Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. (0) reflects before the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.
VikingsTerritory’s Purple Rumor Mill is a two-day chronicle each week. All the week’s rumors are lassoed and plopped in two spots — articles on Saturday and Sunday — for review. Today is the December 22nd edition.
Remember — rumors are rumors. What you read on weekends in these pieces is what the world is talking about pertaining to the Vikings, not necessarily items that will come to fruition.
Here’s the second batch of the week. Yesterday’s can be read here.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell sounded optimistic this week about Pace Jr.’s return in Week 17. “He’s doing well. He’s right on schedule. He’ll go through some simulated work with the trainers this week, simulating what we would do in practice this week. The timeline of that designation would be, I believe, next week, so hoping he’s on schedule with that,” O’Connell told reporters on Tuesday.
That’s exactly the style of update that would cue Pace Jr.’s return after an IR trip.
O’Connell previously said about Pace Jr.’s health last weekend, “He’s doing really well. Probably ahead of the timeline we maybe initially thought. He’ll be ready to roll when he’s available to come off, I believe.”
Pace Jr. should be ready for Vikings-Packers in one week.
Current Patriots kicker Joey Slye has missed 4 of his last 8 field goals. That type of performance generally leaves a kicker in hot water. And it just so happens that New England has Romo on the practice squad in case Slye falters.
Well, Slye is faltering.
Ryan Bunton of Champions and Chowder, a Patriots-themed analysis site, detailed the possibility of Romo as the new kicker this week after New England’s Week 15 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. “Given his struggles, it would not be far-fetched to suggest that Slye’s job could be in jeopardy. On Tuesday, the Patriots signed kicker John Parker Romo to their practice squad. Romo filled in for Minnesota Vikings Kicker Will Reichard for four games this season, making 11 of 12 field goals with a long of 55,” Bunton opined.
“Interestingly, Romo is also the all time XFL field goal leader. With the signing of Romo, it appeared the door could be open for Slye’s departure should his struggles continue. After another miss on Sunday, that door might just be open wide enough.”
Romo could take Slye’s job soon, and if he finishes the season strong, be on deck as the Patriots’ kicker for the foreseeable future.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, O’Connell is the league’s frontrunner to win COTY — by leaps and bounds — edging Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dan Campbell from the Detroit Lions.
Pelissero surveyed 27 high-ranking executives this week about the award chase around the business, and for COTY, O’Connell received about 17 votes. “It was a landslide win for O’Connell, who received 16.5 votes — 13.5 more than any other candidate. He has the Vikings in position to win the NFC North and potentially secure the No. 1 seed with a castoff quarterback, Sam Darnold, playing the best football of his life on a one-year contract,” Pelissero wrote.
“Only the Packers have led for more total game time this season than the Vikings, who also have seven comeback wins and seven one-possession wins. Few teams are as well-trained at situational football. O’Connell has built a culture that players want to be part of.”
O’Connell is indeed the frontrunner for this award, and fans should expect him to win it.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.