Harrison Smith – S
Harrison Smith is one of the best safeties in the NFL and the Vikings defense took a huge hit when he was ejected from the game after he delivered a helmet-to-helmet hit. While the call to boot him from the contest was extremely questionable, there’s no doubt he should’ve been flagged for the hit.
Smith has to be aware of that situation and has to play smarter. He can’t come in helmet-first and smack an opponent’s receiver right on the head. He’s been playing this game for nearly 10 years and that is a mistake that he knows not to make.
While it was a bang-bang type of play, Smith has to be aware that officials are looking closely for these types of hits, and he’s better off aiming much lower on the receiver.
Smith also has to be aware of how much he means to the Vikings defense. He’s an elite player who can do so much in pass coverage and he can also come up and support the run. Not only is he elite but Minnesota has nothing behind him. He can’t take these kinds of risks that could put his ability to stay in the game in jeopardy.
The Vikings saw how bad their defense got when George Iloka had to come into the game and it immediately resulted in 14 points for the Texans. While the decision to eject Smith from the game was certainly questionable, it’s disappointing that he allowed himself to get into that position in the first place.