The Minnesota Vikings picked up a resounding 39-22 victory over the Green Bay Packers in Week 1, but their path to that win wasn’t exactly straightforward. Kyler Murray was forced out of the game early with a concussion, which led to Carson Wentz finding his way under center. After a slow start, Wentz led a furious fourth-quarter rally that eventually saw the Vikings run away with this game.
While Wentz managed to get the job done in this one, all eyes are on Murray’s status moving forward. One guy who is paying close attention to Minnesota is former Pro Bowl linebacker Chad Greenway, and in an exclusive interview with Heavy on Vikings, Greenway made his thoughts clear on the team’s Week 1 performance and Murray’s injury status, while also discussing his new show “Inside the North.”
Chad Greenway Dishes on Kyler Murray Injury
Question marks have surrounded Minnesota at the quarterback position all offseason long, and it didn’t seem like a great sign when Murray suffered a concussion early in this one. However, Wentz came in and got the job done, but there’s no hiding from the fact that the Vikings got some help from an all-out Packers meltdown. Greenway believes Minnesota forced the issue, though, citing a crucial 4th-&-1 stop in the fourth quarter and defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ aggressive game plan.
“The Packers kind of gave us that momentum, taking points off the board, going for it on 4th-&-1. Us getting that stop was huge,” Greenway told Heavy on Vikings. “It was interesting to see that Flores’ defense, who gets so much notoriety for how much pressure they put on people, fun to see that he stayed the course and stayed aggressive, and then eventually that dam broke.”
There’s no doubt that beating Green Bay at home in the season opener is huge, but there’s some serious concern surrounding Murray’s status entering Week 2. If he can’t go, Wentz figures to be under center once again, and while Greenway understands he may not be the flashiest option, he credited the veteran quarterback for getting the job done against the Packers.
“You don’t really know how somebody’s going to respond,” Greenway said of Murray’s concussion. “Clearly, from a health standpoint, you don’t want to rush somebody back early with the risk that comes with that, the inherent risk of just having a concussion in general … I do think you’re probably looking at Carson Wentz for a week, if not two weeks … But hard to argue that Carson came in and did something bad. He came in and won that football game.”
Minnesota still clearly has some things to figure out at the quarterback position, but even with that being said, this team has already proven it can hold its own against top-tier competition. Like many fans, Greenway believes the Vikings can make the playoffs, and he issued a lofty prediction for the team. “It’s one of those situations where you play in this division, getting to 10 wins, 11 wins is the number you’ve got to get to … I just think it’s going to be a 10-win to 11-win team.”
Chad Greenway Discusses New ‘Inside the North’ Show
Since calling it a career after the 2016 campaign, Greenway has pivoted to the world of sports media, but his work has primarily been on the local scene. Now, he’ll be taking a step into the spotlight on the national scene, as he’s joining Audacy’s new show “Inside the North,” which will see him and other NFC North legends join forces to discuss one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL. For Greenway, the decision to join the show as the Vikings’ representative was an easy one.
“It was a great opportunity for me to just chop it up with other legends of the NFC North, guys that have either coached or played in this league,” Greenway said. “We all agree, right now, this division is probably the best in football … It’s been a great division, and beyond that, just an opportunity for me as a former player. I haven’t done a lot of media like this. I’ve done a lot of local stuff, but it’s fun to expand and be a part of something a little bit bigger.”
Rather than focusing on just one team, “Inside the North” will be collectively keeping tabs on the NFC North throughout the season, which has created a unique dynamic between Greenway and his other co-hosts. That dynamic is something the crew, which also features Dave Wannstedt, Mason Crosby, and T.J. Lang, will look to build up throughout the year, and unsurprisingly, the expectation is that that will lead to some good-natured trash talk.
“Obviously, we’re getting a feel for each other … But at the same time, what we all agree on is we want to make this sort of interactive in a way where we can make this like we’re all rivals,” Greenway revealed. “Yes, we want to play nice, and yes, it’s obviously professional and respectful. But you kind of want to go at each other. This is the best division in football. That’s going to be a battle all year. It’s fun to talk a little smack and have a little fun with it.”
Episodes of “Inside the North” will be uploaded on YouTube every Friday night throughout the season, while also airing on Audacy’s flagship stations on Sunday mornings. The Vikings have another big divisional matchup in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears, which will surely be the subject of much discussion on the upcoming episode of the show.
Exclusive: Chad Greenway Gets Brutally Honest on Vikings QB Kyler Murray’s Injury Status