Minnesota Vikings: 5 players who deserve more praise

Oct 4, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) and tackle Matt Kalil (75) pass protect for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) as Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller (58) rushes in the fourth quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Vikings 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

5. Matt Kalil

Nobody took more crap in 2014 than Matt Kalil. And frankly Kalil deserved it.

It wasn’t just Kalil’s play that was worthy of criticism, it was the way he conducted himself off the field.

Kalil’s on-field frustrations spilled over into confrontations with both the media and fans and frankly I thought he looked immature and unprofessional.

If ever a player needed to push the reset button it was Kalil.

This offseason, Kalil committed himself to getting better physically and mentally and it’s shown up so far in his play.

Is Matt Kalil a Pro Bowler at left tackle? No.

But Kalil has been noticeably more consistent as a pass blocker and at times he’s shown an aggressiveness that just wasn’t there in 2014 when he was struggling with his knees and his brain.

I won’t go so far as the say that Kalil has totally turned his fortunes around but he’s definitely doing better.

Kalil was a liability in 2014 but so far this year he’s been mostly an asset. That’s progress worthy of a little pat on the back.

Just don’t get a big head, Kalil.