<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-vikings-justin-jefferson-is-one-catch-away-from-nfl-history');   ga('set', 'title', 'Vikings’ Justin Jefferson is one catch away from NFL history');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Justin-Jefferson-has-been-brilliant-throughout-his-career.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Vikings’ Justin Jefferson is one catch away from NFL history</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-12T14:53:50-07:00">September 12th, 2:53pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-12T14:53:50-07:00">September 12th, 2:53pm</time><address><a>Steve Silverman</a>Steve Silverman has been covering the NFL for more than 35 years, and his writing has appeared in ESPN Magazine, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Pro Football Weekly, and Forbes.com. He has written 10 books, including "Who's Better, Who's Best in the NFL." He has won multiple awards from the Pro Football Writers of America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Vikings</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Vikings are coming off a 14-3 season in which they earned the best record in NFL history of any team that did not win their division title. Head coach Kevin O’Connell knows that his team has multiple areas of strength, and one spot he knows that will regularly come through is the wide receiver position.</p><p>Justin Jefferson is the key to this position. Not only is he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/justin-jeffersons-message-to-vikings-qb-jj-mccarthy-as-he-awaits-birth-of-son">the Vikings’ best receiver,</a> he may very well be the best receiver in the NFL. If he is not No. 1 in that ranking, he’s no worse than No. 3 behind Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals and CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys.</p><p>Jefferson has been both spectacular and consistent in his production for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/falcons-vikings-bold-predictions-week-2-2025-nfl-season">the Vikings</a>. He was selected out of LSU with the 22nd pick in the first round of the 2020 Draft. As he prepares to play in Minnesota’s Week 2 game against the Atlanta Falcons, he is on the verge of making history.</p><p>The 26-year-old is one reception away from reaching the 500 mark in his career. When he makes his first catch against the Falcons, Jefferson will become the <a href="https://x.com/DrozoTheClown/status/1966133081867427965">youngest receiver</a> to reach that level in NFL history.</p><h2><b>Jefferson has been dominant since the start of his career</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Kevin-OConnell-will-continue-to-call-plays-designed-for-Justin-Jefferson.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Jefferson has been on the road to greatness since his first day in a Vikings uniform. He was the offensive rookie of the year in 2020, and he has been a four-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro.</p><p>Jefferson has had 103 receptions or more three times as he starts the sixth year of his career. He had his most productive season in 2022 when he caught 128 passes for 1,809 yards and 8 touchdowns.</p><p>The wide receiver is working with a new quarterback again this season as J.J. McCarthy has been installed as the team’s QB1. McCarthy was the team’s first-round pick in the 2024 Draft, but he suffered a meniscus injury in training camp and did not play as a rookie. Prior to this season, he collaborated with QB Kirk Cousins in 2023 and Sam Darnold last season.</p><p>McCarthy played his first regular-season game in Week 1 against the Bears and he led the Vikings to a come-from-behind 27-24 triumph. He threw two touchdown passes and ran for another in the fourth quarter. One of his TD passes was a 13-yarder to Jefferson, and that score triggered the Minnesota comeback.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Vikings’ Justin Jefferson is one catch away from NFL history

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-minnesota-down-2-key-starters-falcons-game-snf');   ga('set', 'title', 'Vikings down 2 key starters for Falcons game on SNF');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Vikings-LB-Andrew-Van-Ginkel.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Krohn-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Vikings down 2 key starters for Falcons game on SNF</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-12T13:46:56-07:00">September 12th, 1:46pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-12T13:46:56-07:00">September 12th, 1:46pm</time><address><a>Jaren Kawada</a>Jaren Kawada is a former full-time sports bettor and is now a NFL, College Football and Betting Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. Kawada was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, after graduating from Butler University with a B.A. in sports media. Aside from football, Kawada is an avid combat sports and basketball bettor.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Vikings</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>For the second consecutive week, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/falcons-vikings-bold-predictions-week-2-2025-nfl-season">Minnesota Vikings will be featured in prime time</a> in their Week 2 meeting with the Atlanta Falcons. However, they will prepare to get the job done shorthanded after ruling out left tackle Christian Darrisaw and linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel on Friday.</p><p>The Vikings, who already have an <a href="https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/1966579023514878106" rel="noopener">extensive inactive list</a>, also list cornerback Jeff Okudah as out, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Minnesota is already without receiver Jordan Addison, who remains suspended, with Blake Cashman, Rondale Moore, Ty Chandler and C.J. Ham all on injured reserve.</p><p>The Vikings are also listing center Ryan Kelly, safety Harrison Smith and cornerback Isaiah Rodgers as questionable. All three were limited throughout the week in practices.</p><p>Of the team’s inactives, Van Ginkel and Darrisaw are arguably the most important. Van Ginkel, who is coming off an 11.5-sack season in 2024, was all over the field in Week 1. The veteran edge-rusher recorded five tackles, one tackle for loss and one pass breakup while playing over 90 percent of the defensive snaps.</p><p>Darrisaw, who is in the final year of his rookie contract after signing a $113 million extension in 2024, is arguably the team’s best offensive lineman. He has yet to make his season debut, forcing Justin Skule to start in his place in Week 1. Skule <a href="https://www.pff.com/nfl/players/justin-skule/38951" rel="noopener">allowed four pressures</a> and two sacks against the Chicago Bears, in addition to a penalty, according to PFF.</p><h2><b>Vikings look to keep momentum rolling in Week 2 against Falcons</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Vikings-Christian-Darrisaw-gets-official-designation-before-Bears-game.jpg"><figcaption>Eric Hartline-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>In total, the Vikings have already ruled out five starters for their Sunday Night Football clash with the Falcons. If Rodgers and Smith join the list, that would leave Kevin O’Connell without seven of his traditional starters. Quarterback <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-j-j-mccarthy-not-at-practice-as-he-awaits-birth-of-son">J.J. McCarthy missed practice</a> due to the birth of his son, but he is not in danger of missing the game.</p><p>Minnesota got the job done in Week 1 with its shorthanded team, but it is on track to be in an even worse position in Week 2. The Vikings will at least be at U.S. Bank Stadium for their 2025 home opener.</p><p>On paper, the 1-0 Vikings should have a leg-up on the 0-1 Falcons at home. However, the Falcons looked explosive in their Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while Minnesota seemed flat until the fourth quarter of its comeback victory. The odds still price the Vikings as 3.5-point favorites to begin the year 2-0.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Vikings down 2 key starters for Falcons game on SNF

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/justin-jeffersons-message-to-vikings-qb-jj-mccarthy-as-he-awaits-birth-of-son');   ga('set', 'title', 'Justin Jefferson’s message to Vikings QB JJ McCarthy as he awaits birth of son');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/J.J.-McCarthy-led-the-Vikings-to-a-win-in-Week-1-and-now-is-awaiting-birth-of-a-child.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Justin Jefferson’s message to Vikings QB JJ McCarthy as he awaits birth of son</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-11T17:43:54-07:00">September 11th, 5:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-12T08:50:11-07:00">September 12th, 8:50am</time><address><a>Steve Silverman</a>Steve Silverman has been covering the NFL for more than 35 years, and his writing has appeared in ESPN Magazine, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Pro Football Weekly, and Forbes.com. He has written 10 books, including "Who's Better, Who's Best in the NFL." He has won multiple awards from the Pro Football Writers of America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Vikings</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Vikings got off to a spectacular start in the 2025 season, winning their first game of the season thanks to a spectacular comeback in the fourth quarter led by quarterback JJ McCarthy. The second-year leader missed all of the 2024 season due to an injury, but he threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score against the Chicago Bears in a 27-24 victory.</p><p>While leading <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/falcons-vikings-bold-predictions-week-2-2025-nfl-season">the Vikings</a> to a victory in Week 1 was a huge event for McCarthy, he is waiting for an even bigger event away from the football field. McCarthy and his fiancée Katya Kuropas are in the hospital prior to the imminent birth of their baby boy.</p><p>The Vikings will host the Atlanta Falcons in their Week 2 Sunday night game, and McCarthy is expected to be back with the team well before kickoff. McCarthy received encouragement from superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who had warm wishes for the expectant couple. He also reminded the quarterback that the Vikings have business to attend to.</p><p>“If you seeing this now, congratulations, my boy. Congratulations,” <a href="https://x.com/SeifertESPN/status/1966268578040263109">Jefferson said</a>. “I’m excited for him for this new chapter, this new journey. But after you get done, come on back!”</p><h2><b>McCarthy practiced with the team early in the week</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Justin-Jefferson-wants-his-QB1-to-return-to-the-team-as-quickly-as-possible.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>After the victory over the Bears, McCarthy traveled back to Minnesota with the team and then participated in game planning with the coaching staff, and he practiced Wednesday with the team. He was at <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-kevin-oconnell-gives-slew-of-injury-updates-ahead-of-week-2">the Vikings facilit</a>y Thursday morning but missed the afternoon practice session to attend to the birth.</p><p>No announcement has been made by the team through the early evening hours.</p><p>McCarthy was the No. 10 pick overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. He was unable to play last season because he tore his meniscus in the preseason. Despite his absence, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell remained confident that McCarthy would become the team’s starting quarterback.</p><p>The quarterback struggled for the first three quarters against the Bears, but his fourth-quarter performance earned him NFL Offensive Player of the Week honors.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Justin Jefferson’s message to Vikings QB JJ McCarthy as he awaits birth of son

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/nfl-stories/falcons-vikings-bold-predictions-week-2-2025-nfl-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Falcons vs. Vikings bold predictions for Week 2 of 2025 NFL season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Minnesota-Vikings-head-coach-Kevin-OConnell_5db5be.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Falcons vs. Vikings bold predictions for Week 2 of 2025 NFL season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-11T15:19:06-07:00">September 11th, 3:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T15:19:06-07:00">September 11th, 3:19pm</time><address><a>Shane Shoemaker</a>Shane Shoemaker is an Associate Editor and Editorial writer for ClutchPoints, covering a wide range of sports and entertainment topics. Shane is a lifelong Tennessean yet refuses allegiance to any Tennessee-based teams. He's a graduate from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga with a BA in Communications/Journalism. There's a good chance he'll never let you forget the Atlanta Braves won the 2021 World Series.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Week 2 of the NFL season features a particularly intriguing matchup as the Atlanta Falcons (0-1) travel to face the Minnesota Vikings (1-0). And this one comes with plenty of storylines.</p><p>First, these teams had very different Week 1 outcomes. At home, the Falcons looked poised to notch a third straight win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before Baker Mayfield hit rookie Emeka Egbuka for the go-ahead score. On the ensuing drive, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-most-to-blame-heartbreaking-week-1-loss-buccaneers">Younghoe Koo missed a potential game-tying field goal</a>, leaving the Falcons in search of answers at kicker.</p><p>The Vikings, meanwhile, looked disjointed for three quarters against the Chicago Bears — until J.J. McCarthy came alive and flipped the game. McCarthy accounted for three total touchdowns and walked off looking every bit like the first-round pick he was drafted to be over a year ago.</p><p>Second, this is sort of a rematch between McCarthy and Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr., both first-rounders from last year. The two last faced each other on the biggest stage, meeting in the College Football Playoff National Championship two years ago, when Michigan beat Washington.</p><p>Lastly, there’s the underplayed angle: another homecoming of sorts for Kirk Cousins. Even if Cousins will be riding the bench, his return to Minnesota remains a storyline that will get at least a brief mention.</p><h2><b>J.J. McCarthy shows regression against Falcons</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Vikings-QB-JJ-McCarthy-vs-Bears.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Look, we all know about the Falcons’ pass rush problems. That’s why they drafted two first-rounders this year to get after the quarterback. But they’re still rookies, and this defensive front has a ways to go, even if there is promise.</p><p>However, the Falcons came away as one of the best teams in the league in Week 1 at pressuring the quarterback. They <a href="https://x.com/The33rdTeamFB/status/1964837169014669412" rel="noopener">ranked fourth</a> in the NFL in pressure rate on dropbacks at 40.5 percent, according to The 33rd Team. Yet they still only got to Baker Mayfield once.</p><p>Regardless, pressuring the quarterback at any rate is better than none at all, and that could still pose a problem for a quarterback like McCarthy going into just his second NFL game. Something else to consider with McCarthy is how focused he will be. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-j-j-mccarthy-not-at-practice-as-he-awaits-birth-of-son">He and his wife just had their first child</a> this week, and obviously he has been there for that — as he should be. But it could still play a factor in his performance.</p><h2><b>Falcons and Vikings defense each create two turnovers</b></h2><p>This game could come down to which team turns the ball over less. With the inexperience of both quarterbacks and it being just Week 2 of the NFL season, mistakes are bound to happen.</p><p>McCarthy has already thrown a pick-six against the Bears on Monday night, and if the Falcons can get to him, a strip sack is in play. The same goes for Penix, who showed he can make plays with his legs when he wants to. But that could also prove dangerous against a team that ranked <a href="https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/nfl-team-takeaway-leaders-2024" rel="noopener">second in takeaways last year</a>.</p><p>Penix will be facing a much tougher defense this weekend than what he saw against the Bucs, even though they are solid under Todd Bowles. Minnesota got to Caleb Williams twice last week, and now they face an offensive line with a few new pieces due to free agency and injury. Look for Brian Flores to dial up the pressure on Penix.</p><h2><b>Falcons have under 300 yards of total offense</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/768137856-bijan-robinson-falcons.jpg"><figcaption>Dale Zanine-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Falcons have enough offensive weapons to move the ball down the field, yet it still feels like they’re working out the kinks. Last week, they had trouble establishing the run, even with Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier rotating in the backfield. They rushed for just 69 total yards on 28 carries for 2.5 yards per carry.</p><p>That’s concerning if you’re a Falcons fan. What’s also concerning is that the passing game could be threatened by injuries to Drake London and Darnell Mooney. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-atlanta-sees-drake-london-darnell-mooney-practice-return-injury-woes">Both returned to practice Wednesday</a>, but how healthy they are remains a mystery. Mooney had been dealing with injuries during training camp, while London left last week’s game late with a shoulder injury.</p><p>This puts even more pressure on Penix to make something happen. While Robinson is still an option, either in the backfield or split out as a receiver, a team like the Vikings will shut that down quickly.</p><h2><b>Vikings kicking game the difference in rather sloppy game</b></h2><p>The Falcons are like a few other teams in the league right now, looking to strengthen their kicking situation. As of this writing, Younghoe Koo is still set to be the starter, but the Falcons have <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-atlanta-adds-kicker-after-younghoe-koos-big-miss-buccaneers">brought in competition</a>, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.</p><p>Atlanta signed Parker Romo on Wednesday. His only NFL action came with the Vikings last year, when he went 11-for-12 on field goals and 7-for-8 on extra points in four games.</p><p>Whether it’s Koo or Romo, the Falcons still can’t feel confident in their kicking game, and that uncertainty is liable to come back to bite them again. If this game turns into a sluggish offensive showing for Atlanta, they’ll have to settle for field goals. But who’s to say they’ll make them?</p><p>Likewise, it could be just as ugly for Minnesota offensively, but the Vikings have a much more reliable kicker in Will Reichard.</p><p>Expect quite a few field goal attempts in this one, with the Vikings coming out on top.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Falcons vs. Vikings bold predictions for Week 2 of 2025 NFL season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-j-j-mccarthy-not-at-practice-as-he-awaits-birth-of-son');   ga('set', 'title', 'Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy not at practice as he awaits birth of son');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/JJ-McCarthy_79d86b.jpg"><figcaption>© Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy not at practice as he awaits birth of son</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-11T12:59:26-07:00">September 11th, 12:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T14:03:08-07:00">September 11th, 2:03pm</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Vikings</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-kevin-oconnell-gives-slew-of-injury-updates-ahead-of-week-2">Minnesota Vikings preparing for a Week 2</a> matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, the latest development shows that starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy couldn’t participate in Thursday’s practice session. After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-jj-mccarthy-attention-first-ig-post-epic-win-bears">McCarthy led the Vikings in an epic win over the Chicago Bears</a> in Week 1, he missed practice on Thursday for a good reason as he awaits the birth of his newborn son.</p><p>Reported by Alec Lewis of The Athletic, McCarthy <a href="https://x.com/alec_lewis/status/1966226260121759963" rel="noopener">missed practice as he is in a local hospital</a> with his fiancée, awaiting the birth of “their new baby boy.” Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell was reportedly “pumped to share the news.”</p><p>“J.J. McCarthy is not at practice today,” Lewis wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “He’s at a local hospital with his fiancée as they await positive news in welcoming their new baby boy. Kevin O’Connell was pumped to share the news.”</p><p>Comparatively, it has been a fortunate past week for McCarthy, as looking at his performance on the field, he led the team to a comeback from a major deficit and beat their NFC North rivals, the Chicago Bears, on Monday night, 27-24. McCarthy would say on Wednesday that his mindset changes when he’s on the field, <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/jj-mccarthy-flipped-the-switch-its-real-when-im-ready-to-go-war" rel="noopener">showcasing his competitiveness.</a></p><p>“It’s kind of how I roll,” McCarthy said, via Sports Illustrated. “It is real when I’m ready to go to war on Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays, and sometimes Saturdays and Wednesdays, it’s really just a flip that’s switched, and the rest can take care of itself from there.”</p><h2><b>Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy on leading a comeback in Week 1</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/The-Michigan-game-J.J.-McCarthy-used-to-make-comeback-vs.-Bears.jpg"><figcaption>© Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With some saying that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-jj-mccarthy-proves-comeback-player-year-prediction">Vikings quarterback in McCarthy deserves Comeback Player of the Year</a> after coming off an injury, it was no doubt a big performance in Week 1. Subsequently, starting slow, McCarthy was tasked to come back from a 17-6 deficit, which he would do, leading the team to score 21 points in the fourth quarter.</p><p>“Big takeaway is just all the little fundamental things that we kind of lean on are something that isn’t 100% there, just being able to go back onto the practice field and keep making those concrete habits,” McCarthy said.</p><p>“I feel like the way we adapted as an offense throughout the game when it wasn’t going our way in those first three quarters, and being able to experience that and know what we have is something that was huge to take away from,” McCarthy continued.</p><p>Consequently, McCarthy and Minnesota take on Atlanta on Sunday afternoon.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy not at practice as he awaits birth of son

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-2-key-minnesota-players-land-injured-reserve');   ga('set', 'title', '2 key Vikings players land on injured reserve');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Minnesota-Vikings-head-coach-Kevin-OConnell_5db5be.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>2 key Vikings players land on injured reserve</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-11T11:31:03-07:00">September 11th, 11:31am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T11:31:03-07:00">September 11th, 11:31am</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Vikings</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-jj-mccarthy-attention-first-ig-post-epic-win-bears">Minnesota Vikings pulled off an amazing comeback</a> to earn a 27-24 Week 1 win over the Chicago Bears. However, with the franchise seeking another victory in Week 2, the team was forced to place two players on the injured reserve.</p><p>Reports indicate that both Blake Cashman and Ty Chandler <a href="https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/1966198048088039816" rel="noopener">have been placed</a> on the injured reserve, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Cashman is one of the Vikings’ key linebackers who has been a tackle machine in the previous two seasons. Meanwhile, Chandler has served as a solid backup running back throughout his career so far.</p><p>“Vikings placed LB Blake Cashman and RB Ty Chandler on IR.”</p><p>Between the two, Cashman is a much bigger loss for Minnesota. The 29-year-old linebacker emerged as a viable starter in the 2023-24 season and has recorded over 100 combined tackles two years in a row. The Vikings lose one of their main contributors on defense. Eric Wilson, Kobe King, and potentially Austin Keys are expected to earn more playing time with Cashman out of the starting lineup.</p><p>As for Chandler, he’s listed as the third-string running back for the Vikings. He didn’t get any carries in Week 1 and wasn’t expected to receive any work in the backfield against the Falcons. However, he does contribute on special teams as one of Minnesota’s kickoff returners. He had three returns against the Bears, accumulating 84 yards. Myles Price will continue playing his role as a return man, and it is expected that rookie wide receiver Tai Felton will replace Ty Chandler as the other option for the time being.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-kevin-oconnell-gives-slew-of-injury-updates-ahead-of-week-2">The Vikings will play in another prime time game</a> when they take on the Falcons in “Sunday Night Football.” It will be another opportunity for NFL fans to see second-year quarterback JJ McCarthy on the big stage as he plays in his second-career game.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2 key Vikings players land on injured reserve

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-harrison-smith-gives-target-date-return-from-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Vikings’ Harrison Smith gives target date for return from injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Harrison-Smith.jpg"><figcaption>© Matt Krohn-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Vikings’ Harrison Smith gives target date for return from injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T16:31:59-07:00">September 10th, 4:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T16:31:59-07:00">September 10th, 4:31pm</time><address><a>Guillermo Guajardo</a>Guillermo Guajardo is a dynamic sports presenter with experience on various television channels and digital platforms, most recently with A Tiempo.TV. He is also a multidisciplinary artist with 10 years of experience in acting, directing, writing, and hosting. His work in film has been recognized at international festivals, earning awards for both his performances and directorial projects.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Vikings</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the start of the 2025 season and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-kevin-oconnell-gives-slew-of-injury-updates-ahead-of-week-2">preparations underway for a Week 2</a> matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, the Minnesota Vikings are awaiting the full return of veteran safety Harrison Smith as he continues to recover from a personal health issue. Speaking publicly for the first time since mid-August, Smith said he has made progress and is confident he’ll be back in less than three weeks. He clarified that the matter is “physical” rather than mental but chose not to share further details.</p><p>Smith returned to practice last Saturday, marking his first session since August 11. Although he was ruled out of the season opener in Chicago, the 36-year-old is <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/46218328/vikings-harrison-smith-confident-return-3-weeks" rel="noopener">now focused on regaining football shape.</a></p><p>“I’m just trying to get my conditioning up. I’m going to go out there and see how much I can handle and go from there. I’ve already moved around, and I’m moving around well. It’s just volume and conditioning,” he explained, according to ESPN.</p><p>The Vikings’ decision not to place him on injured reserve suggests optimism that his recovery will take less than the four-game minimum required for such a designation. Smith himself echoed that expectation.</p><p>“We’re kind of fluid with if I’m ready to go or not, and if I am going to help the team or not. That all matters. But I expect to be back before [the four-week mark],” he said.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-harrison-smith-emotional-possible-last-game-minnesota">Smith admitted this recovery has been a new experience for him.</a> While he remained around the facility, he was unable to practice consistently and described the process as “a new experience.” Still, he expects to build back stamina quickly and stressed the importance of open communication with the Vikings’ medical staff.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Vikings are managing other injury concerns heading into Week 2. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw is progressing from a knee injury, but his status for the primetime game against the Falcons is uncertain. Linebacker Blake Cashman will miss time with a hamstring strain, shifting defensive signal-calling duties to veteran Eric Wilson. In addition, Andrew Van Ginkel and Jeff Okudah entered concussion protocol this week, while returner Ty Chandler will miss time with a knee injury, head coach Kevin O’Connell said.</p><p>Despite the setbacks, Smith remains determined to push his conditioning forward. He emphasized that his focus is on measuring how much he can handle in practice as his targeted return approaches. For the Vikings, the availability of their veteran continues to be a key storyline as the season unfolds.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Vikings’ Harrison Smith gives target date for return from injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-kevin-oconnell-gives-slew-of-injury-updates-ahead-of-week-2');   ga('set', 'title', 'Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell gives slew of injury updates ahead of Week 2');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Kevin-OConnell-gives-slew-of-injury-updates-for-Week-2.jpg"><figcaption>Credit: Steve Roberts</figcaption></figure><h1>Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell gives slew of injury updates ahead of Week 2</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T12:22:57-07:00">September 10th, 12:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T12:22:57-07:00">September 10th, 12:22pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/chris.spiering.3" rel="facebook">Chris Spiering</a>Chris Spiering graduated from the University of San Diego with a Communication Studies Degree. He spent his final year as the Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris manages the betting team at ClutchPoints and contributes about the NFL, MLB, and NBA, but he follows most sports, including NCAA Basketball. Chris also covers San Diego State men's basketball for East Village Times.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Vikings</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Vikings are one of the best teams in the NFL and proved it on Monday night in their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-kevin-oconnell-reveals-empowering-message-to-jj-mccarthy-during-comeback-win">comeback win against the Chicago Bears</a>. Many believe head coach <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-kevin-oconnell-last-laugh-vs-reporter-after-aaron-rodgers-drama">Kevin O’Connell is one of the top coaches in the NFL</a>, as he has been nothing short of elite since taking the job in Minnesota. O’Connell is now 36-19 as a head coach and is 1-0 on the season this year, preparing for a 2-0 start against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football.</p><p>The Vikings are dealing with a ton of injuries; however, it did not look like it on Monday night when it mattered most. The Vikings stormed back by scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter after scoring only six points in the first three. Players stepped up when needed and got the job done.</p><p>O’Connell has <a href="https://x.com/SeifertESPN/status/1965843553428582553" rel="noopener">updated everyone on the injuries</a>, and some are not good news.</p><p>“LB Blake Cashman (hamstring) and RB Ty Chandler (knee) will miss a few weeks, per Kevin O’Connell. LB Andrew Van Ginkel and CB Jeff Okudah are in the concussion protocol. S Harrison Smith/LT Christian Darrisaw progressing.”</p><p>Losing four key players is not what the Vikings had imagined, but the good news is that they got the win. The Vikings will be thin at the linebacker position after losing both Cashman and Van Ginkel. The hope is that Van Ginkel is ready to go by Sunday night. Cashman finished with three tackles on Monday, and Van Ginkel ended with five, with one tackle for loss. Van Ginkel has been one of the most steady linebackers in the league since his rookie season.</p><p>Ty Chandler was the kick returner on Monday before his knee injury. He is set to miss a few weeks with Cashman. Chandler averaged 33 yards per return on Monday.</p><p>Jeff Okudah had two tackles in the win and will hopefully be out of concussion protocol ahead of the match against the Falcons.</p><p>Harrison Smith and Christian Darrisaw are two of the best players on the team. Getting those two back healthy is massive for the franchise. Smith has been one of the top safeties in the NFL for a long time, while Darrisaw has proven to be one of the top young tackles in the game when healthy.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell gives slew of injury updates ahead of Week 2

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/espn-broadcaster-compares-espn-to-baseball-karen-after-taking-back-vikings-justin-jefferson-gift-from-kid');   ga('set', 'title', 'ESPN broadcaster compares ESPN to ‘Baseball Karen’ after taking back Vikings’ Justin Jefferson gift from kid');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Vikings-WR-Justin-Jefferson-celebrating-after-a-touchdown-against-Bears.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>ESPN broadcaster compares ESPN to ‘Baseball Karen’ after taking back Vikings’ Justin Jefferson gift from kid</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T08:06:58-07:00">September 10th, 8:06am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T08:06:58-07:00">September 10th, 8:06am</time><address><a>Gerard Angelo Samillano</a>Gerard Angelo Samillano is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints, with his focus primarily on the NBA, NFL, MLB and NCAA Football. When he's not writing for CP, Gerard can often be seen playing VALORANT or playing pick-up basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Vikings</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After their scintillating Week 1 comeback win over the Chicago Bears, Justin Jefferson got a lot of attention. The star wide receiver was a key reason for the team staying in the game despite the early deficit. After the game, Jefferson was promptly recognized by ESPN, which handed him a Top 10 chain.</p><p>Jefferson already had his fair share of chains, so <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-justin-jefferson-young-fan-night-special-gift-comeback-win">he instead gave his chain to a young fan in the stands</a>. It’s a sweet gesture that shows Jefferson’s excellent character.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Justin gave his top 10 chain to a kid <a href="https://t.co/OlYnuHXBzZ">pic.twitter.com/OlYnuHXBzZ</a></p><p>— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) <a href="https://twitter.com/ohnohedidnt24/status/1965259095910613323?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>It’s an awesome gesture, right? Well, except that the moment was ruined by what happened after. During a SportsCenter segment, it was revealed that ESPN recovered the Top 10 chain back from the kid after the cameras stopped rolling.</p><p>That got a hilarious response from ESPN personality Matt Barrie. Barrie <a href="https://x.com/cjzero/status/1965530192748986798">remarked</a> that ESPN was like a “Karen” who took away a home run ball from a kid during a baseball game.</p><p>Jefferson had a pedestrian game by his standards in Week 1 against the Bears. The Vikings’ star wide receiver only recorded four catches for 44 yards. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-jj-mccarthy-hits-justin-jefferson-first-nfl-td">Jefferson made a crucial touchdown grab in the second half to kickstart Minnesota’s comeback hopes</a> in the game.</p><p>The game started off horribly for the Vikings, as their rookie quarterback, JJ McCarthy, clearly struggled during the first half. It took a few quarters (and a brutal pick-six) for McCarthy to settle into a comfortable groove and finally lead the Vikings offense and find his weapons.</p><p>The Vikings will now face off against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2, making their home debut for the 2025 season. Will Minnesota start off stronger and avoid another comeback attempt in back-to-back weeks?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

ESPN broadcaster compares ESPN to ‘Baseball Karen’ after taking back Vikings’ Justin Jefferson gift from kid

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-jj-mccarthy-proves-comeback-player-year-prediction');   ga('set', 'title', 'Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy immediately validates Comeback Player of the Year prediction');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Vikings-QB-JJ-McCarthy-vs-Bears.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy immediately validates Comeback Player of the Year prediction</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T07:28:27-07:00">September 10th, 7:28am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T07:28:27-07:00">September 10th, 7:28am</time><address><a>Yasmin Edañol</a>Yasmin D.G. Edañol is a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a background in scientific research and publishing. He brings a data-driven perspective to sports storytelling as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with a focus on the NBA. Whether it's breaking down a clutch play or a stat line, he believes every great moment has a deeper layer waiting to be uncovered.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Vikings</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Vikings <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-jj-mccarthy-named-captain-2025-season">took a gamble when they trusted JJ McCarthy to lead their offense</a>. Now, it is already paying off. The rookie quarterback entered the season surrounded by questions after his 2024 preseason knee injury. As a result, his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-j-j-mccarthy-admits-teardrop-return-action">comeback story is shaping up to be one of the NFL’s most compelling narratives</a>. With that in mind, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/chicago-bears/bears-news-fans-shambles-meltdown-vs-jj-mccarthy-vikings">his poised performance against the Chicago Bears</a> strengthened JJ McCarthy’s case to become the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.</p><p>Initially, McCarthy was already projected as a strong candidate, but his latest performance made the prediction <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/46208174/nfl-executives-pick-award-winners-2025-predicting-mvp-top-rookies-player-year-honors-comeback-stars-breakouts" rel="noopener">look even sharper</a>. During the matchup, the Vikings trailed by 11 points at halftime, yet McCarthy delivered a second-half masterpiece. He threw two touchdown passes and added a rushing score to secure the comeback win. Because of this, analysts now see him as the frontrunner for the award. Clearly, McCarthy has found the perfect situation in Minnesota, surrounded by elite talent and guided by a quarterback-friendly system.</p><p>Furthermore, head coach Kevin O’Connell has tailored the offense to McCarthy’s strengths. With Justin Jefferson stretching the field and T.J. Hockenson controlling the middle, the rookie quarterback doesn’t need to carry the entire load. In addition, the Vikings have built a strong running game, giving JJ McCarthy a balanced attack that keeps defenses guessing. Ultimately, his composure under pressure already sets him apart from other first-year starters.</p><p>Meanwhile, several big-name players, including Dak Prescott and Aidan Hutchinson, are also in contention for the award. However, JJ McCarthy’s comeback offers a unique storyline. He’s not just returning from injury, he’s proving he belongs among the league’s rising stars. Consequently, the Vikings see him as the missing piece for a deep playoff push, and every week, his confidence continues to grow.</p><p>If McCarthy keeps producing at this level, he won’t just be the NFL comeback player favorite. Instead, he could elevate the Vikings into serious Super Bowl contention. With each game, he’s turning predictions into reality, and the rest of the league is starting to take notice.</p><p>Could JJ McCarthy be the key to leading the Vikings back to the biggest stage?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy immediately validates Comeback Player of the Year prediction

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-jj-mccarthy-attention-first-ig-post-epic-win-bears');   ga('set', 'title', 'Vikings’ JJ McCarthy grabs attention with first IG post since epic win vs. Bears');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/JJ-McCarthy-grabs-attention-with-first-IG-post-since-epic-win-vs.-Bears.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Vikings’ JJ McCarthy grabs attention with first IG post since epic win vs. Bears</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T22:47:00-07:00">September 9th, 10:47pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T22:50:18-07:00">September 9th, 10:50pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Vikings</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Young quarterback JJ McCarthy showed why many were excited to watch his debut for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1.</p><p>He struggled in the first three quarters against the Chicago Bears on Monday. It could be chalked up to rookie jitters, as it was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-justin-jefferson-pumps-brakes-jj-mccarthy-expectation">McCarthy’s first game for the Vikings</a> after sitting out his entire first year due to a knee injury.</p><p>But apparently, McCarthy was just waiting for the right moment. He buckled down in the fourth quarter, throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for another score to help Minnesota complete the come-from-behind win, 27-24.</p><p>On Wednesday, the 22-year-old signal-caller took to Instagram to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DOZ3oK_DLH3/?hl=en&amp;img_index=1" rel="noopener">tout their victory</a>.</p><p>“1-0,” wrote McCarthy, who was drafted by the Vikings as the 10th overall pick in 2024.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="instagram-media"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DOZ3oK_DLH3/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div><div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div><div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"><div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div><div></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"><div></div><div></div><div></div></div></div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 24px;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div><p></p></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DOZ3oK_DLH3/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by 9 (@jjmccarthy)</a></p></div></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>His post quickly garnered attention, with teammate Byron Murphy Jr. chiming in.</p><p>“That boi,” commented the Vikings cornerback.</p><p>Indianapolis Colts’ Camryn Bynum commented, “Dawg,” while NFL Network’s Rich Eisen said, “Go Blue.”</p><p>Of course, fans also expressed their thoughts, hailing McCarthy for a job well done.</p><p>“Bring us to the promised land, baby! 🔐,” said @calvin.adams.</p><p>“That boy is different 😤,” added @strictlyleighton.</p><p>“Where else would you rather be?” wrote @wy_miller.</p><p>“I made sure to reply to every hate comment/post at halftime. You proved me right, JJ 💯,” shared @collinastewart.</p><p>“This is the year, he’s having fun,” posted @tndtakeover.</p><p>As they say, it’s not how you start but how you finish.</p><p>McCarthy went 13-of-20 for 143 yards and added two carries for 25 yards, including the 14-yard rush with less than three minutes left in the game, securing the win for the Vikings.</p><p>After the game, he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/kevin-oconnell-reveals-jj-mccarthy-in-game-adjustments-after-early-miscues">credited Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell</a> for maintaining his belief in him despite his subpar play early on. O’Connell told McCarthy at halftime that he would <a href="https://apnews.com/article/vikings-bears-score-3153fd022698f9af2553cf2dd8406e19" rel="noopener">lead them to victory</a>.</p><p>“Any kind of compliments or belief like that means the world (to me). That just gave me the confidence to go out there and just execute the ball plays, have a fast arm, and make quick, decisive decisions. It worked out,” said McCarthy in a report from the Associated Press.</p><p>The Vikings will host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Vikings’ JJ McCarthy grabs attention with first IG post since epic win vs. Bears

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/aaron-rodgers-who-j-j-mccarthys-swagger-in-comeback-proves-vikings-right');   ga('set', 'title', 'Aaron Rodgers who? J.J. McCarthy’s swagger in comeback proves Vikings right');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Minnesota-Vikings-QB-J.J.-McCarthy.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Aaron Rodgers who? J.J. McCarthy’s swagger in comeback proves Vikings right</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T10:32:55-07:00">September 9th, 10:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T10:32:55-07:00">September 9th, 10:32am</time><address><a href="https://matthew516sports.substack.com/">Douglas Fritz</a>Douglas Fritz has been writing about sports for almost four decades and publishes a Christian sports newsletter and podcast on Substack at Matthew516Sports. He started as a reporter for the student newspaper at East Tennessee State University, worked his way up to Editor-In-Chief, and began his sports writing career at the Johnson City Press daily newspaper while still in college. During 30-plus years at the Press, he covered University of Tennessee football, men's and women's basketball, ETSU athletics, and high school athletics. Among the people he has interviewed are Dale Murphy, Bobby Cox, John Smoltz, and Bruce Smith. He is also a Christian-based screenwriter (five feature-length and one short), book writer (three completed manuscripts and one novel), and songwriter.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Vikings</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Things <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-kevin-oconnell-last-laugh-vs-reporter-after-aaron-rodgers-drama">turned the Minnesota Vikings’ way, giving Kevin O’Connell a chance</a> to take a dig at reporters. Quarterback <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-moment-jj-mccarthy-knew-things-about-pop-vs-bears">J.J. McCarthy finally settled in</a> and got things done. The Vikings can crow by saying, “Aaron Rodgers who?” as McCarthy’s swagger in the comeback proved them right — at least for now.</p><p>O’Connell, the Vikings head coach, seems to be standing strong after taking a barrage of criticism for the team not signing Rodgers in the offseason. After the game, he pointed to the narrative, according to The Athletic.</p><p>“Look, I understand everybody is going to be waiting for the ‘aha’ moment, and rightfully so,” O’Connell said as he stood outside his private dressing room after the game. “I understand the business that we’re in. I’m sure you had the (story) written.”</p><h2><b>Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy looked good at the finish</b></h2><p>O’Connell can pat himself on the back after the 27-24 win over the Bears. The Vikings trailed 17-6 before McCarthy engineered the stirring road come-from-behind thriller.</p><p>“Because of the kid’s moxie, O’Connell now had the right to gloat,” Michael Silver wrote.</p><p>Justin Jefferson, the Vikings star receiver, walked out of the Bears’ house with eyes wide open toward McCarthy’s performance.</p><p>“That was crazy,” said Jefferson.</p><p>Another teammate said the game didn’t surprise him.</p><p>“I felt like he was the type of player who could do this,” outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard said. “I knew it was in there. (And) I just wanted to see it come to fruition in a real game.”</p><p>For most of the game, McCarthy looked pedestrian. So while the late-game flourish is all some people will remember, McCarthy still has to prove himself over the long haul. Those first three quarters against a better opponent probably hangs the Vikings with a loss.</p><p>O’Connell said his team needs to focus on the positives and not get distracted by the bad things.</p><p>“If you allow your mind to go there,” O’Connell said, “then everything that I’ve ever talked about with these players, and what we’ve tried to build — and what they, most importantly, have built — what’s it all for, if in those moments you don’t continue to lean in?</p><p>“What we preach is that when it gets hard, when it gets really hard, lean in even more, and you’re going to figure it out. When you’re bringing along a young quarterback on the road in the NFC North, and the place is absolutely electric, you’ve got to find a way to weather the storm.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ben
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