Some get through today’s anxious world by repeating the Serenity Prayer. Perhaps Vikings fans need a quiet moment Sunday to say a “Samenity Prayer.” Something like, “Football gods, grant me the Samenity to accept only the bottom line that our guy Sammy was just good enough to be 5-0 … then 6-2 … now 7-2 … and will be favored to be just good enough to go 8-2 at Tennessee and 9-2 at Chicago. Amen.”
Coordinator Brian Flores gave Kwesi Claus, er, Adofo-Mensah one of the league’s best Christmas free-agent wish lists to work with after last season’s slide. Not only that, but B-Flo also realized Kwesi Claus was operating on a tight budget.
While many of the other 31 kids around the league got the shiniest, most expensive toys, Flores got better value and, in many cases, better players in Jihad Ward, Shaq Griffin, Blake Cashman, Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard and Stephon Gilmore.
Kwesi Claus ‘24 is, of course, an equal-opportunity bargain hunter. With his team staring at 10 games without a starting-caliber left tackle, Kwesi Claus used the trade deadline to deliver Cam Robinson, a 91-start veteran who’s now 2-0 as a Viking.
You don’t hear the words “Jonathan Bullard” much while watching the Vikings. You do, however, see jersey number 90 in a lot of scrums and pile-ups that end with losses to no gain for the opposition.
Many of us (guilty) didn’t view the Vikings’ defensive line outside of Harrison Phillips as good enough. Bullard is good enough. He has five tackles for loss, first among the lineman and fifth overall. He also has two passes defensed. But, mainly, he’s best at quietly not getting driven off the ball, which is a key factor in the Vikings having the No. 2 run defense (79.0).