5 Vikings players to watch vs. the Broncos in Week 11

Irv Smith Jr. – TE

For the last couple of weeks, Irv Smith Jr.‘s role with the Vikings offense has grown. He has 12 receptions over his last three games and he has become Kirk Cousins‘s main option when he looks to dump off a short pass.

Smith has shown reliable hands and is extremely quick. He tends to always catch the ball in traffic and hasn’t really had a chance to get one-on-one coverage or get down the seam for a big gainer.

If Smith does have a fairly decent gain, it always seems to get called back due to a penalty. It just feels like Irv is ready to explode for a huge game and maybe it’ll be this week against the Broncos.

Denver does have an excellent defense and it is quite possible that Cousins will be under constant duress this Sunday. If that’s the case, he’ll be looking for a lot of quick hitters to Dalvin Cook and his tight ends.

The opportunities could be there this week for Smith to finally have that huge game that he seems to be on the cusp of. With his overall athletic ability and speed, all he has to do is shake a few tackles and he’ll be loose for a big gain. Smith has already had an impressive rookie season, but it’s likely the best is still to come, and it could start this Sunday against the Broncos.