Vikings expecting to get some major help on defense for Week 4
By Adam Patrick
After he missed the team’s Week 3 game due to a concussion, the Minnesota Vikings are expecting safety Harrison Smith to return in Week 4.
In Week 3, the Minnesota Vikings were able to sneak out of U.S. Bank Stadium with a win over the Detroit Lions. To make their victory slightly more impressive, the Vikings were able to add another win to their 2022 record on Sunday despite not having All-Pro safety Harrison Smith on the field.
Smith was forced to miss Minnesota’s Week 3 contest with the Lions due to a concussion that he suffered in Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Luckily for the Vikings, it sounds like they will have their top safety back on the field for their upcoming matchup in London, England against the New Orleans Saints.
Minnesota Vikings expecting Harrison Smith to play vs. New Orleans Saints in Week 4
Anytime a team can add the services of an All-Pro to their starting defense, it should make them feel pretty good about their chances of getting a win in their next game.
This is probably how Minnesota currently feels as head coach Kevin O’Connell revealed on Monday that “the expectation is that [Smith] will be able to go in London [against the Saints].”
In place of Smith in Week 3, the Vikings decided to start Josh Metellus at safety against Detroit. Some wondered why Minnesota didn’t select rookie Lewis Cine to replace Smith in the starting lineup instead, but the decision turned out to be a good one for the matchup with the Lions.
Metellus wound up earning the second-best overall defensive grade from PFF in Week 3 as Danielle Hunter was the only Vikings defender to earn a higher grade than the young safety.
It sounds like Metellus will head back to the bench for Week 4, but Minnesota has to feel good about the way the reserve safety played during the team’s win over Detroit on Sunday. If Smith has to miss more time this season, the Vikings now know they have another safety who can step in and perform at a solid level.