Minnesota tight end Irv Smith Jr. had a promising rookie season, but at the start of his second year with the team, he was in a limited role.
Smith Jr. was only targeted five times in the first two games by quarterback Kirk Cousins. The offense struggled to get anything going and Smith Jr. did not fulfill the breakout performances that some predicted.
But recently, Smith Jr. has found his stride with the Vikings offense. The tight end was targeted five times each against Seattle and Atlanta.
Against the Packers, he was only targeted once, but he had a very good game blocking for Dalvin Cook as Minnesota went run heavy in cold weather.
This game, he was targeted four times, two of which were touchdown receptions as the Vikings rolled to victory. Cousins told Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune that Smith Jr.’s performance was a good reminder to the people outside of the organization.
“At any time, [the tight ends] can help us,” Cousins said, via Krammer. “It’s just a matter of the plays that get called and the way the defense chooses to defend those plays, and then the ball gets distributed accordingly.”
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer also liked what he saw out of the tight end.
“Irv believes now that he can really play this game and play this game at a high level,” coach Mike Zimmer said. “He’s always run good routes, he’s always caught the ball well. Probably his blocking is getting better and better.”
Krammer reported that Smith Jr. was seen at the trainer’s table after his second score. He did not return to the game.
For the Vikings sake, they need him healthy and involved in the offense. The unit looks better when he has a role in it.
