5 most disappointing Vikings in the loss to the Lions in Week 14

Cam Bynum – S

Cam Bynum got a chance to shine against the Lions. Harrison Smith was out with a neck injury and he was set to be the alpha safety in the secondary. Unfortunately, like much of his 2022 season, his performance left a lot to be desired.

There were two plays that really summed up Bynum’s day. The first one was on the bomb touchdown to Jameson Williams. When the camera followed Goff’s pass down the field, it was shocking to see that Williams was wide open. There wasn’t a single white jersey in twenty yards of him. It wasn’t even remotely close. The replay showed that Bynum just kind of sat on the route and let Williams zip by him. It’s unclear who he thought was supposed to cover Williams since he was the deep safety and there is no help behind him.

As embarrassing as that play was for Bynum, his final play might have been worse. The Lions put Penei Sewel in motion and made him tackle-eligible. As he stumbled across in motion, Bynum, instead of following him, ran in the complete opposite direction. It may have been Peterson or Dantzler who were trying to get Bynum to cover the big man, but he apparently had other plans.

Bynum’s play has been very disappointing all season long. Yes, he’s had a few splashy moments, but he usually is the last man touching a defender down after everyone else has done the work or he’s giving up a big play.