Minnesota Vikings: Studs and duds in Week 6 vs. Falcons

Stud: Irv Smith Jr.

To open up his second season in the NFL and with the Vikings in 2020, Irv Smith Jr. hadn’t had a great start to the new year while not really playing a factor in the first few weeks of the regular season schedule.

The last few weeks, however, that has changed and Kirk Cousins has found Smith a decent amount through the air within the passing attack. Smith finished the game in Week 6 with a total of four catches for 55 yards, recording a game-long reception of 36 yards while adding five targets.

Smith is the future at tight end in Minnesota. And his continued involvement is key moving forward.

Dud: Another brutal loss

There’s no way around it, Sunday’s loss to the winless Falcons was the worst loss of the year for the Vikings.

Minnesota came into the season with the hopes of making a run at an NFC North title while returning to the playoffs for the second straight season. But now at 1-5 overall, there are questions surrounding the future of this team and what direction they go from here after yet another brutal loss on their home field in Week 6.

It will be interesting to see what the Vikings do moving forward. But Sunday’s blowout loss was just another example of how fast things have turned in Minnesota after reaching the NFC Divisional Round just a season ago.