Questions Answered: Harbaugh Mania, Riley Reiff Whereabouts, Bengals in February?

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. © Junfu Han via Imagn Content Services, LLC.

The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today’s is the January 31st edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].

Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.


Q: Level with me. Is this Harbaugh stuff real for the Vikings HC?

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh takes the field for warmups before the Orange Bowl against Georgia on Friday, Dec. 31, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Florida.

A: Yes, it is real.

While some believe Harbaugh is orchestrating a power play to snatch more money from the Wolverines, it’s more realistic he’s genuinely interested in returning to the pros. Harbaugh has been the skipper at Michigan for seven seasons — he’s probably got the NFL itch again.

He reportedly had a discussion on Saturday with the Vikings, and perhaps that will lead to a formal interview this week. Adofo-Mensah, the new general manager, has ties to Harbaugh from two seasons in San Francisco. It was not plausible three weeks ago for Harbaugh to coach the Vikings. But with Adofo-Mensah in the house, the possibility is real.

Q: I thought Riley Reiff was on these Super Bowl Bengals. Where is he?

Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Riley Reiff (71)

A: Riley Reiff was placed on Injured Reserve six weeks ago. He’s beset by a bad ankle. His season is done.

Reiff was the Bengals starting right tackle before that, though. He graded at 67.3 per Pro Football Focus before the ankle ailment, so he was having a decent season.

Trae Waynes curiously hasn’t played much in the postseason either. But Reiff and Waynes will get Super Bowl rings if Cincinnati finishes the job in two weeks.

Q: Cincinnati’s offensive line isn’t good. Why did they reach the Super Bowl and the Vikings didn’t even get close?

Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

A: This is a fabulous question.

It’s true — the Bengals offensive line isn’t very good. But here’s the difference between the 2021 Bengals and the 2021 Vikings. Joe Burrow is a better quarterback already than Kirk Cousins — and a better improviser — plus Cincinnati’s defense didn’t collapse at the end of halves during the regular season or playoffs. The Vikings defense did — over and over again.

The Bengals defense wasn’t gangbusters overall in 2021, but it arrived late in the season and postseason. At every step of the way in 2021, Minnesota’s defense collapsed in crunchtime. The playoffs are not attainable when that happens.

Hopefully the new leadership regime fixes it.

Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. 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).



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