right protection. And he's a bit of a he's a wild card. Like he's got athletic ability and he's not afraid to use it. I remember at LSU he was asked at a press conference, why don't you slide? Because he was just taking hit after hit after hit, and it just took that one. I think in the UCF Bowl game where he just got smacked. No granted he got back in the game

and just lit it up. Yeah, but like I think after that he kind of realized, if I'm gonna have a little bit of longevity in my career and need to start slointing. So I think he learned it the hard way, not specifically that, but just that how porous their offensive link can be. But I think part of it too is, like you, the competitive nature if he's on your team. On the flip side, though, coaches and gms and front offices are saying, what are you doing?

You've got to protect yourself letter and you know, like Kirk is one of those guys where he's diving head first and they had to tell him how many times, like hey, slide to save yourself, just so that we need you to stay in this game. And I'm sure since he was feeling that that way last year once

Burrow went out. The one thing that I always think back to is like RG three's rookie season, he was lightning up, going crazy, tears up his knee, and then he's just never fully the same because he has to change his style for us this week, we want to beat Joe Burrow. For Joe Burrow's career, I'd like to see him for their long term and I think for him that just means he's got to be more comfortable in the pocket, and for the Bengals that means they

have to address that offensive line. Yeah, Pete Bursts did a really good job in film room this week just analyzing Joe Burrow what he does with his legs. There's a play where he was alluding tackles like he was literally just running around for his life like for ten to twelve seconds. And one guy I can't think of his name wasn't the Browns. I think they were playing the Browns And the guy who actually ended up getting the sack missed the sack three times in that same

play and then ended up getting the sack. So, yeah, he's sneaky athletic because you look at him and you don't think he's going to be as quick as he is. Right, Yeah, Well, I enjoyed watching with Llcu. I hope that he has a mediocre game. Justin Jefferson said the same thing. We're not teammates anymore. I know I'm spelling the deats on Joe Burrow. Yeah. I think Mike Zimmer took him in the room and was like, tell us about this quarterback, right right right? Well, I mean we act they signed

Jake Browning to the practice squad. That was a move. Huh, yes, petty, very petty, that's not that wasn't that wasn't going to be my nervous point. That's not nervous. I was waiting for the follow up for that. I'm not I'm not nervous about that point. No, I threw that out there to say that that's not what I'm nervous about. I'm

a little nervous just about a slow start. I don't think this is the team that you can not that you can for to do that too, because I do think that you can rally back in all those kinds of coach talk. This is the Cincinnati Bengals. We need to get a win that first week, and after the way twenty twenty started, nothing could mean more to this team than coming out with some confidence in oh in

three preseason than to just smack the Cincinnati Bengals. You know, um what I think it's I'm a dog owner, so I always say like it's inserting your dominance early on like that. You know, I've got a dog who completely does that, And I'm like, dude, you don't need to like chill. Yeah, and so, but I think that's important right now to be the dominant team from the get go. I'm nervous that maybe it's going to take us a

little bit of time to get that together question. Are you the type of dog owner that walks in the house before your dog walks in or do we let home walking like so if you open, Oh no, we do it together. Oh okay, yeah, we do it together. Okay, I mean you've got to know whose boss. I have a female dog that tries to assert her dominance, so I know exactly what you're talking about. I will I will say though, that one of our dogs was not trained by me, and she does whatever she wants, and

I know we want names. My dog, on the other hand, is very well here twenty pound dogs that thinks he's sixty pounds. Yes, so yeah, I feel what you're saying. But back to the dominance no, but yeah, so yes, I just that's what I want to say. And I'm nervous it's not going to be there, just after what we saw in the preseason. If you come out hot, and especially against a team that has some question marks, they're like, hey, Joe's back, but what's he going to

look like? You know, defensively, Trey, Wayne's being gone and some of the other guys in the secondary that people think maybe suspect. If you're a team that lets them hang around a little bit and they start getting comfortable and realize they're at home, and the home fans start, you know, putting some extra sauce on it. Like that is the nightmare of what you don't want to do

this weekend. Like you're saying, jump out, get a couple scores early, and then just keep the throttle down and go as much as you can to get the crowd out of the game and to start putting those doubts back in the Bengals minds. That's what I think needs to happen in order to have a successful start here on Sunday. It's crazy to think that we're talking game week.

How great is that? And speaking of game week, we've got Postgame Live coming up after the game this year, first time that's back, obviously, and this year is really really exciting because we're going to have guys on the road, Gabe, You'll be on the road doing some work for us there and we'll also have an analyst in studio with me on Sundays. And I am extremely excited to be

welcoming Robert Smith to the v N team. I know that he's got his college football duties on Saturday, We're going to just sit down and have a nice long chat with him about what he expects for this season, how excited he is to be back on this side of things, because you know, he is a fantastic college football analyst. I can't wait to hear his NFL takes. Joining the Minnesota Vikings podcast this week is Vikings legend.

Robert Smith. Thank you so much for being here. We are pumped to have you join Veen Vikings Entertainment Network this season as part of our PO game live production. I can't wait to do it. It's gonna be so much fun. I did some of the games a couple of years ago, including the playoffs, unfortunately the loss at the end there to San Francisco, but hoping for much

better things this year. Yeah, and you've got quite the schedule calling college games before making your way out here to Egan, that sounds like a heck of a weekend you're going to have. Yeah, but but it's fun. I get to go to LA to call my games. We're not doing the games on site this year, and as much fun as it is to go and do it on site, if you're going to be on site, somewhere La is not a bad place to do it. And then of course it's always great to get back up

to the Twin Cities. So I'm excited about it. And plus, you know, you wrack up those frequent flyer Yeah nice, Oh yeah, definitely nice. We'll get you a nice of ak at the end of the what seventeen week season we got going on now, hopefully longer? Exactly? All right, Robert Well, I kind of want to start this conversation out the same way he started the podcast with the guys. I wanted to ask you overall this season with this twenty twenty one Minnesota Vikings group, I want two things

you're excited about and one thing that makes you nervous. Well, the thing I'm excited about is, you know, based on what happened in the preseason and you know, not not scoring any points really offensively, right, uh, is is to see the starters in there, um you know, to see Dalvin Cook and uh you know, to see Justin Jefferson and Adam Feel And it's going to be nice to have those guys back in there, um you know, and of course there were a lot of a lot of

starters missing on the defensive side of Paul, you know, particularly with Peterson and Harrison out and uh, you know, not having not having the linebacking corps um. But to that to that same point, what makes me nervous is, you know what we did see from the offensive line in the preseason. Um, that's that's got to be a concern. Uh.

You know, hopefully Christian darry saw it gets healthy. You know, nothing against Rashod Hill, but you know, I don't I don't think he's an elite starter uh in the NFL.

And um, you know that u Udo did great at that right guard spot, hopefully continues to approve and the line really gels And I think that's that's what's more important anything else, you know, and speaking to some of my former teammates that were linemen, Uh, you know, the number one thing is the offensive line operating as a unit, a cohesive unit that identifies everything the same way, immediately knows when to pass off blocks, and obviously is able

to both run and pass protect. So that's got to be an area concern though. We need to we need to have good offensive line play. If you if you really want to make a run. Yeah, Before I get that second thing, you're excited about. I did want to ask about that matchup with Rashad Hill and Cincinnati defensive

end Trey Hendrickson. Producer Jay Nelson is here helping me with the buttons of the show on the podcast, and that was actually his matchup he was most excited to see, was Hill versus a guy like Hendrickson who's coming off a career year down in New Orleans now at Cincinnati. Yeah, and that's you know, that's a it's a it's a great Week one matchup for Rashad Hill and a really good test for him. And you know, the offensive line,

particularly at left tackle. I mean, guys have to be so good with their feet and particularly in a matchup like this, you know, with the athletic ends like that that can rush hard upfield, cut back up underneath him. And I think that's the that's the thing that you know, Lynman really need to focus on, you know, kind of how they balance, how they use they use their feet, and how they use their hands in combination. So that's

going to be a great test Week one. Yeah, you mentioned athletic ends, and we've watched the Vikings pick up some pretty impressive guys this offseason the defensive side of things. And then you've got Daniel Hunter back in the mix, DJ one, I'm earning the other starting spot on the opposite side. You know, with a front like that, as a former running back, is that scary? Like they just

seem scary big? Well as as a running back, you're never scared of any group that you're you know you have you have you have confidence in your own offensive line and your ability to to do what you need to do. And you know, my my game wasn't trying to run big players over, it was trying to avoid

them whenever possible. Would if if you if you do make contact, make contact with the proper proper leverage with the with the proper shoulder pad angle so that you can uh not present them a good target to hit. And if they do hit that, you've got proper leverage and body lean to be able to turn the legs and get get some extra yardage. So you know, we're going to have you on for a postgame live. We're really excited to have that happening directly after the game.

This season, you're here for a handful of content tests. Unfortunately we don't get to have you for a pregame show every week, so I kind of wanted to get this week maybe your three keys to a Vikings victory as type of a as a pregame setup for us. Yeah, well, I think again, you know, going back to that line play, that's going to be crucial. And when you do get that protection you've got, you've got to get some separation at the white out spout, and that's something that you

didn't you didn't really see in the preseason. The guys further down the roster just weren't able to get the separation that we've seen with Justin Jefferson and with Adam DeLand in particular. So those would be the first two keys, and on the defensive side of the ball again because so many players were missing, kind of getting those guys back in and making sure that the communication is good because when you're at a road game like that, in particular,

communication especially verbal communication and can still happen. You know, I know last year without fans in the stands, you know, normally the home defense is at a disadvantage because they really can't hear each other because the opposing offense as all the noise of that stadium, and um, you know, on the road you do have that luxury. So if you're able to hear each other, you need to be

able to communicate effectively improperly. You mentioned a rough goo at the preseason a couple of times, and you know, we do realize we didn't see our starters out on the field. But as as a player or as a starter coming in with you know, no preseason or an underwhelming preseason, how does that have an effect on a player's mindset? Well, I don't think most veteran players are concerned about that because you understand that you know, the

starters aren't in there. Um, I've seen it both ways where you've had some good preseason performances and and it takes into the season feel well. But I think you know, you don't get you don't get to this level without being confident, uh and without knowing what you're doing. And so those guys have been around for a while, and of course last year played without a preseason at all, that's right, So they understand that that as long as they're getting the good reps in practice, that they'll be

out there and they'll be fine. Yeah, they may actually know a little bit better what that is like just to come out and start a season. I mean, and that goes back to their college days as well, because

you don't get that fortune. We see that happen in college football all the time, right, Yeah, So it's it's something that something that uh, they're very familiar with because, uh, you know, even when they did play in the preseason, you play maybe one or two series, and even if things don't go perfectly in that time, you just understand

that it's preseason, it's warm ups. But now when when you've got that full week of preparation, when you're preparing for one because in training camp you do so many things. Now you do start some preparation later in the week for that other team, but it's just not the same. It's a different mentality and training camp and there are a lot of other things that you're trying to do.

There are a lot of players that aren't necessarily going to be playing that are getting reps, and now all the starters get the reps that they're supposed to get and the full week of preparation. Robert, do you think fans truly understand what it's like to be a player who spent his entire offseason working for this part of the year and it finally being that game week and

all of the anticipation and anxiety leading up to it. No, I think I think there are a lot of things that you know, people that haven't played the game, particularly at the highest level, don't really understand exactly what it is that you're talking about right there, because I mean, it's what you do. It's not only your livelihood at

your passion, and you prepare all of that time. And I think that's why it becomes so important the longer year in the league, you really understand how attention to detail becomes so important because you know, there are only a few plays that end up in general deciding a game, whether it's some some big play or some bad play, and those are those are usually caused by one or two people taking an improper step, taking an improper angle, not using the right form, and tackling not using the

right form and blocking U and an interception or a fumble things like that. So, uh, it all comes down to the way that you prepare mentally, uh, and then going out there and physically executing everything. And yes, it's it's there's definitely some excitement more than anxiety, but it's it's the game that you love, and you love the opportunity to go out there and show people what it

is that you've worked so hard to prepare for. And I know Viking Sands are just waiting in hot anticipation for this season to kick off a lot of high exp dictations, a lot of excitement here in the Twin Cities. Is the Vikings kick off the twenty twenty one football season on Sunday, and of course after the game, you can catch our podcast podcast guest Robert Smith alongside me for postgame Live. I promise I'll be able to put that out without stumbling by Sunday. I guess I need

to go get more practice repsent or something. So oh, thank you so much for being here, Robert, and we'll see you very soon. Sounds good. Thanks Sam. Love having Robert Smith on the Minnesota Vikings podcast today, and of course you can catch him on our postgame live show on Sundays. We're so excited to have him join the Vikings Entertainment Network team. You can catch that show following each and every game this year on all of the

Vikings digital and social channels. The twenty twenty one NFL offseason is finally over, and now it's about which team can win enough games to sit Lombardi Trophy throne. In the spirit of a certain popular television show on a three letter network, We've got our own game going on here on the Minnesota Vikings podcast, and that's the game of first football is coming, all right. So the rules are pretty simple on this guy's like a hot breath

of a dragon. We all know those Targarian beasts, except Gabe, who did watch the show. The answers, I have an offseason activity for you, but let's like, let's let's know you're good. You're good. I like the rapid pace of this because, like the hot breath of a Targarian dragon, they're gonna be rapid pace. I want like quick answers. We'll go around the table. So let the games begin, all right, Jay, who's gonna get the first first down? Dalvin Kirks? Oh, now, I'm my my brain just okay,

I'll say, Justin Jefferson, Justin Jefferson. Kay, I'm gonna go with with Adam Adam Feeling first touchdown of the year. CJ. Hamm, I'm going Tyler Conklin. There you go. I think he's going to come out and just make a statement. Fullback dive for me, fullback dive. I like it. I like it. Tight En Die. I don't know that man's tall. That's like more of just like a high dive. He kind of looks like Drago from Game totally be somebody on Game of Thrones, right, I think he would be. Yes, Yes,

that's he's a death. That's his name, Racky. That's what it is. Yeah, we're just nerding out over here. Don't mind us what it is, right, that's okay? Uh, first interception of the year. Jay, I'm going ben Leeber's take from yesterday that he's going to try and dog out right away and just jump on everybody. Hit Man. I'm going to hit man Mackenzie elexand I was gonna say, Xavier Woods, there you go, here we go first? Or who forces the first fumble? Jay? De Neil, he's my guy.

He's who I'm watching this weekend. De Neil, Hey man, geez. I guess Harry could have a huge game. I think justin Jarrison was wearing a hit man hat. Is that why you're just repeating? I just think the best safety seriously, I mean, no hot takes here. I mean, I just made a hot take. It's the best safety in the NFL. I'll go DJ want him well, Iron Rodgers play that he made there against Green Bay. I see that happening

in this game. After I was gonna go want him to Chris, after Patterson declared him as the outright starter, had a great offseason, I was gonna say, want him too. I'm gonna I'm gonna allow since I'm I'm the maker of this game, I'm gonna allow myself a repeat. Are you the sarcy of this game? I guess boy, I know right, no good or bad? He isn't. But isn't that it isn't that part of the whole show was correct? Again, nobody's good, nobody's bad. Speaking of good, who's gonna get

the first gritty of the year. I mean, there's the obvioance answer. But after the social media post that went the other day from signing his contract, I'll say, Brian O'Neill again, love it? Oh man, I think it's JJ that's our or March. Oh you're good? Yeah, Joe, that's a Kurt Bob. I'm going number eighth. Kirk Cousins Kirk's gonna do it. I think he'll gritty one. I think

Chris is looking at my notes. I was I was gonna say if Kirk friends in the first touchdown of the year or something like that, he's gonna do it. He's gonna whether it's pretty or not. It's very, very strategic. The Vikings defensive line left several debts to pay with a franchise low in sacks, and we know what Mike zimmer defense always pays its debts. So who gets the first sack? For me? Denil is the lanister and that he's going to do like I said before with him

forcing first bumble strip sack, Denil Hunter, sweet Everson Griffin. Okay, w yeah, I think wow. I think he picks up as the chief I mean he was the only player in the Chiefs game would well, I guess the first player would a sack in the chief I guess he was the first player all preseason would have sacked for a sire. You go, yeah, I'm sticking with it now. I'm sticking with DJ want him. I think the might happen on the same play. Okay, I'm gonna go with

the wild card. I'm gonna have Pierce. I know that that's not very common, it's not really supposed to happen. But I have a good feeling about this match. Yeah I do. I do. So you threw it up for me, I did. That's good, that's fine, It's totally fine. Games doesn't have any game at their thrones jokes. That's got a couple of softballs, and I'm here all right, last one, of course, you gotta you need a young wolf to

unite the team in victory. So the final first in the game of first, who will get the first game ball? I'm going with the old wolf of Adam feeling. I think he's gonna have a big matchup this weekend. We talked about that a little bit earlier. I think feelings my guy to possibly get the first game ball the year.

I'm going Mike Zimmer. Nice, he's get himself. Yeah, I mean, I think the players to give him the game ball first game back, like the defense has just a monster performance to say, that's exactly I'm gonna go off topic here for my dj Wanham take. I think Zimmer is all excited about number ninety nine coming back, and I could so easily see Zimmer going all right ninety nine, here's the game ball that might happen. Watch out Jay,

Uh yeah, I mean for me. I'm not that I ever said his name once in this game of first, but I wrote down Harrison Smith because I think if he has a stellar game after his extension, I think all the good favor is in his h in his back pocket, and um, he might be, you know, like the chosen one of the games. All right, so let me paint a picture for you because I said, Harrison Smith is going to get the first interception in the first force fumble, right, that's definitely game ball worthy. He's

getting the game ball and then giving it to Zimmer. Okay, there you go. That's that's that's what's called a compromise. See, I love it. Everybody's going for that game ball. No one's giving it up. I think the answer is whoever gets the game ball has to watch their back because everyone's coming to take it. Well. I appreciate you guys for playing three Eyed Raven with me today. This is only the beginning, and we hope that the Vikings twenty twenty one season ends better than the last season of

that said show that we've been talking about. Obviously, epic to watch and let's see who wins the real game of firsts. After the Vikings kickoff the season Sunday against the Bengals. We have a little bit of housekeeping to get to before we close out on the podcast, because it's been a really exciting week of content here at the Vikings Entertainment Network. And so I'm going to start with Gabe on this one and the kickoff of the Audible, which will be happening every week, Tell the tell the

people a little bit about what to expect. So the Audible is a player driven podcast that we will do. It'll air on Thursday nights on KFA and and Friday nights on Fox nine. So Justin Jefferson is the player host today. We have a special guest each week, and the special guest is Jordan Jefferson, his brother. So Ben Lieber and I were co hosting that podcast. Ben Lieber, we made a few jokes about how why he had to leave and he wasn't there to interview Justin with me.

But Ben Lieber and I will be interviewing a player host each week, and then that player host will have a guest, so it'd be like three guys, four guys just talking ball, talking life, and this week is JJ. We talked about just being the younger brother, and Jordan gave us a few stories about JJ. That about Justin that many Vikings fans are any many people don't know about. So every single week this year the audible. Next week is Michael Pierce will have some more special guests for you,

so stay tuned. So I have a question. Is Michael Pierce's special guest Princeton? There you go. Wouldn't that be a good one if anyone was wondering Princeton is Michael Pierce's doc. Have we done a purple pups in the studio? I don't know, but I'm just saying I think that would be a nice little I would be bring to it. We did hear Jordan Jefferson had a dog. I heard a little bark that I tried to edit out of

the show last night, but it was not Jay. I couldn't get that one Jeremy Shepherd, because Justin Jefferson did living together some kind of purple pubs last year, and the Jeerman Shepherd was okay, all right, Well, Chris, you mentioned this a little bit earlier, but there's another edition of Vikings Vantage out this week, so tell us all about that. Yeah, really excited this season we have Nick

Vigil on the first episode of The Vikings Vantage. Obviously the former Cincinnati Bengal and Mike Zimmer on x's and Oh's this week compared Vigil to the late Chad Greenway of this Vikings roster, so I'm very excited to have him on. I know he's a big time Minnesota guy now being here for a little bit hunting and doing things like that in the offseason. So really excited about the show along with Gabe this year, and it should

be a fun little preview to the game coming up awesome. Well, of course, don't forget the Ready Set Glow at TCO five K's on September eight teenth. You can sign up for that online at Vikings dot com and as I mentioned, stay tuned all week long, especially on Sunday, for all of the Vikings content on all of our social channels, including Postgame Live with Robert Smith. We're super pumped about that.

One week one kicks off Sunday at noon from Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the Vikings take on the Bengals and Game Day Live starting at ten am on Fox nine and stay tuned to kfa N for all your Vikings game day coverage over the airwaves for Chris Corso, Gabe Henderson, and Jay Nelson. I'm Tatum Everett. Thank you for tuning in to the Minnesota Vikings podcasts. Please subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen to your podcast and Happy game week guys, Skull Vikings. Let's go