Why the Vikings need to bench Xavier Rhodes immediately
By Chris Schad
The Minnesota Vikings top corner has fallen off over the past two seasons and after Monday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, it’s time to make a change.
As the Minnesota Vikings were marching toward a deep playoff run in 2017, one of the biggest pieces of their defense was cornerback Xavier Rhodes. As fans clung to the “Rhodes Closed” mantra, Rhodes shut down some of the top receivers in the game and his efforts were capped off with an All-Pro selection.
Just as Rhodes’ career looked to be taking off into superstardom, the 29-year-old’s career has taken a turn for the worse over the past two seasons.
Whereas teams were reluctant to throw his way, quarterbacks now know that an easy reception is coming when they throw in his direction and it has led to a staggering 86 percent completion rate through the first 12 games this year.
While the hope for a turnaround has always been there, things just haven’t gotten better and after a meltdown which basically resulted in 14 of Seahawks’s 17 points in the third quarter on Monday night, it’s come time for Minnesota to give it up and make a change.