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Include me among those who believed that the Minnesota Vikings would be moving on from linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. at some point in the 2026 offseason. After all, the Vikings defender had been trending poorly after his 2023 explosion as a UDFA add who should have never slipped out of the draft.

Some doubt about him getting retained entered my mind back in March. He was then kept as an RFA. Look for a trade, I (wrongly) insisted. Maybe he would be behind Jake Golday (again, a wrong prediction).

So far, Mr. Pace has been a formidable option as the LB3. Due to missing the team flight down to Tampa Bay while dealing with a family issue, Pace was questionable going into Sunday. The tackle-first, ask-questions-later linebacker found his way down to Florida in time for game action. He had yet another impressive day at the office.

Vikings Defender Ivan Pace Keeps Shining

Pace sees some promising statistics attached to his name for 2026.

The Vikings defender is sitting atop 9 tackles. So, too, does he boast 0.5 sacks, 2 quarterback hits, and 1 tackle for loss. He hasn’t yet earned a start, instead getting into the mix for 40 snaps for Brian Flores alongside 76 snaps on special teams. Has DC Brian Flores found an ideal way to use the depth ‘backer? Pace’s snaps have been really strong in 2026.

Note that not every statistic is made equal. Ask the Kirk Cousins haters about the difference between a garbage-time touchdown versus a touchdown to take the lead very late. The same idea can get applied to a tackle by a defender.

Consider, for instance, Pace gobbling up D’Andre Swift in a goal line tackle in Week 2. That play directly impacted Jalen Redmond being able to punch out the football, In turn, Isaiah Rodgers could then recover the fumble, keeping points off the board in what would be a 9-3 Vikings win.

There’s then a terrific blitz from Pace that led to a sack on Baker Mayfield. If you had to explain Pace’s approach to football in an elevator pitch, pulling out this play and showing the video on your phone would be the way to do it.

Check it out:

Go back to the clip of Pace blitzing. Who is tasked with picking up the blitzing linebacker? Tampa Bay’s #88 jersey belongs to the tight end Cade Otten, who is listed as being 6’5″ and 247 pounds. Pace, for curious minds, is listed as being 5’10” and 236 pounds. Demolishing Otton on the way to the quarterback isn’t easy but Pace didn’t have too much trouble.

Expecting Ivan Pace Jr. to become the second coming of Eric Kendricks simply isn’t going to happen. He’s very unlikely to become an all-around ‘backer who can carry Davante Adams down the seam.

What he can be, though, is an attacking defender who does excellent work on specials. As the LB3, that’s super valuable. Put him out there to blitz a ton and to chase down runners. On kickoff and punt coverage, Pace can fly down the field in pursuit of the returner.

The 2026 season sees the 25-year-old Pace Jr. demanding $3,520,000 on the Vikings cap (OTC). He’s proving to be a bargain as somebody who is making timely, impactful plays over and over again.

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Somehow, the Minnesota Vikings are a 3-0 football team. Not many predicted that outcome going into the 2026 season (I certainly didn’t).

VT’s Vikings postgame has plenty to consider following the 23-16 victory over the Buccaneers. Brian Flores had another sizzling day. So did Matt Daniels. What was lacking was Kevin O’Connell’s end of things, a crew that is yet to figure things out. Consider some of the other rapid-fire thoughts.

Vikings Postgame: 6 Quick Thoughts

1 — Decent News for Justin Jefferson

The bad news is that Justin Jefferson sprained his ankle and didn’t come back. The good news is that he was close to doing so.

Kevin O’Connell was reasonably upbeat in his postgame presser. Minnesota’s skipper clarified that Jefferson was close to returning, as the game broadcast suggested when showing #18 trying to test his ankles after getting taped.

What’s sometimes true, though, is that a player is more sore on a Monday than on a Sunday when the adrenaline is pumping. Consider Jefferson questionable, at best, moving into Week 4.

2 — Yet Another Passer Hurt

Yet again, a passer facing off against that Brian Flores defense left the game with an injury. The Vikings are playing clean, physical football. What sets them apart is an unusual level of sophisticated aggression.

Both of Caleb Williams in Week 2 and Baker Mayfield in Week 3 did an admirable job of hanging in there. Eventually, though, it feels like a dam breaking, allowing the waters of pressure to drown the quarterback.

It looks very difficult to leave a game against Flores without having a ton of bumps and bruises.

3 — Will Reichard is Steph Curry

Will Reichard is a beast. The specialist went 3/3 on his field goals and 2/2 on his extra points, doing so with Johnny Hekker as his holder. A pair of those field goals came from beyond 50.

Coach O’Connell referred to him as being Minnesota’s version of Steph Curry. Get the K1 open for a three and just wait for the football to go swoosh.

4 — Nice Bounce Back from Eric Wilson

Early in the game, I made note of a tough Eric Wilson rep when a pulling guard pushed him back before tossing him to the ground. Mr. Wilson then had a fantastic game.

The veteran linebacker finished his day with 10 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 quarterback hits, and 1 pass defended. He was all over the place, proving vital within the suffocating defensive effort.

5 — Only a Matter of Time

Only a matter of time for Mr. Price. Check it out:

Don’t forget that he was an undrafted add who demanded $0 in guaranteed money. Mr. Price has earned things the whole way through a pile of hard work.

6 — Kyler Murray Had a J.J. McCarthy Day

Not a great day at the office for Kyler Murray.

He finished the Week 3 game having gone 15/29 for 168 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. He got sacked 3 times and finished with a 66.5 passer rating. On a few occasions, Murray underthrew the ball when going deep.

Murray isn’t yet a finished product in this offense. Do note, though, that next week’s game will mean roughly 1/4 of the way through the 2026 Vikings season.

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  By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports

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Study this one closely.

Non-conference Records Versus Power 4 Teams:

• SEC: 10-2 (Gross)
• Big 12: 5-7
• ACC: 6-9
• Big Ten: 4-10
• Mountain West: 0-7
• Pac-12: 0-12

Preseason expectations are meaningless compared to actual results. The Big Ten has underperformed. Oregon’s loss to Oklahoma State forced a change in perceptions out West.

But it’s a long season.

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The Ducks will probably continue building their at-large Playoff resume in Conference play.

That’s a harder task for teams in the Big 12, which rely more on margins of victory to boost their status.

The worst optics from the non-conference season, though, are by far on the Pac-12.

That league’s claim as a “Power Conference” was officially exposed as false. The rebuilt Conference of Champions is nowhere near Power Conference status.

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Yet, Boise State’s position as the top Group of 6 team provides the league a path to the Playoff.

Here’s my Power Ranking for the Top Teams in the West for Week 5.

1. Utah (1-0, 4-0) ▲1

Dominant. That’s the best way to describe Utah through the non-conference season.

The second half against Iowa State wasn’t great. But a 31-17 road win in Ames under poor field conditions and bad weather is significant.

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Combined with the blowout victories over Arkansas and Utah State, the expectations for Utah are rising for a reason.

Margins of victory will be critical against the lower-tier teams in the Big 12.

2. UCLA (2-0, 4-0) ▲2

It’s time to put UCLA in the Playoff discussion. Bob Chesney has led the Bruins to a 2-0 start in Big Ten play.

Currently undefeated and looking dominant, the program’s respect is growing every week.

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The spread in Maryland was just a few points. The 54-3 win provides hope, optimism, and increased expectations.

The program has officially increased its status in the realigned college football world.

3. BYU (1-0, 3-0) ▼2

The timing of BYU’s bye affects the narrative.

Other teams out West gained respectable victories, boosting the resume of its competitors.

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That’s just a fact that comes with taking a week off. But the path to the Playoff has always been through winning the Big 12.

Forget the politics of securing an at-large bid. It’s a long season, and the Cougars are in the thick of the Playoff hunt.

4. Oregon (1-0, 3-1) ▲1

The decision to bring in Dylan Raiola as a backup shows Dan Lanning’s skill as a coach. It also shows the extraordinary resources Oregon has at its disposal.

The Ducks did not miss a beat with Raiola. He has experience starting in the Big Ten, and UO has much better personnel surrounding him this time.

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Dante Moore’s injury could rally the team for the rest of the season.

The momentum is starting to shift in Oregon’s favor.

5. Boise State (0-0, 3-1) ▲1

Two results helped Boise State this weekend.

The clear victory over Western Michigan proved that the Broncos are the top Group of 6 team in the country. And Oregon’s road victory over USC increased the value of the close defeat in Eugene.

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In a lot of ways, BSU is in the driver’s seat for a Playoff run.

But any loss in Pac-12 play would substantially damage the resume.

6. USC (1-1, 4-1) ▼3

The loss at home to Oregon shows that USC has not developed as a program under Lincoln Riley. It’s only one loss, and it doesn’t define the season.

While Dan Lanning’s UO teams have not lost a conference road game since joining the league in 2024, these Ducks seemed beatable.

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The loss in the Coliseum shows the Trojans are not elite in the Big Ten.

For a program with as much tradition as USC, the last few years have not been good enough.

7. Arizona (0-1, 3-1) ▲1

Arizona carried the Big 12’s banner and planted it in Pullman.

The difference between the Power 4 and the Group of 6 is depth and special teams. The Wildcats have a strong running back rotation. And hit a 50-plus-yard field goal to seal the game.

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The victory over the Cougars dropped the Pac-12 to 0-12 against the Power 4 and 0-6 against the Big 12.

Now, Conference play begins against undefeated Cincinnati.

8. Arizona State (1-0, 2-1) ▲1

Kenny Dillingham had a bye week to prepare for Baylor. The Big 12 home opener provides an opportunity to send a message.

The program’s best win is over Kansas and the loss to Texas A&M looks worse each week.

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There’s no resume for ASU to point to. To build it, margins of victory become important.

A strong performance this weekend in Tempe would boost the team’s image.

9. New Mexico (0-0, 3-1) ▲1

That wasn’t even close. New Mexico went into Las Cruces and crushed New Mexico State.

The final score underlines the perception of UNM this season. Moving forward, the Mountain West schedule is favorable for the Lobos.

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North Dakota State, UNLV, and Air Force all come to Albuquerque.

It’s a narrow path to the Playoff. But if New Mexico wins out, they will be in the discussion.

10. Washington (0-1, 3-1) ▼3

It’s going to be a long season in Seattle. This is not what the program should look like in Year Three.

Jedd Fisch made a mistake leaving Arizona to take the Washington job.

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It’s time for the UW administration to rip the band-aid off now. The longer this process is prolonged, the worse off the program will be.

The Fisch Era in Seattle is over. It’s just a matter of time.

Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.

Latest posts by Dane Miller (see all)

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The Minnesota Vikings pulled off the win in Tampa Bay to climb up to 3-0. That’s good news.

Unfortunately, some brutal Vikings news arrived this morning.

Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network offered the update on tight end Josh Oliver: “#Vikings TE Josh Oliver is feared to have suffered a torn biceps in Sunday’s game and will have an MRI today determine if that is the case, sources say. Oliver would be out indefinitely if the testing confirms.”

Terrible Vikings News Hits Headlines

Losing the TE2, were that to be fully confirmed, would be a tough hit to the offense.

Thor Nystrom commented on the significance online: “Oliver is one of the most underrated players on the Vikings, a skeleton key on offense that unlocks their ability to be multiple and manipulate defensive personnel. This one hurts.”

Nystrom is essentially bang on in his assessment.

Part of the magic of Josh Oliver is that he allows the Vikings to be multiple, largely due to being unpredictable. Putting the TE2 into the game means being capable of passing or running with some proficiency. A great blocker, Oliver is a sneaky athlete who does a better job as a pass catcher than most realize.

He can be tasked with wrestling with an edge rusher, an assignment that a lot of players at his position can’t handle (watch the end of the Bears game when a TE tried to wrestle with Dallas Turner).

In fact, I chatted with him once about that particular issue a while ago, bringing up the idea that edge rushers sometimes make the comment that they should never let a tight end block them. His response to that saying, “Yeah, I think that’s just like the chip on your shoulder that I continue to have. People are always going to say this and that, but I mean if you go out and you got to put on pads and line up in front of me. The aftermath is the aftermath.”

When it comes to Josh Oliver and being multiple, think the difference between Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. In Jones, the Vikings boast a runner who can threaten a defense either in the running or passing game. Defenses therefore encounter some uncertainty pre-snap since it’s tough to make an educated guess. In Mason, the Vikings boast somebody who is really only a threat in the running game. Defenses know this when Mason is out there.

So, Josh Oliver is indeed a key piece of the puzzle. Pre-snap uncertainty is always to be coveted and is a core part of the Vikings’ ethos.

Originally, the tight end got into the NFL as a 3rd-Round choice of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019. The stint down in Jacksonville didn’t lead to Oliver shining. His next stop with the Baltimore Ravens did lead to him proving to be a great option as a blocker, leading to a 2023 signing from Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.

Losing Oliver would mean that T.J. Hockenson gets a heartier workload. Already, the TE1 is…the TE1. So, there’s not a ton more that can be placed onto his shoulders even if Kevin O’Connell and Wes Phillips task Hockenson with blocking a touch more.

Next up for in-house options are sophomores Gavin Bartholomew (on the 53-man roster), Ben Yurosek (working through injury), and Cam Grandy (on the practice squad).

Last year, the Vikings employed veteran tight end Nick Vannett for a little while. He’s a brawny blocker who is hanging around on Baltimore’s practice squad. Don’t be surprised if he’s a target of the Minnesota Vikings with the Josh Oliver news.

Some other options exists in leaning on fullback Max Bredeson more. That could mean more 21 personnel or even tasking Bredeson with lining up at tight end, something he did a lot at Michigan. Moreover, there’s Jauan Jennings and his ability as a blocker. He won’t be tasked with playing tight end but he’s a great option to block when leaning on 11 personnel.

Next up is a Week 4 game against the Miami Dolphins. Even if there’s some unexpected good news with the tight end, the Vikings aren’t likely to see Josh Oliver for a little while.

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The Irish team bowed their heads during playing of the Israeli national anthem on Sunday night and they declined to shake hands with their opponents, a gesture that is customary before international fixtures.

Ireland played the match wearing black armbands in memory of those killed in Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip, and just 24 hours earlier it was unclear whether the match would go ahead at all.

‘Significant majority’ vote to play

On Saturday, the players voted in favor of playing what was technically a home match for Israel in Debrecen, Hungary, despite widespread opposition to their participation among the Irish public.

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David Courell, the chief executive of the Irish FA (FAI), told a press conference that had been delayed for several hours while players and coaches met to discuss the issue, that a significant majority of the squad had voted to play.

“Based on that, the association took ⁠the decision on behalf of Irish ​football that this fixture would continue, as we have always intended to fulfil the fixtures,” he said.

However, the vote was not unanimous and one player, reserve goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, decided to pull out of the squad for this and a second match against Israel during this international break.

In Sunday’s match, Troy Parrott netted the opener for Ireland in the 14th minute, with ​Adam Idah scoring two minutes later. Jack Moylan added a third in the 25th to make the final score 3-0.

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Few supporters present

The fixture was played in a largely empty stadium in Debrecen, with just a few hundred Israeli fans and a handful of Irish supporters in attendance.

The FAI had not reserved any tickets for their fans to attend the match and public broadcaster RTE showed the match without the usual halftime analysis.

Over the previous few days, the Irish team had been under intense pressure from Irish fans and politicians to boycott the fixture.

Ireland has long been a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause and formally recognized a Palestinian state in 2024 alongside Spain and Norway. Dublin has also repeatedly criticized Israel over the Gaza conflict.

A Hamas raid into Israel on October 7, 2023, killed around 1,200 people, prompting Israel’s attack on Gaza which has killed over 73,000.

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Ireland’s next Nations League match was originally scheduled to be played in Dublin on October 4, but due to security concerns, it has been moved to the Serbian town of Backa Topola, where it is to be played behind closed doors.

Edited by: Jonathan Harding

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