Minnesota Vikings

In the eyes of oddsmakers, the Miami Dolphins boosted their Super Bowl hopes the most ahead of the NFL trade deadline.

Miami is now +3000 at DraftKings Sportsbook to win Super Bowl LVII, up from +3500. That bump came after the Dolphins agreed to acquire the Denver Broncos' Bradley Chubb and San Francisco 49ers' Jeff Wilson.

They aren't the prohibitive favorites with the pair of deals, but they clearly addressed areas of need.

In the case of the Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings, the deadline was about further solidifying their contender status.

The Ravens moved for the best off-ball linebacker on the market, Roquan Smith. The Vikings gave Kirk Cousins another aerial target by trading for Detroit Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson.

Minnesota and Baltimore are both at +1800, tied for the sixth-best odds in the field. The Ravens actually saw their odds decline slightly from +1600, so the addition of Smith may not be winning over the skeptics.

The Bears lost Smith but found Justin Fields a wide receiver by acquiring Chase Claypool from the Pittsburgh Steelers. It could be huge for Fields' long-term development but will have marginal short-term returns.

At +50000, Chicago is tied for the third-worst Super Bowl odds at DraftKings Sportsbook.

For all the latest betting information and reaction, check out B/R Betting.

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The Detroit Lions traded tight end T.J. Hockenson to the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday, a surprising in-division trade.

So for fantasy players, the obvious question is whether Hockenson's fantasy value will see a boost in Minnesota?

For starters, there won't be any questions about Hockenson's fit next to Irv Smith Jr., as he is set to be sidelined for potentially the remainder of the regular season.

But looking at Smith's fit in Minnesota's offense could offer more insight into the type of role Hockenson will play.

Smith is currently third on the Vikings in targets, at 33, well behind Justin Jefferson (71) and Adam Thielen (50) and narrowly edging out K.J. Osborn (31). Smith turned those looks into 22 receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns for a solid if unspectacular 7.3 points per game in PPR formats.

Hockenson is the better player, turning 43 targets into 26 catches for 395 yards and three scores for an average of 12.2 points per week. The Lions, however, often find themselves chasing big deficits and are throwing the ball around late in games. There are plenty of garbage-time points up for grabs, in other words.

The Vikings, on the other hand, are 6-1. Hockenson finds himself on a better overall offense, with an upgrade at quarterback, and the hope will be that his red-zone targets increase. Those garbage-time points may go away, however.

Still, Hockenson is a talented player on a dangerous offense. It's fair to question whether he'll see a serious uptick in his production, but he's a no-brainer TE1 regardless. Start him without concern. Just don't be shocked if his Minnesota numbers look fairly similar to his Detroit numbers.

Cincinnati Bengals offensive analyst Adam Zimmer, the son of former Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, died Monday at the age of 38.

His sister, Corri Zimmer White, announced the news in an Instagram post Tuesday.

No further information about his death was immediately released.

Bengals president Mike Brown expressed condolences in a statement Tuesday:

Zimmer played college football at Trinity University from 2002 through 2005 before he began his coaching career as an assistant linebackers coach with the New Orleans Saints in 2006, winning a Super Bowl title with the franchise at the end of the 2009 season.

The Utah native also spent time with the Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs before joining his father's staff as the Vikings' linebackers coach in 2014. He was promoted to co-defensive coordinator alongside Andre Patterson in 2020.

Minnesota revamped its entire coaching staff last offseason after firing Mike Zimmer following an 8-9 season, which marked a second straight year out of the playoffs.

Adam Zimmer rejoined the Bengals' coaching group in July, taking on an offensive role for the first time in his career.

Cincinnati's next game is scheduled for Sunday at home against the Carolina Panthers.

The Minnesota Vikings' 34-26 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday was especially meaningful for veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson, who spent the first 10 years of his career in Arizona before signing with Minnesota in 2021.

After the victory, Peterson revealed that the end of his tenure with the Cardinals still doesn't sit well with him. According to ESPN's Kevin Seifert, Peterson said he "routinely found disparaging emails from fans printed out and left on his chair during his final seasons in the Cardinals locker room."

He added that the emails were addressed to team ownership and contained "messages that ranged from his age to his tackling ability to threats to cancel season tickets as long as he remained on the roster."

Per Seifert, Peterson called it "mind-boggling" that someone within the Cardinals organization would want him to see those messages. He added that he remembered wondering, "What did I do to deserve this from a fan?"

Peterson had a strong performance in Sunday's win, finishing with four tackles and three pass breakups. There was a moment during the game when he mocked Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray with a celebration dance referencing the quarterback's affinity for "Call of Duty."

The 32-year-old explained that he still feels disrespected by how his time ended with the franchise.

"I'm still waiting on [general manager] Steve Keim to call me," Peterson said. "Still haven't talked to him."

After registering just four pass breakups in the first five games of the season, Peterson is back to playing at the level he's known for, with six pass breakups over his last two outings. The eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro said he hopes to prove that he can still be a shutdown cornerback.

"All I heard the last two years is that 'He's washed up, he's done,'" Peterson said. "I know we've still got a second half of the season to go, but I'm just getting started. Like, I'm in my zone right now. I'm in a groove. I've been here before, I know how to keep it."

He continued, "And I want to continue being challenged and continue helping this team win ballgames. Because I promise you this, if I get challenged, I will show up on the stat sheet. And that's why I've been missing out on Pro Bowls and All-Pros. I'm here. Twelve years in, and I'm still standing strong."

The Vikings (6-1) will be going for their sixth straight win when they travel to face the Washington Commanders (4-4) next Sunday.

Fantasy managers are going to keep a close eye on Alexander Mattison after Dalvin Cook's injury Sunday.

The Minnesota Vikings announced their Pro Bowl running back would miss the rest of the game against the Detroit Lions with a shoulder injury. After the game, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters Cook is day-to-day and that the running back expects to be in the lineup for a Week 4 matchup with the New Orleans Saints.

Cook was excellent before the injury with 96 rushing yards and one touchdown on 17 carries.

The six-year veteran is one of the most reliable and productive running backs in the real world and fantasy. He has averaged 1,652 yards from scrimmage and 12 total touchdowns per season since the start of 2019.

Fantasy managers are well aware of that consistent level of production. Cook had an average draft position of 6.0 coming into this season, per FantasyPros.

Durability has been a bit of an issue for Cook throughout his career. The 27-year-old has missed at least two games in each of his first five seasons.

Depth at running back is always important for fantasy managers, but especially with a player who has a long injury history.

Mattison is a quality option to target if you are in need of a potential replacement. He has been a consistent part of Minnesota's offense since being selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft.

Mattison had seven carries for 28 yards and a touchdown, along with one catch for 16 yards in the win.

Depending on your fantasy league, Mattison might be readily available on the waiver wire. He's rostered in 53 percent of Yahoo leagues but only 38 percent of ESPN leagues, per FantasyPros.

A big part of Mattison's value last season came from how much of a factor he was in the passing game. The Boise State alum had more targets (39) and receptions (32) in 2021 than in the previous two years combined (23 receptions on 27 targets).

Of course, Mattison has also proved himself to be a productive runner when he gets the opportunity to be the No. 1 guy for the Vikings. In three starts last season, he averaged 105 rushing yards and 24.3 carries per game.

Given how often Kirk Cousins tends to throw to his checkdown options, Mattison should have no problem being a big factor in Minnesota's passing game with Cook out of the lineup.

When Mattison is getting starter snaps, he has the upside of a No. 1 fantasy running back each week. He proved that last season in a three-game sample when Cook was unavailable.

Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook suffered a shoulder injury in the second half of Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions and did not return.

Cook appeared to suffer the injury when he ran into Ezra Cleveland and fumbled before a number of Lions players tackled him in pursuit of the loose football. He had 17 carries for 97 yards and one touchdown before exiting.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported Cook's "shoulder dislocated again today, as it has in the past and he'll be OK."

After the game, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters Cook is "day-to-day" and that the running back told him he would "be out there next week."

Cook appeared in just 13 games during the 2021 season after spending time on the COVID-19 list, dislocating his left shoulder and tearing his labrum.

The 27-year-old still had a solid season despite the injuries. He rushed for 1,159 yards and six touchdowns. It was his third straight season with at least 1,000 yards on the ground.

If Cook is unable to play next week, Alexander Mattison would take over in the backfield. He rushed for 491 yards and three scores in 16 games last season, in addition to catching 32 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown.

Kene Nwangwu also sees more playing time in Cook's absence.

Minnesota's passing attack typically has more of an impact when Cook is sidelined. Adam Thielen, Irv Smith Jr. and K.J. Osborn are more involved, in addition to Justin Jefferson, who has been the team's best receiver.

In the biggest moments, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins comes up small. He's an anchor when the franchise is searching for its Aquaman.

The 34-year-old signal-caller personifies mediocrity in a world where elite quarterback play is more essential than ever to compete at the highest level. The game is built around superheroes posing as professional athletes. Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson bring Superman-like qualities to the position.

Cousins doesn't even have outstanding natural arm talent to make up for his lack of athleticism or the precision to continually beat defenses with accurate throws based on pre- and post-snap reads. He lacks a single elite trait.

Yet the Vikings organization defiantly pays him massive guaranteed contracts to keep him as its offensive leader. It's an inexplicable approach that keeps the entire organization trapped in the Phantom Zone—i.e. an inescapable prison built of its own making.

The juxtaposition of the team's performances through the first two weeks of play perfectly encapsulates where the quarterback and his squad sit among the NFL's hierarchy.

During Monday's 24-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Cousins threw three interceptions and averaged under 5.0 yards per attempt. All three turnovers came in the second half and were backbreakers.

To be fair, the first interception was forgivable. Justin Jefferson didn't work across Darius Slay's face, and the cornerback undercut the pass at the 1-yard line. Also, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave hit the quarterback as he attempted his throw, which took something off the pass.

The next two were far more problematic.

Cousins looked toward Adam Thielen to convert a 3rd-and-7 situation. The veteran signal-caller didn't recognize the underneath dropper. Instead, Avonte Maddox backpedaled and made a tremendous overhead grab for the turnover.

After Jalen Hurts threw an interception, the Vikings had a chance to cut the lead midway through the fourth quarter. Instead, Cousins saw an unblocked edge defender, faded backward and to his left, and threw a lollipop into the end zone for Slay to snag.

One can argue that Cousins was pressing during a contest Minnesota never led. The Vikings trailed by at least two touchdowns from the first-half two-minute warning throughout the third and fourth frames.

“I thought Kirk battled tonight," head coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters. "Put him in some tough spots. I put this one 100 percent on me."

Maybe Cousins felt he needed to make some plays. Therein lies the problem. He doesn't have the skill set to consistently make off-platform plays or create outside of structure.

As The Athletic's Arif Hasan previously noted, Cousins' EPA (expected points per attempt) when trailing with 10 or less minutes remaining and in 3rd-and-long situations over the previous seven years ranked 30th and 25th, respectively. He's not the guy in high-leverage situations that many of his contemporaries are.

Cousins' real strength is orchestrating the offense as it's constructed. When he's in rhythm and comfortable, he can be highly effective. Eight days earlier, the Vikings looked like a completely different offense.

Minnesota defeated the rival Green Bay Packers by 16 points. During the contest, Cousins completed 71.9 percent of his passes for 277 yards and two scores. But the Packers did something unexpected and made life easy for their opponents. They didn't regularly match up Jaire Alexander with Jefferson, and the receiver had a field day. Jefferson caught nine passes for 184 yards against Green Bay's heavy zone looks.

Cousins told reporters afterward:

"I would be a little surprised, yep. Whenever he has a game at that magnitude, not because of him, but you expect him to get taken away a little bit, and he will at times. Our coaches are trying to find ways to still keep him involved, and we were able to do that today. So it's going to be kind of a conversation we had a lot last season, and we’ll have this season each week of how does he get defended."

Jefferson is ascending toward superstar status. But he needs to excel against top cover corners. Slay caught more interceptions in direct coverage of Jefferson than the corner allowed receptions, per NFL Next Gen Stats.

"He's one of the best in the world," Slay told ESPN's Lisa Salters (h/t Kimberley Martin), "but I'm one of the best in the world too."

Obviously, not everything falls on Cousins. Jefferson can play better. Multiple drops occurred throughout the contest, particularly a heartbreaking bobble by tight end Irv Smith Jr. that should have turned into a 63-yard touchdown.

The margin of error for Minnesota is too small. It can't make those mistakes. The Vikings' top performers must show up and show out every week, because they don't have a quarterback capable of elevating lesser players or overcoming adversity when everything isn't perfect around him.

“We need to play better and will play better," Cousins stated.

It's what a quarterback should say when addressing the media. But the team's issues with its current setup revolves around what Cousins can actually do.

More than enough talent resides on the roster for the Vikings to compete on a weekly basis. Jefferson will bounce back after being mostly shut down. The 32-year-old Thielen can still be a factor. Dalvin Cook won't be held to 17 rushing yards on a regular basis. The defense under coordinator Ed Donatell will learn from playing a mostly two-high-safety look Monday against a strong ground game while still making a major mental mistake to surrender a 53-yard touchdown bomb.

The Vikings remain in transition. New general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell wanted Cousins back to provide some stability. His signing was also rooted in fear of subpar quarterback play. The 11-year veteran provides a distinct baseline. The problem is his ceiling and floor overlap. As such, Minnesota remains in limbo thanks to average quarterback play.

Cousins is what he is, and it's not good enough. The franchise, meanwhile, will tread water until it finally goes in another direction at the game's most important position.

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has developed a reputation of struggling in prime-time games. His performance against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football did nothing to change that narrative.

Cousins once again withered under the bright lights as the Vikings suffered a 24-7 loss. The 34-year-old went 27-of-46 for 221 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. All three of his picks were thrown in the second half, with two of them coming on back-to-back possessions in the third quarter.

After Monday's abysmal performance, Cousins is 2-10 in Monday Night Football games and 8-18 in prime-time games in his 11-year career.

NFL Twitter did not hold back from unleashing its wrath on Cousins following another clunker with the entire football world tuning in:

Unfortunately for the Vikings, they have another prime-time matchup on the schedule against the New England Patriots on Thanksgiving night. While the Patriots are not world-beaters by any means, it's hard to pick against them with Cousins' continued struggles in marquee games.

Minnesota will be hoping for a better showing from its quarterback when it returns to action on Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

For Philadelphia Eagles fans, missing out on Justin Jefferson is one of the great "what ifs" in recent seasons. As for Jefferson, he's glad he ended up with the Minnesota Vikings.

"I'm definitely way more happy to be here than there," Jefferson told reporters Friday.

Both teams were targeting a receiver in the first round of the 2020 draft, but the Eagles instead took Jalen Reagor with the No. 21 overall pick. The Vikings took Jefferson at No. 22 after plenty of excitement in the draft room.

Jefferson has emerged as one of the game's best players since then, totaling 196 catches for 3,016 yards and 17 touchdowns in his first two seasons. He then exploded in Week 1 for a league-best 184 receiving yards with two touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers.

Reagor had just 64 catches across two years with the Eagles before being traded to Minnesota ahead of this season.

Though Jefferson likely would have excelled anywhere based on his talent, he has thrived since arriving in Minnesota. The numbers might not have been quite as impressive with Philadelphia, which finished last season dead last in pass attempts.

The Eagles will get a chance to see Jefferson up close for the first time in Monday's game against the Vikings.