VOTE: Vikings Territory Midseason Awards
Austin Belisle
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It’s the halfway point of the season, meaning it’s time to take stock of the current Minnesota Vikings. Adam Patrick put together his own recap earlier in the week, but now, we’re giving you the power to assess exactly where this team stands.
At the end of last season, we handed out fan-voted awards to a number of players. You named Harrison Smith the Vikings’ best defensive player, declared Eric Kendricks the team’s most outstanding rookie, and agreed that Adrian Peterson deserved two awards — best offensive player and most valuable player.
But this year’s roster is completely different, and such, deserving of a little midseason evaluation. Gone are Peterson, Teddy Bridgewater, Mike Wallace, and the architect of the 2015 offense — Norv Turner. In their place, Sam Bradford and a trio of complementary backs are doing their best to keep a Pat Shurmur attack afloat.
On defense, the core remains, and at the beginning of the year, was one of the league’s best units. Injuries and a regression to the norm, however, have spelled trouble for Mike Zimmer and Co. in recent weeks. There’s plenty of individual talent, but collectively, the “Purple Reign” hasn’t lived up to its name since Week 5.
After the jump, we’ll open the polls and give you a chance to vote on four awards — Most Valuable Player, Most Valuable Offensive Player, Most Valuable Defensive Player, and Most Valuable Special Teams Player. Remember, we’re picking the winners based on eight games; these will certainly change as the season progresses!
Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Offensive Player
Most Valuable Defensive Player
Most Valuable Special Teams Player
That’s it! We’ll leave the polls open all night and all day tomorrow, then announce the winners in the coming days. Be on the lookout for a special grab-bag of awards as well, including the midseason’s best play, the best overall moment, and a few others.
Follow Vikings Territory on Twitter for periodic updates!