01-12-2023, 02:32 PM
https://www.inforum.com/sports/pro/vikings-zadarius-smith-fully-healthy-from-knee-injury-that-stalled-him-in-second-half-of-seasonEAGAN, Minn. -- In his first nine games this season, Minnesota
Vikings edge rusher Za’Darius Smith had 9½ sacks. In his final seven
games, he had a mere half sack.
So what gives?
“The first half of the season, I was going crazy, but the injury held me back a little bit,” Smith said Wednesday.
Smith
said he had been hampered by a knee contusion suffered at Buffalo on
Nov. 13. But Smith, who sat out last Sunday’s 29-13 win at Chicago in
the regular-season finale as a precautionary measure, said he is fully
recovered from that “small injury” in time for Sunday’s playoff opener
against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium.
“All is well
now,” he said. “I’m fully healthy and ready to go for the playoffs. … It
was just soreness (after being hurt). Contusion, as they call it, but
happy to be back. I’m 100 percent and ready to go.”
By finishing the season with 10 sacks, Smith missed out on a
possible additional $250,000 bonus by a half sack. He got $500,000 for
reaching 8½ sacks and would have earned a total of $750,000 with 10½.Smith
still had his share of quarterback pressures late in the regular
season. And while he was short on sacks, he was pleased to see edge
rusher Danielle Hunter have games of 1½ sacks on Dec. 17 against
Indianapolis and two against the Giants on Dec. 24, and finish the
season with a team-high 10½.
“Danielle picked up,” Smith said. “So
it was good to have both of us, one up and one down. But right now it’s
the playoffs, and we’re ready to go and ready to get after the
quarterback.”
Sunday’s target will be Daniel Jones, who threw for
334 yards and ran for 34 in the Giants’ 27-24 loss to the Vikings last
month. Smith doesn’t want to see a similar showing by Jones.
“We try to tell the guys on the back end, ‘Just give us a couple of seconds to get to the quarterback,’ ” Smith said.
Vikings edge rusher Patrick Jones II expects Smith to apply plenty of pressure on Jones.
“He
was fighting through it,” Jones said of Smith’s injury. “He’s going to
fight through and give it everything he’s got. I think he’s fully
healthy. He’s an unstoppable force.”
Cousins ‘more mature’
Kirk Cousins said he’s a “more mature” quarterback than when he last appeared in the playoffs with the Vikings in 2019.
“Year 11 is better than year 10, year nine and year eight,”
said Cousins, an 11-year veteran. “I think every time you go out there
and play and learn and get better, you build as a player. … I do think
the continuous improvement has happened. The day that I don’t think
that’s happening anymore is when I’ll probably walk away.”
On Wednesday, Smith wore a
shirt that read “Kirk Thuggins” with a picture of Cousins wearing
chains. Cousins wore chains on three flights home after road wins this
season.
“Great player, good quarterback, great leader, on and off field, and I love him to death,” Smith said of Cousins.
Practice report
Cornerback Cameron Dantzler, who was away due to a family
matter, was the only Vikings player on the active roster not to practice
Wednesday.
Limited in the workout were center Garrett Bradbury
(back), safety Harrison Smith (knee) and linebacker Brian Asamoah
(knee). Bradbury has missed the past five games, but the Vikings hope he
can return against the Giants. Smith and Asamoah both sat out at
Chicago but are expected to play Sunday.
Defensive lineman James
Lynch, who missed the past two games due to a shoulder injury, was a
full participant. And tackle Blake Brandel, who suffered a torn MCL in
his knee Dec. 11 at Detroit, returned to practice after missing the past
four games and being designated Wednesday for return from injured
reserve. The Vikings hope to activate him to face the Giants.
Vikings edge rusher Za’Darius Smith had 9½ sacks. In his final seven
games, he had a mere half sack.
So what gives?
“The first half of the season, I was going crazy, but the injury held me back a little bit,” Smith said Wednesday.
Smith
said he had been hampered by a knee contusion suffered at Buffalo on
Nov. 13. But Smith, who sat out last Sunday’s 29-13 win at Chicago in
the regular-season finale as a precautionary measure, said he is fully
recovered from that “small injury” in time for Sunday’s playoff opener
against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium.
“All is well
now,” he said. “I’m fully healthy and ready to go for the playoffs. … It
was just soreness (after being hurt). Contusion, as they call it, but
happy to be back. I’m 100 percent and ready to go.”
By finishing the season with 10 sacks, Smith missed out on a
possible additional $250,000 bonus by a half sack. He got $500,000 for
reaching 8½ sacks and would have earned a total of $750,000 with 10½.Smith
still had his share of quarterback pressures late in the regular
season. And while he was short on sacks, he was pleased to see edge
rusher Danielle Hunter have games of 1½ sacks on Dec. 17 against
Indianapolis and two against the Giants on Dec. 24, and finish the
season with a team-high 10½.
“Danielle picked up,” Smith said. “So
it was good to have both of us, one up and one down. But right now it’s
the playoffs, and we’re ready to go and ready to get after the
quarterback.”
Sunday’s target will be Daniel Jones, who threw for
334 yards and ran for 34 in the Giants’ 27-24 loss to the Vikings last
month. Smith doesn’t want to see a similar showing by Jones.
“We try to tell the guys on the back end, ‘Just give us a couple of seconds to get to the quarterback,’ ” Smith said.
Vikings edge rusher Patrick Jones II expects Smith to apply plenty of pressure on Jones.
“He
was fighting through it,” Jones said of Smith’s injury. “He’s going to
fight through and give it everything he’s got. I think he’s fully
healthy. He’s an unstoppable force.”
Cousins ‘more mature’
Kirk Cousins said he’s a “more mature” quarterback than when he last appeared in the playoffs with the Vikings in 2019.
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“Year 11 is better than year 10, year nine and year eight,”
said Cousins, an 11-year veteran. “I think every time you go out there
and play and learn and get better, you build as a player. … I do think
the continuous improvement has happened. The day that I don’t think
that’s happening anymore is when I’ll probably walk away.”
MORE MINNESOTA VIKINGS COVERAGE:
shirt that read “Kirk Thuggins” with a picture of Cousins wearing
chains. Cousins wore chains on three flights home after road wins this
season.
“Great player, good quarterback, great leader, on and off field, and I love him to death,” Smith said of Cousins.
Practice report
Cornerback Cameron Dantzler, who was away due to a family
matter, was the only Vikings player on the active roster not to practice
Wednesday.
Limited in the workout were center Garrett Bradbury
(back), safety Harrison Smith (knee) and linebacker Brian Asamoah
(knee). Bradbury has missed the past five games, but the Vikings hope he
can return against the Giants. Smith and Asamoah both sat out at
Chicago but are expected to play Sunday.
Defensive lineman James
Lynch, who missed the past two games due to a shoulder injury, was a
full participant. And tackle Blake Brandel, who suffered a torn MCL in
his knee Dec. 11 at Detroit, returned to practice after missing the past
four games and being designated Wednesday for return from injured
reserve. The Vikings hope to activate him to face the Giants.
