Minnesota Vikings: Studs and duds vs. Broncos in Week 11

Stud: Irv Smith Jr.

Irv Smith Jr. was another bright spot on offense within a Minnesota offensive unit that struggled throughout the course of the game on Sunday afternoon, hauling in his first career touchdown pass in the third quarter of action.

The young tight end finished the game with a total of 20 yards receiving through the air on three catches and three overall targets. With a game-long reception of 10 yards, Smith Jr. looked solid in the flow of the offense throughout the win.

As the season has continued to progress, Smith Jr. has continued to get comfortable within the Vikings offense and appears to be creating more and more opportunities for himself alongside Kirk Cousins and the rest of the Minnesota offensive unit.

Dud: Vikings running game

Up to this point in the regular-season schedule, behind the dominant season of running back Dalvin Cook, the Vikings have been stellar in the running attack and on the ground for a majority of the year. On Sunday, however, Minnesota’s running game wasn’t nearly as dominant as we have been accustomed to seeing entering the 11th week of action.

In the game, the Vikings finished with a total of 37 yards rushing on the ground, led by Cook with a total of 26 yards rushing on 11 carries with one touchdown.

Look for Minnesota to try and get back to establishing a dominant running attack moving forward for the remainder of the season, as it has played such a large role to the Vikings’ success up to this point in the year.