Purple Insider - a Minnesota Vikings and NFL podcast

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Matthew Coller talks about a Vikings-less Sunday and what we learned from the NFL, including that maybe there's more to Justin Fields's failures than his bumbling head coach. Plus the Bengals are for real, the Panthers are terrible. What does that mean for a close Vikings loss vs. Cincinnati and win versus Carolina? Matthew is also joined by former KFAN personality and current owner of Bring Me The News Joe Nelson to rank where the Vikings stand, the biggest surprises and disappointments of the season so far, whether Kirk Cousins is in the MVP race and expectations for the upcoming schedule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller gets together with Chad Israelson, a history teacher and Vikings fan who has authored a Vikings history book which looks back at every single season and breaks down some of the moments that stand out most in the franchise's history. He also builds All-Decade teams, which naturally caught Matthew's interest. He discusses why the Vikings have been stuck in the middle for most of their history and some of the most bizarre seasons they've had, including the 1987 strike year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller is joined by Ramie Makhlouf of 1250 The Fan in Milwaukee to talk about where the Packers and Bears stand as the Vikings head into their bye week. Is the Aaron Rodgers drama gone? Why isn't Rodgers as dominant as last year? Are we still buying the Packers as a legit contender? Plus why the Bears shouldn't be a threat in the division as long as Matt Nagy is in charge but the intrigue of Justin Fields makes them a candidate long term. Oh and the Lions are not discussed in this podcast because they are not relevant in the NFC North. #ByeWeekBonanza Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pro Football Focus draft analyst Mike Renner joins Matthew Coller to talk about why Christian Darrisaw's strong debut points toward good things for the Minnesota Vikings' draft class. Why he believes we should be patient with Wyatt Davis, Kene Nwangwu's amazing explosiveness and how the draft class still deserves to be considered very strong. Renner also gives his breakdown of the rookie quarterbacks. How Mac Jones has looked the most NFL ready, what's wrong with Zach Wilson, why Trey Lance is like Josh Allen and what to make of Justin Fields's up and down start. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Jeremiah Sirles breaks down the tape of Vikings first-round draft pick Christian Darrisaw and talks about what makes him excited about Darrisaw's future prospects and what opposing defensive ends are going to attempt to do against him when the Vikings play the Cowboys and Ravens. Also Jeremiah discusses the rest of the O-line and how they're playing, including some of the struggles of center Garrett Bradbury and right guard Oli Udoh. Would we see Wyatt Davis soon? Plus what Jeremiah thinks the Vikings' final record will be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fresh off Minnesota Vikings' GM Rick Spielman talking with the media, Matthew Coller and ESPN's Courtney Cronin discuss a particular answer regarding Kirk Cousins's future and they break down the odds of Cousins continuing to play well and how that might factor with the playoffs and the long-term outlook. Plus they discuss the cornerback depth with Patrick Peterson out and what Spielman had to say about the rookie class. They grade the front office's job overall so far as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and Brian Murphy talk about how the Minnesota Vikings waited until things got really dicey to turn on the jets against the Carolina Panthers. Is this a function of their head coach's philosophy or who their quarterback has always been? Do we think something is different this year with Kirk Cousins? Why does every game seem to come down to the very end? How has luck played for and against the Vikings this year and how does this 3-3 start set up for a wild second half of the season? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and Sam Ekstrom try to wrap their heads around what happened between the Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers in the Vikings' 34-28 win. How the offense came alive and Kirk Cousins led two very impressive final drives. Why KJ Osborn has played a key part in showing how good the Vikings offense can be ...but....they also struggled in the first half. The Vikings also let the Panthers off the hook with conservative decision making that kept Carolina in the game and allowed Sam Darnold to come back. Does this win eliminate the conversation about job security for Mike Zimmer? Does it give Kirk Cousins a good chance at being the Vikings' long-term QB? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller connects with Sam Monson from Pro Football Focus to talk about why Kirk Cousins ranks so highly by PFF's grading system and what putting that grade under a microscope can tell us about Cousins's game, Monson also discusses where the Vikings would rank among smartest teams analytically speaking and what has to happen in order for them to catch up. He also previews the Vikings-Panthers game and talks about what he's enjoying about the NFL season so far. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and ESPN's Courtney Cronin discuss a good fan question: Would we still have the same criticisms of the Vikings if they had won the first two games of the season? Courtney talks about their upcoming schedule and how it was always going to shape the season and they also discuss the numbers that point to what type of team the Vikings really are. Plus a more hardcore Vikings-Panthers breakdown of a battle of two defensive lines that will dictate the game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller gets together with Morten Andersen, who is one of two Hall of Fame kickers, to talk about what it's like to kick a game-winning field goal and why many kickers fail. He talks about playing with Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss and why more special teamers need to be in the Hall of Fame. Andersen also talks about becoming a podcaster and what he's learned from some of the greatest NFL players of all time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and former Minnesota Vikings Jeremiah Sirles talk about whether we can expect the Vikings to put more focus on Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen at some point and how they have the roster to turn things around and compete... but will they do it? Jeremiah talks about watching film with Everson Griffen when they were teammates and why he believes Griffen has played so well this year and they discuss the locker room feeling when things go wrong under Mike Zimmer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and Brian Murphy talk about the Vikings' messaging after their sorry 19-17 victory over the Detroit Lions, including a bizarre tweet from cornerback Bashaud Breeland and an odd comment out of Mike Zimmer about conservative play calling. Why the Vikings are getting less out of more than they should be and why fans are exhausted of seeing Justin Jefferson left in the cold in the second half. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and Sam Ekstrom discuss the Vikings' 19-17 victory over the Detroit Lions in which their offense was uninspiring and they nearly fumbled away the game if not for a last-second Greg Joseph 54-yard field goal. They talk about why the Vikings continue to do the same things over and over and put themselves in positions like they were on Sunday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ESPN's Courtney Cornin talks about how some Vikings fans seem to want the Vikings to lose to the Lions in order to spark a rebuild. Also she talks about Dalvin Cook's injury and first guessing that it would be a problem this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and former Minnesota Viking Jeremiah Sirles talk about why things went so badly for the Vikings' offensive line against the Cleveland Browns and what it says about how they were built and how they'll hold up going forward. As we look for solutions to the Vikings getting back into the race, all roads point to Kirk Cousins taking command and leading an offensive explosion. Plus what Jeremiah thinks about Mike Zimmer's message at 1-3. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and Sam Ekstrom discuss whether they can see a way for the Vikings to fix the issues that have led them to being 1-3 and find a path back to contention. Sam suggests a lineup change to include Everson Griffen, Cam Dantzler and Christian Darrisaw but the reality lingers that the Vikings have gotten a lot of good performances that haven't been enough. They discuss whether it's time for Kirk Cousins to unleash the deep ball and talk about whether the Vikings should trade him if they fall to 1-4 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and Will Ragatz of Sports Illustrated dig into the offensive and defensive line struggles against the Cleveland Browns and what Pro Football Focus's grades say about both units. Is it time to play Christian Darrisaw? Do we have a big enough sample to judge Ezra Cleveland and Oli Udoh yet? On the defensive line, what happened to DJ Wonnum hype? And are the free agents they signed making a difference? What does it mean to the bigger picture and where does Kirk Cousins fit in to the repeated issues with pressure? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and Brian Murphy break down what the Minnesota Vikings' loss to the Cleveland Browns means for the big picture. Why the schedule going forward makes a quick turnaround very tricky and how games at Detroit and Carolina may now determine Mike Zimmer's fate. What does Brian think of Zimmer saying the team is good and why it feels like Groundhog Day for the Vikings to be losing close games and saying that it means they're close. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and Paul Hodowanic break down the Minnesota Vikings' 14-7 loss to the Cleveland Browns. They start by breaking down the Vikings' debauchery at the end of the game when they had two shots at a game-tying drive and then they discuss how the end of the first half was marred with miscues. Is this just who the Vikings are at this point? Why it's become frustrating to break down game after game of having any team with a defensive line simply overpower the Vikings and they talk about what Mike Zimmer said about them actually being a good team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and ESPN's Courtney Cronin preview Vikings-Browns and talk about how badly the Vikings need a win that shows they can be a very good team this year. What will a win say about Kirk Cousins and the offense's sustainability. Why should the Vikings be concerned about Cleveland's running game? And Courtney tells a great story about Jared Allen and Kevin Stefanski Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller is joined by his former radio co-host and former Minnesota Viking Sage Rosenfels to talk about what's working for NFL offenses today. Sage is driven crazy by the Chicago Bears leaving Justin Fields out on an island and breaks down why Matt Nagy's offense isn't built to succeed. On the other side, Klint Kubiak and Kevin Stefanski are dominating the offensive world -- why are their schemes so much better? Sage also talks about what made Brett Favre a great leader. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller is joined by ESPN Cleveland's Danny Cunningham. The former co-workers discuss the rise of Kevin Stefanski as a top NFL coach and break down the differences and similarities between Baker Mayfield and Kirk Cousins. They also discuss the Browns' kryptonite on defense and where the Vikings can take advantage. Plus, what does this game mean to Cleveland? And Danny guesses all the quarterbacks who have taken on the Vikings since 1999. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and Sam Ekstrom begin diving deep into the Vikings upcoming matchup with the Cleveland Browns. After a great showing against Seattle, is the Vikings' offensive line going to be up to the task? How about the defensive line, can they get after Baker Mayfield and slow down the dangerous Browns offense? What do we think of the Kevin Stefanski vs. Mike Zimmer matchup? And what happens if the Vikings win? What happens if they lose to Cleveland? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and former Minnesota Viking Jeremiah Sirles deep dive into what's worked for the Vikings' offensive line. If they continue playing this well, what does it mean for Kirk Cousins? What worked for the O-line against Seattle that they can continue versus a more difficult Browns team? How are the Cleveland Browns going to attack the Vikings' questionable defense? Plus Cam Dantzler's foolish tweet and another Love to See it, Hate to see it that focuses on frustrating coaching. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and Brian Murphy talk about the Vikings' impressive win over the Seattle Seahawks and talk about the new-found trust for quarterback Kirk Cousins. Brian thinks that he's seeing some things that have been different from the past while Matthew has stats that suggest Cousins has hot stretches just like this. When Dalvin Cook comes back, should the Vikings use a more Robert Smith-like approach and what will the Vikings' record be at the bye week? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From inside US Bank Stadium, Matthew Coller and Sam Ekstrom break down the Minnesota Vikings' win over the Seattle Seahawks. Was this the best we've seen from Kirk Cousins? Are the Vikings finally leaning into Cousins offensively and trusting him more? What does it mean that they are using all of their weapons on offense? What do we make of the tale of two halves on offense and defense? How the Vikings' win sets up for a huge game against the Cleveland Browns and lays out the path to .500 by the bye week or better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller is joined by Seattle Seahawks All-Pro linebacker Lofa Tatupu, who is now host of the Bleav in Seahawks podcast, to talk about the pivotal Vikings-Seahawks matchup at US Bank Stadium. Are the Seahawks letting Russ cook this year? What happened in their meltdown against the Tennessee Titans? Will Dalvin Cook explode like Derrick Henry did last week? Plus what Lofa sees in Bobby Wagner and Eric Kendricks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and ESPN's Courtney Cronin discuss why the Vikings so desperately need a win and why they're both picking the Vikings to save their season on Sunday afternoon. Why is Russell Wilson such a difficult QB to face, even at US Bank Stadium? What would the ramifications be of a loss? Do the Vikings have Wolves-like dysfunction? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller is joined by Pro Football Focus data scientist and host of the Unexpected Points podcast Kevin Cole to talk about his analytical QB rankings through two games, which have Kirk Cousins as the fourth best quarterback in the league. First they talk about the odd nature of kicking and the ways in which nobody can figure it out, then Kevin breaks down why Cousins's numbers are so strong so far and what it would take to keep them going. And will we see the Vikings' defense improve as the season goes along? What would 0-3 mean in a 17-game season? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and Sam Ekstrom talk about what needs to happen in order for the Vikings to win their next two games and kick start their season again. Would we be giving the same criticisms for the Vikings if they won their two close games? Does it come down to the offense carrying the team or can the Vikings be better on defense? How would we assess the defensive line so far? Where does Russell Wilson rank for things that haunt the Vikings? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of Tuesday Morning Left Guard, Matthew Coller and former Viking Jeremiah Sirles dive deep into the Vikings' offensive success against Arizona and some of the coaching decisions that may have held them back. What Klint Kubiak is doing to modernize the offense a touch and why being more aggressive might make sense. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and Brian Murphy dive into the Vikings' sadness factory when it comes to kicking woes and talk about the sheer odds of having so many things to bizarrely sideways for the Vikings. They talk about the things that went right for the Vikings on Sunday but also what it means to be 0-2 in the NFL. Is there change on the horizon? Even with the unusual losses, have the Vikings become weirdly predictable? How will ownership feel if they don't bounce back against Seattle? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and Sam Ekstrom break down the Vikings' latest kicking-related loss. They break down how the Vikings and Cardinals played an epic game in which both teams had plenty of chances to win but had miscues that brought it to the final moments. Did the Vikings play too conservatively at times late in the game? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and Sam Ekstrom talk big picture with the Associated Press's Dave Campbell going into a pivotal game in Arizona. Dave talks about how the Vikings remind him of the Twins when they signed Joe Mauer to a big contract and breaks down how fans felt about the early 2000s Vikings in comparison to now. Plus Alex Clancy of Locked On Cards joins to talk about the excitement over a hot start in Arizona and fears that Kliff Kingsbury is going to derail them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and Sam Ekstrom are joined by Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter. They talk with the legendary Viking about Justin Jefferson's rise, what makes an elite wide receiver, why Jake Reed and Chris Walsh were the most unselfish receivers he played with and his favorite catch ever in the NFL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and ESPN's Courtney Cronin play a game of "talk me into..." which includes Courtney trying to talk us into a Vikings win against the Arizona Cardinals this week along with why the Vikings didn't trade Cam Dantzler to the San Francisco 49ers and how they'll need to stop Chandler Jones. Visit tickpick.com/insider today and use the promo code INSIDER to save $10 on your first order of Vikings tickets! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and Sam Ekstrom expand on a question that Matthew asked Brian Murphy on Monday: What should Vikings fans want out of this season? Also Matthew and Sam talk about the unknowns that could still change the way this season plays out and how the Arizona game could swing the entire direction of the season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller is joined by Pro Football Focus analyst Ben Linsey to break down how the Vikings can work around their struggles with the offensive line and Mike Zimmer's comments about not being "built" to win games where they have to pass often. They also discuss the Chicago Bears' ugly start to the season and whether there's any way they get on track quickly and Green Bay's brutal loss to New Orleans and what it means for the Packers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the debut of Monday Morning Murph, former Pioneer Press columnist Brian Murphy analyzes a rough 27-24 opening week loss for the Vikings against the Cincinnati Bengals. What does it say about the Vikings' identity as a team and how they need to win games? Matthew gives a crazy stat about the Vikings in games where they allow more than 25 points and Brian talks about what we need to see from the Vikings to turn things around quickly and what makes for a successful season with the NFC North already in tough shape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and Sam Ekstrom break down the Vikings' 27-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. How the Vikings' offensive line started out miserably. Whether Dalvin Cook's key fumble was actually a fumble. How the concerns from the preseason played out in Cincinnati. Why Joe Burrow looks like he's going to make the Bengals an exciting team. How the Bengals nearly gave the game away. Kirk Cousins's almost-winning drive and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Locked On Bengals host Jake Liscow drops by the show to talk about Joe Burrow and whether he'll turn into an elite quarterback at some point and what to expect from him Week 1. Which team has more concerns along the offensive line. Are Ja'Marr Chase's drops a problem? What type of defense are the Vikings facing in Cincy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and ESPN's Courtney Cronin talk about Anthony Barr missing from practice on Thursday and what that means for the short and long term. How will they replace Barr? How will it make his contract look if Barr doesn't get healthy this year? Plus what do we think of the Vikings and Bengals matchup to open the season? Is Joe Burrow and his group of weapons a threat? Do we expect the offense to start fast? And Courtney picks the entire schedule and settles on a final record. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and Sam Ekstrom break down Brian O'Neill's mega $92.5 million contract and talk about the Vikings paying top dollar for players over the last few years. They also talk about their predictions for the 2021 season, including which cornerback will be the best, when Kirk Cousins will win Player of the Month and breaking down likely sack totals across the board. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller is joined by two former Viking offensive linemen to discuss whether they think the Vikings' offensive line will be good this year. They discuss Oli Udoh and Ezra Cleveland moving from tackle to guard, which linemen has to take a leadership role and why young players struggle in the NFL. Plus Alex and Jeremiah talk about the things they're most excited about for the NFL season this year, including the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns having Super Bowl chances and the young QBs around the league. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Scott Studwell's new book "Viking For Life" is out now and he joined Matthew Coller to talk about his career in the NFL that spanned four decades. Studwell talks about his decision to write the book, what it was like to play for Bud Grant and Jerry Burns, scouting Randy Moss, how he watches football now that he's retired and even why he used to wear an amazing neckroll. Buy his book here: https://www.triumphbooks.com/viking-for-life-products-9781629378909.php?page_id=30&cid=593221 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and Pro Football Focus data scientist Eric Eager break down the Vikings' matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals and why it's a gift and a curse to play a bad team in Week 1. Plus, should Klint Kubiak get more aggressive with Kirk Cousins? Will having a better defense improve the Vikings' offense in some ways? And how will Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matthew Coller and Manny Hill run through five burning Vikings questions for Week 1 in only the fashion that they can: Hot Routez style. What would it take for Kirk Cousins to win over Mike Zimmer? How would the 2021 Vikings stack up with the 2019, 2012, 2000 and 1994 Vikings? Who are the most underrated Bengals? And what are the best and worst moves of the offseason? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices