PurplePTSD: Pursuing Trades, OBJ, Za’Darius Incentives

Vikings Will Enter 2023
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah

The sister-site to VikingsTerritory is PurplePTSD.com, and the guys and gals over there roll out the Minnesota Vikings analysis just as much as we do.

Here is some of their top content from the last couple of days:

1 – The guys and gals at PPTSD debate whether the Vikings should be active during the lead-up to the NFL’s trade deadline.

2 – The Vikings community is buzzing about the idea of adding Odell Beckham via free agency, and PurplePTSD weighs in.

3 – EDGE rusher Za’Darius Smith is approaching an impressive contract incentive.

4 – In the daily video segment, Dustin Baker breaks down the surprising takeaways from Vikings-Dolphins.

5 – Draft aficionado and PPTSD editor Josh Frey believes the Vikings could target an off-ball linebacker in the 1st Round of the 2023 NFL Draft.


The Vikings knocked off the Miami Dolphins in Week 6, 24-16, courtesy of a Minnesota defense that showed up with a ferocious pass rush, arguably for the first time in 2022. The Vikings offense, on the other hand, was incredibly dry for much of the 1st Half but found ways to create just enough big plays to win the game.

Minnesota Vikings fans. © JIM RASSOL/THE PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK.

Wide receiver Justin Jefferson recorded 6 catches, 107 receiving yards, and no touchdowns in a game that felt pedestrian for the Vikings playmaker. But that’s just the norm now for Jefferson — 107 receiving yards is “no big deal.” Jefferson also procured a marvelous 2nd-Half reception of 47 yards that helped turn the tide in Week 6.

The Vikings are early 6.5-point home favorites against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8, who lost in Week 6 versus the Seattle Seahawks, 19-9. Minnesota first has a bye week, though, enough time to champion a 5-1 start while prepping for the embattled Cardinals.

The Green Bay Packers also dropped a second game in a row, sinking Aaron Rodgers’ team to 3-3, with a bizarre two-game deficit in the NFC North to Minnesota. The Vikings are the No. 2 seed in the NFC behind the Philadelphia Eagles and would host a home playoff game if the playoffs started today.

2 Players Tabbed as "Coach's Dream" by Vikings New Defensive Coordinator
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports.

Ed Donatell’s defense continues to embrace the ultimate bend-don’t-break philosophy, curiously ranking 26th in yards allowed but 11th in points allowed. This might just be “the way it is” for the 2022 Vikings defense — spotty throughout most games but rising with victory in its grasp.

A 5-6 record the rest of the way would plop the Vikings in the postseason. Of course, winning the division is preferred, but subpar football the rest of the way, as a worst-case scenario, would net a playoff berth. That’s the perk of a 5-1 start.

The Cardinals will have DeAndre Hopkins back on the field when Minnesota hosts Arizona in Week 8. He was previously suspended before Week 7.




Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).

Share: