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Ground Game Takes a Hit as Vikings Runner Gets Stolen Away by NFC North Foe

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Kevin O'Connell, the Vikings head coach, in Week 1 of 2025
Sep 8, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell reacts against the Chicago Bears during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Seeing the Chicago Bears pull off the pilfer could add some insult to injury for the Minnesota Vikings.

According to KTSP’s Darren Wolfson, Ben Johnson’s team is going to snag running back Zavier Scott. Consider the update on the Vikings runner: “#Vikings wanted RB Zavier Scott back and on their practice squad. But hear he’s expected to land with the #Bears.” Not an ironclad proclamation, Wolfson’s update functions as a strong indicator that Scott may soon have a new employer.

Vikings Runner Zavier Scott Goes to Windy City

Going into cuts, I predicted that Scott would make the team over Demond Claiborne. Frankly, the jettisoned runner had a better offseason than his counterpart, but the coaching staff opted for the 6th-Round rookie.

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Rolling with Claiborne over Scott could have come down to a few factors.

For starters, Claiborne is a recent draftee who is younger and under contract for four seasons. Better yet, he boasts elite speed and has the potential to develop into a weapon as a returner. Plus, sliding him down to the practice squad would have almost certainly involved seeing him poached.

Vikings RB Zavier Scott against the Seahawks in 2025
Nov 30, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Zavier Scott (36) runs the ball during the second half against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images.

Scott, quite possibly, was deemed more likely to slide through to the practice squad untouched. The Bears appear ready to ensure that doesn’t take place.

In Chicago, Ben Johnson — a wizard when calling plays on offense — is pushing Caleb Williams upward in his game. Helping the young passer is a nice collection of pass catchers being led by WR1 Rome Odunze, TE1 Colston Loveland, and TE2 Cole Kmet.

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Consider the running back hierarchy in Chicago:

  • RB1 D’Andre Swift
  • RB2 Roschon Johnson
  • RB3 Kyle Monangai

Tossing Scott into the mix means bringing aboard a versatile depth guy with nice size and soft hands. He’s not a very good athlete but Johnson will love the versatility.

In some ways, Zavier Scott’s game is reminiscent of former Vikings RB Matt Asiata. Mr. Asiata stands at 5’11” and roughly 229 pounds; he was a gritty grinder who would earn modest gains consistently. Likewise, Scott boasts a good build (6’1″ and 221 pounds) but limited explosiveness, meaning he could consistently earn a few yards as a pass catcher but seldom anything overly explosive.

Asiata’s career yards-per-carry average sits at 3.5. Scott sees his number at 3.6.

NFL: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Zavier Scott (36) gets a first down on a reception against Green Bay Packers safety Jaylin Simpson (38) in the fourth quarter during the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dan Powers-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images – Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Vikings have made a vow (yet again) to figure out how to run the football. New Asst. HC Frank Smith is being looked at as a secret weapon.

Returning for action are the top twosome of Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, neither of whom get enough credit for their abilities. Featuring them more prominently appears to be precisely what the purple doctor ordered. Otherwise, the main tweaks have involved adding Claiborne in the draft alongside fullback Max Bredeson. Can that quartet chew up ground yards?

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Oh, and then there’s the promise of Kyler Murray’s video-game-like quickness. Seeing the QB1 scramble is a double-edged sword since it makes him ultra dangerous and yet exposes him to further harm. A tricky balance, to be sure.

Zavier Scott, 27, is now moving onto his third NFL team after previously working with the Colts and Vikings. He’ll take on his old team in a Week 2 game at Soldier Field.


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Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

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Jaja says Creamline will get even better

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Jaja Santiago-MinowaJaja Santiago-Minowa Jaja Santiago-Minowa finished with 19 points in her debut with Creamline in the PVL Invitational Conference on Monday. She scored 17 from 30 attacks and also had a block and an ace.

A warning to the rest of the field: She’s still adjusting to her team’s system.

“I’d say I’m around 70 percent. It’s really me who needs to adjust because this is their system and I’m the one who came into the team,” Santiago-Minowa said. “I still need to learn more about our blocking system and defense. But I don’t think it’s that difficult because I’ve been training with them for about two months now. I think we’re getting there, and hopefully throughout this Invitational, everything will connect.”

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When that everything connects, Santiago-Minowa expects the Cool Smashers to be better than they were when they fended off Nxled, 25-20, 25-23, 23-25, 25-20, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

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One of the things the 6-foot-5 ace hopes to improve is her connection with setter Kyle Negrito, who dished out 31 excellent sets on top of six points. INQ



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Today’s Bandle Answer and Hints for September 1, 2026

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Bandle kicks off September 1, 2026 with puzzle number 1476, and it lands right in the middle of the difficulty scale, not quite a gimme but far from the toughest round players have faced lately. The same familiar setup carries over as always: six guesses, one hidden track, and a fresh instrument added to the mix every time a guess misses.

Anyone hoping to solve today’s (September 1, 2026) round the honest way should work through the hints below before scrolling to the reveal, since there’s enough here to make a genuine attempt at naming the song before the answer gets spelled out.


Today’s Bandle Answer Hints (September 1, 2026)

Hints for today's September 1, 2026 Bandle answer (Image via Bandle)Hints for today's September 1, 2026 Bandle answer (Image via Bandle)
Hints for today’s September 1, 2026 Bandle answer (Image via Bandle)

“Ski.” That’s the entire clue attached to today’s puzzle, a single word doing a lot of quiet work for a song that carries a difficulty rating of 3 out of 5. The instrument layers build up in this order across the round:

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  • Drums and Bass
  • Flute
  • Guitar
  • Backing Vocals
  • Voice Cover

A few extra details round out today’s hint package for anyone who wants more to work with:

  • Year: 2006
  • Genre: Alternative, Rock
  • YouTube Views: 404 million
  • Difficulty: 3 out of 5

That massive view count paired with a 2006 release date points toward a track that’s held onto serious staying power over the past two decades, and the flute showing up in the instrument layers is a fairly distinctive clue on its own for anyone familiar with alternative rock from that era.


Bandle Answer for September 1, 2026

Today's September 1, 2026 Bandle answer (Image via Bandle)Today's September 1, 2026 Bandle answer (Image via Bandle)
Today’s September 1, 2026 Bandle answer (Image via Bandle)

Today’s Bandle #1476 answer is shown in the above image.

The one-word clue ‘Ski’ lines up neatly with the title once the answer is revealed, since snow and skiing go hand in hand. The track comes from the band’s 2006 double album, Stadium Arcadium, and it topped the Billboard Modern Rock chart, holding the number one spot for five straight weeks.

Much of its staying power comes down to the fast, intricate guitar riff John Frusciante plays throughout the song, a detail that’s helped it become one of the more recognizable entries in the band’s catalog and lines up with that record-breaking chart run.


List of All Previous Bandle Answers

Looking for earlier Bandle answers? Here’s a quick list of the daily solutions from the past seven days to help catch up on recent puzzles.

August 31, 2026 answer

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August 30, 2026 answer

August 29, 2026 answer

August 28, 2026 answer

August 27, 2026 answer

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August 26, 2026 answer

August 25, 2026 answer


How to Play Bandle

Bandle is a daily music guessing game centered on identifying a popular song through up to six audio clues, starting with a single instrument and stacking on additional layers with each miss.

The clue and guess structure

Bandle builds the song gradually, giving players a little more to work with after each incorrect guess.

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  • Every round adds another musical layer, progressing through drums, bass, guitar, and eventually vocals.
  • Players have six attempts to identify both the song and the artist.
  • Additional clues reveal details such as the release year, genre, and YouTube view count.
  • The puzzle refreshes once every day according to the player’s local timezone.

Streaks and win rates

Missing a day doesn’t end a streak for good either, since puzzles from the past 7 days remain available for replay. Across the player base, the average win rate sits around 59% for those skipping the hints entirely, climbing up to 79% once players lean on the available clues.

If daily puzzle games are your thing, Connections and the NYT Mini Crossword are worth checking out too if you want to keep the streak going after today’s Bandle round.