Getty
Vikings safety Harrison Smith
After sitting out almost a month of training camp, Minnesota Vikings star Harrison Smith was not in shape to play against the Chicago Bears, leading him to stay home and not travel with the team.
It was a tough loss for a Vikings defense that has Smith as its general, checking in and out of plays depending on the offensive look — and the 14th-year veteran isn’t a lock to return this Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons either.
Appearing for locker room interviews for the first time since his “personal health issue” was reported, Smith revealed that it was a “physical thing” he’s coming back from.
“I’m just going to get out there and see how much I can handle and go from there. I’ve already moved around. Moving around well. It’s just volume, conditioning, stuff like that,” Smith said.
The Vikings opted not to place Smith on the injured reserve list to start the season, which would require him to miss at least the first four games of the season. Smith said his goal is to return by Week 4.
“We’re kind of fluid with if I’m ready to go or not. Like, am I going to help the team or not? That’s all that matters,” Smith said when asked about his timeline to return. “I expect to be back before [the four-week mark.]”
While Smith’s condition remains cryptic, he appears to be passed it and is readying his body to take on the toil of his 14th NFL season.
How Did the Vikings Defense Fare Without Harrison Smith?
Brian Flores’ matchup with Bears head coach Ben Johnson was arguably the most anticipated of the night. Johnson had bested Flores in all four of their past meetings, averaging over 30 points per game with the Detroit Lions.
The Bears under Johnson seemed well on their way to another dominant defensive outing after opening the game with a 10-play, 61-yard drive that ended with a touchdown.
The Vikings defense tightened up from there, allowing just three more points through the bulk of the final three quarters to allow J.J. McCarthy to mount his 11-point, fourth-quarter comeback.
Chicago scored late in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to three points, but game management ultimately prevailed in a 27-24 victory.
Theo Jackson and Josh Metellus played all 67 defensive snaps as the top two safeties, while Jay Ward filled in with 25 snaps in three-safety sets.
Ward finished with the highest defensive grade by Pro Football Focus (PFF) with a 77.1 grade in his limited work.
Jackson had a tough first showing in his first career start. He missed two tackles and allowed two catches on three targets for 43 yards and a 109.7 passer rating in coverage.
Metellus posted the second-highest defensive grade (75.6) on the team, finishing with three tackles and allowing just one catch for four yards.
Brian Flores Admits Smith Cannot Be Replaced in Vikings Lineup
Ahead of the Bears game, Flores admitted that Smith’s role is irreplaceable.
“I would say it’s certainly unique to him,” Flores said of Smith’s spot in the defense in his Thursday news conference. “Not to say that we don’t have other highly intelligent, high football IQ guys. Metellus is a guy who comes to mind that plays a lot of different positions.
“So if we put him in Harry’s [spot], I think he could do that, but [Harrison] is all over the place… There’s a lot of reasons why it’s unique to him, obviously 14 years in the league playing at a high level and just high-level acumen.”
Trevor Squire is a sports journalist covering the NFL and NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks. Trevor studied journalism at the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities, making stops at the Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @trevordsquire. More about Trevor Squire
