WEBVTT - MVP: Harrison Smith and Emmanuel Acho Break Down The Vikings Fast Start - Episode 291 0:00:00.040 --> 0:00:02.280 Hey, Vikings fans, Ben Lever here. I'm so excited to 0:00:02.320 --> 0:00:04.400 be a new Lifetime member, and so are my kids. 0:00:04.440 --> 0:00:06.519 They love the tennis, the pick a ball, the basketball, 0:00:06.559 --> 0:00:08.680 and of course the yummy cafe. Check them out at 0:00:08.760 --> 0:00:10.760 Lifetime dot life to find a club nearest you. 0:00:15.120 --> 0:00:18.479 You're not listening to the Minnesota Vikings podcast. Football finally 0:00:18.560 --> 0:00:21.279 back in the Twin Cities after almost a month since 0:00:21.320 --> 0:00:23.079 the last home game. The Vikings face the four and 0:00:23.160 --> 0:00:26.599 one Lions, their second divisional matchup of the season, and 0:00:26.640 --> 0:00:29.200 we're so lucky to be joined by Vikings veteran safety 0:00:29.200 --> 0:00:32.360 Harrison Smith, still out there proving he's the hit man 0:00:33.280 --> 0:00:35.159 each and every game. And I wanted to ask you 0:00:35.240 --> 0:00:37.400 first off the top, how much fun are you having 0:00:37.440 --> 0:00:37.760 right now? 0:00:37.760 --> 0:00:38.879 Playing in year thirteen. 0:00:39.280 --> 0:00:42.200 It's just a group of guys. We got the whole 0:00:42.240 --> 0:00:45.000 staff feeling in the building. It's a lot of fun, 0:00:45.120 --> 0:00:47.720 especially what we're doing on defense. You know, from my 0:00:47.880 --> 0:00:51.839 role individually, it's a lot of fun. So I've been 0:00:51.880 --> 0:00:54.320 around long enough to know that these kind of situations 0:00:54.360 --> 0:00:57.720 don't always come up every year, So definitely take advantage 0:00:57.720 --> 0:00:59.040 of the opportunity for sure. 0:00:59.080 --> 0:01:01.160 And I mean, you're surrounded a bunch of guys who 0:01:01.480 --> 0:01:01.680 you know. 0:01:01.680 --> 0:01:03.360 I'm sure you had the early bye week, but it 0:01:03.400 --> 0:01:05.440 was easy to walk back into the building. What was 0:01:05.480 --> 0:01:08.520 it like to be reunited after, you know, a week off. 0:01:08.720 --> 0:01:10.320 Yeah, it's the early buye. 0:01:10.440 --> 0:01:14.200 But I was talking to Jonathan Bullard and he was like, man, 0:01:14.240 --> 0:01:16.360 I was kind of ready for the buye to be 0:01:16.440 --> 0:01:16.880 over with. 0:01:17.120 --> 0:01:20.319 So I think that is that goes along with the kind. 0:01:20.160 --> 0:01:21.880 Of the joy that we're having, like we want to 0:01:21.880 --> 0:01:23.440 get back to work, we want to get back to it. 0:01:23.760 --> 0:01:24.520 So that's a good sign. 0:01:24.680 --> 0:01:28.000 Recently in the Jets game, you were you joined an 0:01:28.040 --> 0:01:31.480 elite group of people, a Hall of Fame style if 0:01:31.480 --> 0:01:33.360 you want to say that, you're only the seventh dB 0:01:33.480 --> 0:01:37.200 in NFL history to have twenty plus sacks thirty plus interceptions. 0:01:37.200 --> 0:01:39.280 And on the sideline in London, I heard a lot 0:01:39.360 --> 0:01:41.440 of the guys being like twenty piece, like you got 0:01:41.480 --> 0:01:44.160 this side they did? They know, like what numbers you're at? 0:01:44.360 --> 0:01:47.360 Yeah, just because last year I got to nineteen and 0:01:47.400 --> 0:01:50.480 a half early in the year and kind of know 0:01:50.560 --> 0:01:55.080 that that's like I wrote down like twenty twenty, twenty picks, 0:01:55.120 --> 0:01:58.000 twenty sacks in like probably twenty fourteen. 0:01:58.320 --> 0:02:00.920 I probably wrote that down, So I've been waiting for 0:02:00.960 --> 0:02:01.600 it for a while. 0:02:01.720 --> 0:02:04.240 Yeah, but it was it was cool and you know, 0:02:04.360 --> 0:02:06.440 all the guys being excited for me, that's that's fun. 0:02:06.480 --> 0:02:08.720 That's part of football. So it's a yeah, it's pretty 0:02:08.720 --> 0:02:09.680 cool club to be a part of. 0:02:09.800 --> 0:02:13.200 So now that it's twenty twenty four and you've hit 0:02:13.440 --> 0:02:15.760 that mark, do you make new marks? Is there like 0:02:15.760 --> 0:02:17.400 a new number you have in your mind you like 0:02:17.440 --> 0:02:18.040 want to end on. 0:02:18.280 --> 0:02:21.520 I've always got some things written down, but it's always 0:02:21.600 --> 0:02:24.040 team goals and then it kind of trickles down from there. 0:02:24.080 --> 0:02:27.120 So whatever we can do to keep winning is all 0:02:27.160 --> 0:02:28.120 that matters for sure. 0:02:28.200 --> 0:02:31.079 For what it's worth, though, as a defensive back, how 0:02:31.120 --> 0:02:33.520 hard is it, like putting it into a perspective for 0:02:33.600 --> 0:02:37.200 fans to be able to reach that thirty twenty mark. 0:02:37.240 --> 0:02:39.359 I mean, you're only the seventh to do it. Just 0:02:39.400 --> 0:02:40.400 how difficult is it? 0:02:40.639 --> 0:02:43.560 I mean, you definitely have to be a multiple type player, 0:02:43.600 --> 0:02:45.960 a guy that can be trusted playing and coverage in 0:02:46.320 --> 0:02:48.959 getting after the passer. It also has a lot to 0:02:49.000 --> 0:02:51.320 do with the schemes that you play in. You know, 0:02:51.360 --> 0:02:54.520 we know that flow Flow likes to be aggressive in 0:02:54.600 --> 0:02:58.720 certain spots so it's it's not just an individual thing. 0:02:58.760 --> 0:03:01.280 It's it's this games I've played in. It's the players 0:03:01.320 --> 0:03:03.800 I've played around, and then when the opportunities arise, take 0:03:03.800 --> 0:03:04.560 advantage of them. 0:03:04.600 --> 0:03:07.079 One of those players that you're playing around who's having 0:03:07.120 --> 0:03:10.600 a really great start to the season is Andrew van Ginkoll, 0:03:10.639 --> 0:03:13.000 with his second pick six of the season. I have 0:03:13.080 --> 0:03:16.560 a trivia question for you, and I see a s mark. 0:03:16.600 --> 0:03:18.359 I feel like you probably know where this is. My 0:03:18.440 --> 0:03:22.000 idea is, do you know who the last Vikings defender 0:03:22.120 --> 0:03:24.240 was who had two pick sixes in a season? 0:03:24.520 --> 0:03:26.280 It's probably me in twenty twelve. 0:03:26.520 --> 0:03:26.760 Ingo. 0:03:27.639 --> 0:03:29.800 Yeah, yeah, There's only been ten of you guys in 0:03:29.919 --> 0:03:32.880 Viking's history to be able to do that. 0:03:33.840 --> 0:03:36.440 If he beats you, I mean, yeah, that's okay. That's 0:03:36.440 --> 0:03:36.920 okay though. 0:03:37.000 --> 0:03:37.160 Yeah. 0:03:37.200 --> 0:03:40.200 I told him I think I'm I think I'm like 0:03:40.240 --> 0:03:44.000 the franchise leader and pick sixes as a Viking with four, 0:03:44.080 --> 0:03:45.760 and I was like, gink you're going to beat me 0:03:45.760 --> 0:03:47.120 in one season, man, Let's. 0:03:47.000 --> 0:03:47.480 Keep it going. 0:03:47.600 --> 0:03:49.800 Let's keep it going at this rate for sure. What 0:03:49.840 --> 0:03:53.320 do you think Van ginkle has added to this defense? 0:03:53.640 --> 0:03:54.960 Yeah, he's you know. 0:03:55.000 --> 0:03:57.280 Kind of like I was saying with the interceptions and 0:03:57.320 --> 0:03:59.839 sacks and stuff like, he's a he's a multiple type 0:04:00.000 --> 0:04:04.640 player that can rest the passer, you know, beat tackles, beatbacks, 0:04:05.240 --> 0:04:07.640 He's really good in games. He can play off the ball. 0:04:08.360 --> 0:04:11.200 He has a really great feel for coverage and dropping 0:04:11.240 --> 0:04:12.280 and finding where the ball is. 0:04:12.280 --> 0:04:14.839 Going to go. He's just to me, he's just he's 0:04:14.840 --> 0:04:15.800 just a football player. 0:04:15.880 --> 0:04:18.120 Like if you played him on offense, he'd figure out 0:04:18.120 --> 0:04:20.720 how to help the team. And if you got you 0:04:20.839 --> 0:04:22.680 got a few guys like that, you can do something 0:04:22.680 --> 0:04:23.000 with it. 0:04:22.839 --> 0:04:26.480 It feels like there are several players like that on 0:04:26.520 --> 0:04:30.760 the team who positional flexibility is so important in what 0:04:30.839 --> 0:04:35.120 Brian Flores is running. So how can you explain to 0:04:35.279 --> 0:04:37.559 those who maybe don't know the ins and outs of 0:04:37.760 --> 0:04:39.919 what you guys are doing how critical it is to 0:04:39.960 --> 0:04:43.520 have players like that who can be flexible in their positions. 0:04:43.680 --> 0:04:45.719 I mean, you can't do it without not just one 0:04:45.720 --> 0:04:48.520 guy like that, but a handful or more. And you 0:04:48.600 --> 0:04:51.160 got to have depth because just the reality of the 0:04:51.240 --> 0:04:53.280 NFL season, guys are going to miss some games here 0:04:53.279 --> 0:04:56.479 and there, and that's that's like the physical requirements, but 0:04:56.520 --> 0:04:59.640 then there's mental requirements too, as far as being able 0:04:59.680 --> 0:05:04.880 to like be flexible and recognize things and play at. 0:05:04.800 --> 0:05:05.960 A high IQ level. 0:05:06.360 --> 0:05:08.920 You know, when you watch it unfold, it doesn't always 0:05:08.920 --> 0:05:11.640 look that complicated, but to get to that point is 0:05:11.680 --> 0:05:14.000 normally a few steps, and to be able to do 0:05:14.040 --> 0:05:17.880 it collectively is another thing. So we're always practicing and 0:05:17.920 --> 0:05:20.599 trying to get it right, and luckily we have a 0:05:20.640 --> 0:05:23.360 coaching staff that trusts us and players that can get 0:05:23.360 --> 0:05:23.720 it done. 0:05:23.839 --> 0:05:26.640 So before week six, this defense ranked first and hurries 0:05:26.760 --> 0:05:29.680 knockdowns and pressures second in sacks. However, you guys are 0:05:29.680 --> 0:05:32.240 blitzing at a little rate than you were last season 0:05:32.440 --> 0:05:33.200 under Flores. 0:05:33.240 --> 0:05:36.200 How are you able to blitz a little bit less 0:05:36.240 --> 0:05:37.039 but still get. 0:05:36.960 --> 0:05:39.640 Enough pressure on the quarterback to affect them more this year? 0:05:39.880 --> 0:05:40.080 Yeah? 0:05:40.080 --> 0:05:42.360 I think that's it's, you know, credit to the guys 0:05:42.440 --> 0:05:44.680 up front, different ways that we're doing. It's not always 0:05:44.720 --> 0:05:47.640 just sending more than they can block. And then obviously 0:05:47.720 --> 0:05:51.480 being in the right calls that stresses what offenses are doing. 0:05:52.240 --> 0:05:56.040 You know, that starts with Flow and Deronte and Swerve 0:05:56.160 --> 0:05:58.840 and the coaching staff and we just try to try 0:05:58.839 --> 0:06:01.440 to execute there their plan. You know, we're just the 0:06:01.480 --> 0:06:03.920 pieces on the board and every now and then we can, 0:06:03.960 --> 0:06:05.760 you know, kind of go outside of our of our 0:06:05.839 --> 0:06:09.960 movement pattern. But if we execute the plan collectively, it's 0:06:10.000 --> 0:06:11.320 normally going to give us a good shot. 0:06:11.440 --> 0:06:13.520 Yeah, I have the analogy written in my notes that 0:06:13.560 --> 0:06:16.080 it just feels like Brian Flores is playing chess out 0:06:16.120 --> 0:06:18.320 there and everybody else is playing checkers. 0:06:18.320 --> 0:06:19.599 I mean, you've made a bunch of. 0:06:19.640 --> 0:06:23.120 Quarterbacks look like rookies out there, or at least as 0:06:23.200 --> 0:06:24.760 much as you can. For a second and third, your 0:06:24.760 --> 0:06:27.599 players look looking to be back to their rookie seasons. 0:06:28.240 --> 0:06:31.640 As you're watching the defense affect the way that their 0:06:31.680 --> 0:06:35.000 game is going. How does that feed you guys as 0:06:35.040 --> 0:06:37.280 a unit? You know, because you're seeing them go through 0:06:37.320 --> 0:06:38.760 their mind, They're like, I can't. 0:06:38.520 --> 0:06:39.160 Figure this out. 0:06:39.240 --> 0:06:41.719 Then you see a guy like Aaron Rodgers and he 0:06:41.800 --> 0:06:43.960 has the same problems. 0:06:44.240 --> 0:06:46.800 We definitely take into account who the quarterback is an 0:06:46.800 --> 0:06:49.560 experience level, and what they're going to recognize and what 0:06:49.600 --> 0:06:51.599 we can maybe make harder on them. It's really just 0:06:51.640 --> 0:06:53.640 about trying to make it harder on them. They're going 0:06:53.680 --> 0:06:55.920 to make their plays here and there, but if we 0:06:56.000 --> 0:06:58.800 can if we can add anything to their thought process 0:06:58.800 --> 0:07:01.720 pre snap, post snap, and just make it a little 0:07:02.040 --> 0:07:05.320 a little harder to tell exactly what's going on. That's, uh, 0:07:05.560 --> 0:07:06.560 that's what we're looking to do. 0:07:06.720 --> 0:07:09.159 How do you do that to Jared Goff on Sunday? 0:07:09.320 --> 0:07:12.440 Same plan as far as you know the ideas of 0:07:12.480 --> 0:07:15.280 what we're trying to get done. He's obviously a veteran 0:07:15.320 --> 0:07:17.640 guy with a lot of success, a very good, very 0:07:17.640 --> 0:07:20.760 good player, can make a lot of big throws, and 0:07:20.840 --> 0:07:23.280 has a lot of a lot of good players, a 0:07:23.280 --> 0:07:26.880 lot of offensive skilled players, good o line, good running backs, 0:07:27.720 --> 0:07:29.520 so they they do a really good job over there, 0:07:29.560 --> 0:07:31.760 and and and Goff is a huge piece of that. 0:07:31.920 --> 0:07:33.880 So just trying to make it hard on him like 0:07:33.920 --> 0:07:34.680 we do on everybody. 0:07:34.880 --> 0:07:37.880 Yeah, And Brian was really funny this week saying that 0:07:38.000 --> 0:07:40.400 he likes to fight fire with fire when asked about 0:07:40.760 --> 0:07:44.800 the Lion's aggressive play, calling, in your eyes, what's fire 0:07:44.840 --> 0:07:45.520 going to look like? 0:07:45.760 --> 0:07:47.600 I mean, it's not it's not far off from what 0:07:47.600 --> 0:07:48.520 you've seen before. 0:07:49.360 --> 0:07:51.000 But they it doesn't seem like they can figure it 0:07:51.000 --> 0:07:51.480 out though. 0:07:51.760 --> 0:07:51.960 Well. 0:07:52.000 --> 0:07:54.760 I mean, you know, normally in the NFL, there's enough 0:07:54.800 --> 0:07:57.440 good coaches and players out there that people are going 0:07:57.480 --> 0:07:59.320 to figure some stuff out. And you got to adjust 0:07:59.440 --> 0:08:04.400 and Ben Johnson their offensive coordinator. He's fantastic and he's 0:08:04.640 --> 0:08:06.520 you know, kind of like you mentioned fire with fire 0:08:06.600 --> 0:08:09.720 like it's similar they do. They do some things that 0:08:10.680 --> 0:08:14.320 are aggressive and can be tricky for defenses, so it 0:08:14.320 --> 0:08:15.280 should be a good matchup. 0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:19.520 Recently, you were in tell Us with Mattelus with Josh 0:08:19.560 --> 0:08:21.880 and we notice that you're not really a phone guy. 0:08:21.960 --> 0:08:24.680 You got the blank background screen. It's just for communication. 0:08:25.200 --> 0:08:27.480 So just to let you know. On social media right now, 0:08:27.480 --> 0:08:30.560 everyone's talking about, you know, the Vikings and they're one 0:08:30.560 --> 0:08:34.360 of two undefeated teams left in the league. There's other 0:08:34.400 --> 0:08:35.959 guys on the team that are looking at their phone, 0:08:36.040 --> 0:08:38.160 especially the younger guys. How do you make sure that 0:08:38.200 --> 0:08:40.559 they don't buy into all these narratives that they're seeing. 0:08:40.760 --> 0:08:43.280 As a leader and a veteran on this team, it's 0:08:43.360 --> 0:08:44.040 human nature. 0:08:44.360 --> 0:08:47.480 You'll hear good things about you and react a certain way, 0:08:48.600 --> 0:08:51.360 or negative things about you and get caught up in that, 0:08:52.800 --> 0:08:55.160 and everyone operates a little differently. Like some guys can 0:08:55.200 --> 0:08:57.600 handle seeing it, some guys should probably just stay away 0:08:57.600 --> 0:09:00.200 from it. So just kind of figuring out how you 0:09:00.240 --> 0:09:02.440 operate and keeping your eye on like the things that 0:09:02.520 --> 0:09:05.440 really matter, and those things are typically the things in 0:09:05.480 --> 0:09:08.080 the building, you know, your family at home. But there's 0:09:08.120 --> 0:09:12.480 no reason to be affected by it at this point. 0:09:12.600 --> 0:09:14.160 You know, we kind of knew who we were before 0:09:14.160 --> 0:09:17.079 the season started. Most people didn't. Some people are coming 0:09:17.120 --> 0:09:21.559 around to it, and it doesn't really change anything for us. 0:09:21.679 --> 0:09:24.120 Speaking of family at home, you've got two little ones 0:09:24.160 --> 0:09:25.120 on a the age of three. 0:09:25.400 --> 0:09:28.240 If I'm not mistaken, you were. 0:09:28.400 --> 0:09:30.320 What I've noticed though, that one of you and your 0:09:30.320 --> 0:09:32.959 wife's favorite months is October. It feels like you've got 0:09:32.960 --> 0:09:36.840 some pretty epic Halloween costumes over the years. Has it 0:09:36.880 --> 0:09:39.080 been fun to include the kids? Like, are you guys 0:09:39.240 --> 0:09:41.440 family brainstorming on what to do each year? 0:09:41.800 --> 0:09:42.000 Yeah? 0:09:42.120 --> 0:09:44.360 Now it's it's become you know, my wife kind of 0:09:44.480 --> 0:09:47.160 kind of runs the show with the costumes, but now 0:09:47.200 --> 0:09:50.239 like the focal point is the kids, and then we 0:09:50.240 --> 0:09:51.880 we kind of fill in where we need to. So 0:09:51.880 --> 0:09:53.439 we've got a few different ideas. 0:09:53.600 --> 0:09:54.079 I like that. 0:09:54.160 --> 0:09:56.360 So, I mean the holidays, I think having children probably 0:09:56.440 --> 0:09:59.120 changes that a little bit. What's been the best part about, 0:09:59.480 --> 0:10:02.880 you know, seeing them experience Halloween or Christmas time? 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:05.320 Well, this is kind of the first year that our 0:10:05.400 --> 0:10:07.240 daughter will like really get into it. 0:10:07.280 --> 0:10:08.360 She's just getting old enough. 0:10:08.400 --> 0:10:11.320 She was just kind of a prop last year, and 0:10:11.440 --> 0:10:14.400 our son will be still kind of a prop. But 0:10:14.520 --> 0:10:17.000 it's fun to it's it's definitely fun to see our 0:10:17.120 --> 0:10:19.959 daughter get into it. She likes she likes us stuff too. 0:10:20.000 --> 0:10:22.800 She's like her mom, so we'll definitely have fun. 0:10:22.920 --> 0:10:24.520 She cracked me up the other day when I was 0:10:24.600 --> 0:10:26.560 on the field she before one of the games. 0:10:26.640 --> 0:10:29.319 She was just flat out laying on the turf and the. 0:10:29.280 --> 0:10:33.600 Grass, like totally comfortable being there and being herself. 0:10:33.640 --> 0:10:34.960 Which is so awesome to see. 0:10:35.559 --> 0:10:37.520 What's it like as a father to be able to 0:10:37.559 --> 0:10:41.080 give these unique experiences to your children, who are, you know, 0:10:41.120 --> 0:10:43.600 growing up around such a different world. 0:10:43.840 --> 0:10:44.240 Yeah, it was. 0:10:44.240 --> 0:10:47.960 Something I didn't think about for the majority of my career, 0:10:48.480 --> 0:10:51.199 but seeing my teammates who had kids kind of old 0:10:51.280 --> 0:10:54.920 enough to enjoy the experience of the NFL and the 0:10:54.960 --> 0:10:58.280 team and everything. So now that now that I get 0:10:58.320 --> 0:11:00.880 to do it with my kids, it's I realize how 0:11:00.920 --> 0:11:04.000 special that is. And hopefully they'll remember some of it. 0:11:04.240 --> 0:11:05.959 Yeah, I think you might be playing a little bit 0:11:05.960 --> 0:11:08.400 longer they'll be able to remember. I'm sure they will 0:11:08.440 --> 0:11:12.200 be in attendance on Sunday, the noon kick against the Lions. 0:11:12.880 --> 0:11:16.360 The crowd there is always something that is really special. 0:11:16.440 --> 0:11:19.880 It's been almost a month since we've had a home game, 0:11:20.280 --> 0:11:23.240 and last time we were there it was the Texans 0:11:23.240 --> 0:11:25.800 game and it really affected what the Texans were able 0:11:25.840 --> 0:11:29.080 to do on offense. How much does that crowd noise 0:11:29.160 --> 0:11:33.480 actually play into what you guys are able to do defensively? 0:11:33.679 --> 0:11:34.520 Yeah, it's a big deal. 0:11:34.960 --> 0:11:38.439 It's a legitimate home field advantage, which I don't think 0:11:38.640 --> 0:11:41.600 is the case everywhere in the NFL, but it's a. 0:11:41.520 --> 0:11:42.440 Big advantage for us. 0:11:42.480 --> 0:11:44.960 It also you normally don't think about it from a 0:11:44.960 --> 0:11:47.720 defensive standpoint, but it kind of makes it harder for 0:11:47.800 --> 0:11:50.680 us too. But we're okay with that, like we've done 0:11:50.679 --> 0:11:52.560 it enough. We'll figure it out. And then the road 0:11:52.600 --> 0:11:54.959 games on the flip side are like completely silent when 0:11:54.960 --> 0:11:56.600 we're out there, so it does. 0:11:56.720 --> 0:11:58.359 It's normally not how fans. 0:11:58.120 --> 0:12:00.920 Think of it from a home field away a standpoint, 0:12:00.920 --> 0:12:02.960 but we preferred as loud as possible. 0:12:03.040 --> 0:12:04.920 I love it. Well, thank you so much for joining us. 0:12:04.960 --> 0:12:05.920 We appreciate your time. 0:12:06.000 --> 0:12:09.160 Best of luck this season, and uh let's go six 0:12:09.200 --> 0:12:10.680 and oh right, that's the point. 0:12:10.960 --> 0:12:11.280 Thank you. 0:12:11.600 --> 0:12:14.480 Another big thank you to Harrison Smith for joining the 0:12:14.520 --> 0:12:18.040 first half of the Minnesota Vikings Podcast. We still have 0:12:18.080 --> 0:12:20.720 another half to go and we will be joined by 0:12:20.800 --> 0:12:24.320 Fox Sports's Emmanuel Acho with his take on why the 0:12:24.360 --> 0:12:26.440 Vikings are one of the best teams in the league. 0:12:28.080 --> 0:12:31.000 Say hello to Fallasy Smooth Skin at Pure Lux Medspa, 0:12:31.120 --> 0:12:35.000 the preferred medspov the Minnesota Vikings cheerleaders, specializing in elite 0:12:35.080 --> 0:12:39.720 laser hair removal, body contouring, botox cosmetic filter, and age 0:12:39.720 --> 0:12:42.640 defying skincare treatments such as Diamond Glow and skin Pen 0:12:42.960 --> 0:12:47.000 for collagen induction therapy. Visit mypure luck dot com backslash 0:12:47.080 --> 0:12:56.360 Vikings for exclusive offers to Vikings fans. Blon Montage is 0:12:56.400 --> 0:12:59.439 the Twin Cities premier salon and spa destination and proud 0:12:59.480 --> 0:13:03.240 official hair sponsor of the Minnesota Vikings cheerleaders, with three 0:13:03.280 --> 0:13:06.320 convenient locations in Dinah, Woodberry, and Chanhassen. 0:13:06.600 --> 0:13:09.240 There is a spaalan close to you. Visit online at 0:13:09.280 --> 0:13:10.360 Spallan dot com. 0:13:10.679 --> 0:13:14.320 Unveil is back with their limited edition Vikings drop head 0:13:14.360 --> 0:13:18.719 to unurl dot com for more details. Welcome back into 0:13:18.760 --> 0:13:21.559 the Minnesota Vikings Podcast. My name is Tatum Everett and 0:13:21.559 --> 0:13:24.880 there's a big old game looming. On Sunday, the undefeated 0:13:25.000 --> 0:13:28.520 Minnesota Vikings take on the four and one Lions at 0:13:28.679 --> 0:13:32.320 US Bank Stadium. To help us preview this matchup, I 0:13:32.360 --> 0:13:35.959 had a chance to catch up with Fox Sports's Emmanuel Acho, 0:13:36.320 --> 0:13:39.200 and while he had some great insight on what's to 0:13:39.280 --> 0:13:42.559 come in that game, I also asked him why he 0:13:42.640 --> 0:13:46.560 believed in this Minnesota Vikings team early on. We're very 0:13:46.600 --> 0:13:50.280 excited to be joined by Fox Sports's Emmanuel Acho right now, 0:13:50.320 --> 0:13:53.760 the former college linebacker, former NFL linebacker now on the 0:13:53.840 --> 0:13:58.400 facility on FS one mornings at nine am our Central 0:13:58.520 --> 0:14:00.880 time zone. Manuel, thank you so much for being here. 0:14:00.920 --> 0:14:02.520 It looks like you guys are having so much fun. 0:14:02.920 --> 0:14:06.800 Lashawn McCoy, James Jones, Chase Daniel. It's a great combo 0:14:06.840 --> 0:14:08.120 you've got going on, man. 0:14:08.000 --> 0:14:10.800 We appreciate it. It's a television experience. 0:14:10.840 --> 0:14:12.880 I try to tell people, not just the TV show, 0:14:12.960 --> 0:14:16.480 but it's the only show on daily television that's all athletes, 0:14:16.520 --> 0:14:19.280 and so we really want fans, We want viewers to 0:14:19.400 --> 0:14:22.880 experience TV differently. We don't just want to debate, we 0:14:22.920 --> 0:14:26.360 want to discuss. We think that debating has been played out. 0:14:26.440 --> 0:14:29.520 I think the fans are educated enough to understand the game. 0:14:29.960 --> 0:14:32.600 And so when you got all athletes thirty nine years 0:14:32.600 --> 0:14:35.600 of NFL experience, four Super Bowls sitting at one desk, 0:14:35.800 --> 0:14:36.760 there's nothing like it. 0:14:36.880 --> 0:14:37.080 Yeah. 0:14:37.160 --> 0:14:39.840 No, I love that discussion versus debate that we could 0:14:39.880 --> 0:14:42.000 have a whole other side conversation about that. 0:14:42.360 --> 0:14:44.280 But we're here to talk about the Minnesota Vikings. 0:14:44.280 --> 0:14:48.840 And in your Monday morning pressers, you've alerted fans NFL 0:14:48.920 --> 0:14:51.520 fans for weeks now that you got to believe in 0:14:51.560 --> 0:14:54.360 this Vikings team. Why did you feel so passionately about 0:14:54.400 --> 0:14:56.000 that from the jump? 0:14:56.040 --> 0:14:58.920 Really, I believe the Vikings have a top three coaching 0:14:58.960 --> 0:15:01.800 staff in football. I spent a few days with Kevin 0:15:01.840 --> 0:15:04.720 O'Connell last year at Mark Sanchez, a close friend of 0:15:04.720 --> 0:15:07.760 mine's wedding. We were in Mexico. I got some time 0:15:07.800 --> 0:15:09.760 to just pick his brain. But even more than picking 0:15:09.800 --> 0:15:12.440 Koc's brain, I got some time to get to know 0:15:12.520 --> 0:15:14.280 him the man, him, the human. 0:15:14.240 --> 0:15:15.480 Incredible leader of men. 0:15:15.560 --> 0:15:19.040 He can get along with and galvanize any group. So 0:15:19.200 --> 0:15:21.480 realizing that he is the leader at the Helm. But 0:15:21.520 --> 0:15:24.960 then obviously Brian floor As being a defensive wizard outside 0:15:25.000 --> 0:15:28.000 of Andy Reid and Steve Spagnola, I don't think there 0:15:28.080 --> 0:15:32.720 is a greater offensive defensive mind currently combination in the 0:15:32.760 --> 0:15:35.520 game of football. So when you look at those minds 0:15:35.600 --> 0:15:38.280 and then you look at what they're putting on tape, 0:15:38.520 --> 0:15:42.080 it's breathtaking. You got two savants out there, two wizards 0:15:42.240 --> 0:15:44.760 out there calling the game. But because of the trust 0:15:44.800 --> 0:15:48.600 the players have in the coaching scheme, it's just brilliant. 0:15:48.640 --> 0:15:50.840 And so for that reason, I'm really all in on 0:15:50.880 --> 0:15:53.640 the Vikings this year. As long as Sam Donald continues 0:15:53.680 --> 0:15:54.080 to play at. 0:15:54.040 --> 0:15:54.600 A high level. 0:15:54.720 --> 0:15:58.800 Well, you mentioned Sam Donald and your conversations with Kevin O'Connell. 0:15:59.200 --> 0:16:02.080 What do you think he's been able to elevate in 0:16:02.160 --> 0:16:04.200 Sam's game? Or really, I mean, I'm sure he's had 0:16:04.240 --> 0:16:05.920 it all along, but what has he made it work? 0:16:05.960 --> 0:16:08.960 For Sam to be so confident this early on in 0:16:09.040 --> 0:16:10.600 this system. 0:16:10.360 --> 0:16:14.720 The first and foremost he's believed in an individual. Oftentimes 0:16:14.760 --> 0:16:17.840 you just need somebody to believe in you. Sam Donald 0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:19.920 has always been talented, and I was a college analyst 0:16:20.000 --> 0:16:21.880 before an NFL analyst at USC. 0:16:21.920 --> 0:16:23.720 Sam Donald was incredibly talented. 0:16:23.920 --> 0:16:26.320 But when you don't have offensive coaches around you, and 0:16:26.360 --> 0:16:28.040 you don't have that belief in you will never be 0:16:28.040 --> 0:16:30.240 able to see your talent. So the first thing is 0:16:30.280 --> 0:16:35.120 he believed in Sam Donald, which is an unherlded coaching trait. 0:16:35.320 --> 0:16:37.880 We only talk about exes and o's, forget x's and o's. 0:16:37.920 --> 0:16:41.240 Do I believe in you as a player, because if 0:16:41.240 --> 0:16:43.160 I believe in you, you'll begin to believe in you. 0:16:43.680 --> 0:16:45.440 That's the first thing. The second thing we have to 0:16:45.480 --> 0:16:49.440 remember success begets success and failure begets failure. The more 0:16:49.480 --> 0:16:51.760 you succeed as a player, the more you'll continue to 0:16:51.800 --> 0:16:54.200 succeed as a player. So I think Sam Donald has 0:16:54.240 --> 0:16:58.680 tasted success, He's tasted winning, and now you kind of start. 0:16:58.440 --> 0:17:00.400 Liking that tastes of success. 0:17:00.440 --> 0:17:03.480 And beyond that, I think schematically, Kevin O'Connell does a 0:17:03.480 --> 0:17:05.560 really good job with pre snap motions, does a really 0:17:05.600 --> 0:17:07.119 good job with pre snap shifts. 0:17:07.160 --> 0:17:08.800 He does a really good job telling. 0:17:08.520 --> 0:17:11.480 Sam Donald where to throw the football formationally, so he 0:17:11.480 --> 0:17:12.879 doesn't have to tell him in the headset. 0:17:12.960 --> 0:17:16.399 Well, it's also very helpful for Sam Donald to have such. 0:17:16.240 --> 0:17:20.000 An amazing defense on the other side of the ball. 0:17:20.040 --> 0:17:23.080 And you've mentioned Brian Flores and his wizardry so far, 0:17:23.359 --> 0:17:25.560 I think it was this week that you recently said 0:17:25.560 --> 0:17:29.480 the Vikings defense could be a generational defense at taking. 0:17:29.200 --> 0:17:30.119 The ball away. 0:17:30.560 --> 0:17:33.600 Why do you think this group is executing that at 0:17:33.680 --> 0:17:34.679