This might be the end of the road for veteran safety Harrison Smith.

Though he hasn’t made any sort of formal announcement garnering a farewell tour — or really even hinted at his plans for the future — it wouldn’t surprise anybody if Smith decided to retire upon the conclusion of this season.

It’s fitting then that Smith turned back the clock on Christmas in what could end up being the penultimate game of his career.

Never mind that Smith is a 36-year-old who has seen pretty much everything there is to see in the NFL. He looked more like a 26-year-old in his prime while leading the Vikings to a 23-10 win over the Detroit Lions on Thursday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The stats spoke for themsleves as Smith finished with one sack, two tackles for a loss, one interception, and three passes defended. That vintage performance from Smith served a catalyst for a dominant defensive display that featured the Vikings forcing six turnovers as the Lions suffered a loss that dropped them into the cellar of the NFC North.

That made up for a historically bad offensive output that included rookie quarterback Max Brosmer completing 8 of 15 passes for 41 yards while taking seven sacks for a loss of 48 yards. It marked the first time a team has won a game with negative net passing yards since the Houston Texans beat the Oakland Raiders on Dec. 3, 2006.

It wasn’t so much that Brosmer couldn’t get anything going when he dropped back to pass. It was that it started to feel like something bad was going to happen whenever the ball was in his hands.

Luckily for the Brosmer, defensive coordinator Brian Flores made life equally miserable for veteran quarterback Jared Goff on the other end. It looked like Goff’s brain melted as he threw two interceptions in the game and lost three fumbles.

The writing was on the wall from the onset as the Vikings took control after edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel dove on a loose ball deep in enemy territory.  A few plays later, veteran running back Aaron Jones plunged into the end zone, pushing the Vikings in front 7-0 in the early stages.

The only positive momentum the Lions could generate in the game came on an 80-yard drive that took 10 minutes, 8 seconds off the clock. It ended with Goff finding receiver Isaac TeSlaa for a touchdown that tied the game at 7-7.

That held up as the score at halftime with the Vikings only gaining 36 yards of total offense at that point in the game. It was the lowest yardage for any team leading or tied at halftime in the past 20 years.

The defensive dominance from the Vikings coming out of the locker room was something else. It started with cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. hauling in an interception before Smith made an incredible break on a ball to record an interception of his own.

Both of those takeaways led to long field goals from kicker Will Reichard as the Vikings went in front 13-7.

Just when it looked like the Lions might claw their way back into the game, the Vikings forced another turnover, this time with Van Ginkel and edge rusher Dallas Turner teaming up for a strip sack before defensive tackle Jalen Redmond recovered the fumble.

After the Lions netted a field goal to cut the deficit to 13-10, the Vikings put the game away when receiver Jordan Addison took a jet sweep 65 yards to th house to make it 20-10.
Fittingly, the Vikings finalized the score at 23-10 after one final turnover by the Lions.

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Why the Vikings losing on Christmas might actually help them

While the NFL and NBA have a slate of games on Christmas Day, the NHL takes a different approach. From close of business on Dec. 23 to the morning of Dec. 27, the hockey rink is closed. That means no games, no practices; nothing officially organized or sanctioned by the team is allowed.

A year ago at this time, when then-Dallas coach Peter DeBoer talked openly about the optional team skate that the Stars had held on Dec. 26, the NHL promptly fined the franchise $80,000 for their blatant violation of the holiday hiatus.

This season, the mandated work-stoppage means that for their Saturday evening game in Winnipeg, the Wild will be hopping on a plane early Saturday morning to fly to Manitoba and playing later that same day.

Those challenges notwithstanding, most players enjoy the small break for their physical and mental wellbeing, and to spend some time with their families — either in Minnesota or via a quick trip to their hometowns, weather permitting.

After just six games since the blockbuster trade that brought him to Minnesota, Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes said in a small way, he wishes the break came at a different time, as he is still getting accustomed to life and hockey in Minnesota. But he admitted that the reception he has gotten from the fans and from the team has been memorable.

“Extremely special. I mean, it’s just been a whirlwind and it’s been really, really cool for me the last week here,” Hughes said. “I feel like I’m starting to get in a groove here, but it’ll be nice to enjoy some days off, too.”

A few days before Christmas, the league debuted a new commercial featuring four of the league’s young rising stars, including Hughes, showing how in this world of artificial intelligence, nothing can match the on-ice product that is available currently. The 30-second spot shows Hughes, Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger, Colorado defenseman Cale Makar and Boston forward Charlie McAvoy in a classroom setting, asking questions and scoffing at the notion that AI can compare to NHL hockey.

Hughes’ part of the commercial was filmed last summer, when he was still with Vancouver. But the NHL video folks did a quick edit to include video of Hughes scoring his first goal in a Wild uniform.

Hughes has a goal and three assists in his brief Wild tenure, and the team has gone 4-1-1 in that stretch. He is the defensive anchor on the top power play unit and has fit in right from the start. Replica jerseys with his number 43 on the back were a hot seller in the run-up to Christmas, as were shirts declaring “Quinnesota” as the state’s new nickname.

His only regulation loss with the Wild was Colorado’s 5-1 spanking last weekend, in which the scary-good Avalanche power play torched Minnesota for a pair of goals. Watching what that foe can do, Hughes saw a vision of what he believes the Wild can be.

“You watch Makar and (Nathan) MacKinnon and those guys, how they snapped it around on their power play. We’re obviously not there right now,” he said. “They’ve been together seven years and they know how each other likes the puck and whatnot. It won’t take us seven years, I don’t think, but I think that it’ll take us a couple games to continue to understand each other.”

Ever the perfectionist, Hughes said the Wild organization has been first class in helping him feel at home right away, and promises that fans have not yet seen the best that he can bring on ice.

“It’s been good,” he said. “I think we’re just getting going though.”

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MINNESOTA vs. NEW MEXICO

What: Rate Bowl
When: 3:30 p.m. CDT Friday
Where: Chase Stadium, Phoenix
TV: ESPN
Radio: KFAN-FM 100.3
Betting spread: Minnesota minus-2.5

Records: Minnesota (7-5) is bowl eligible for the sixth time in eight non-pandemic seasons under P.J. Fleck. New Mexico (9-3) is bowling for the first time since 2016.

History: This is the first matchup between the two programs and was an unlikely pairing that first needed two Big XII Conference teams (Iowa State and Kansas State) to opt out of bowl bids.

Resumes: The Gophers went 7-0 at home for the first time since 1967, but they stumbled to 0-5 on the road. They went 5-4 in Big Ten play, with late comebacks against Rutgers, Purdue and Michigan State, won handily against Nebraska and captured Paul Bunyan’s Axe against Wisconsin. But outside of Minnesota, they were blown out at Ohio State, Iowa and Oregon, and they couldn’t stop 6-6 Northwestern at Wrigley Field.

Under first-year head coach Jason Eck, the Lobos lost their season opener 37-17 to No. 14 Michigan at the Big House, but knocked off UCLA 35-10 at the Rose Bowl two weeks later. At 6-2, they finished in a four-way tie for the Mountain West lead, snapping long losing streaks to Colorado State and Air Force. But losses to Boise State, San Jose State and tiebreakers kept them from the conference championship game.

Big question: Can the Gophers keep their bowl win streak alive? Minnesota has won eight in a row, six straight under Fleck. The U doesn’t mail it in during bowls, but it will be playing a motivated Lobos team keen on knocking off another Big Ten team this season. The all-time bowl winning streak is Florida State’s run of 11 in a row from 1985-95.

Who has the edge?

Gophers offense vs. New Mexico defense: The Lobos were believed to be starting at “rock bottom again” after the exit of Bronco Mendenhall to Utah State, per an anonymous Mountain West assistant in Athlon, but Eck rocketed past those expectations. A respectable defense is a big reason why; they are allowing only 22.5 points per game, 48th in the nation … Minnesota’s offense is averaging 23 points a game, coming in at 98th in the country, but had more success with QB Drake Lindsey throwing it at the end of the season. The redshirt freshman completed 75% of passes in the snow and cold against the Badgers and had a four-TD game versus Northwestern. … Lindsey likely won’t have his No. 1 target, senior Le’Meke Brockington, who is expected to opt out. … The Gophers did not have a turnover in their final four regular-season games. … LB Jaxton Eck, the head coach’s son, led the team with 126 total tackles. … Keyshawn James-Newby, a 6-foot-2, 245-pound edge rusher, has been a menace with a team-high eight sacks and 63 total pressures, ranks third in the nation according to Pro Football Focus. EDGE: Gophers 

Gophers defense vs. New Mexico offense: Lobos QB Jack Layne, a transfer from Idaho, completed 66% of his passes for 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 12 games. Eight of those picks came in the Lobos’ three losses. … Minnesota is 76th in the nation with eight interceptions; John Nestor’s two picks proved pivotal in the rivalry win over the Badgers. … DE Anthony Smith, who was second in the Big Ten with 10½ sacks, is playing in the bowl but hasn’t announced whether he will return in 2026. …. Senior DT Deven Eastern, who is headed to the Senior Bowl in January, also is expected to play. … New Mexico had three running backs with more than 349 rushing yards and at least five touchdowns. Backup QB James Laubstein also added 306 yards on the ground. … Minnesota was 31st in the nation versus the run (121 yards per game) but its woes — an average of 500 total yards allowed against Michigan State, Oregon and Northwestern — are still somewhat fresh. The U did limit Wisconsin to 268 total yards in the winter weather on Nov. 29. EDGE: Gophers

Special teams: Minnesota K Brady Denaburg made 67% of his total field goal attempts this season but he made than less 30% from beyond 40 yards. …  New Mexico’s K Luke Drzewiecki made 94% of field goals this year. … KR Damon Bankston took one to the house against Boise State. Minnesota’s KR Koi Perich had a 93-yard return against Northwestern. EDGE: New Mexico

Prediction: The Gophers always come ready to play in the postseason, and Friday will be no different. Minnesota is a disciplined team, which will uncork a few trick plays with added prep time. New Mexico beat a Big Ten team, but 3-9 UCLA was at its nadir then. Gophers, 28-24

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PHOENIX — The Rate Bowl no longer has the word “Guaranteed” in its name, and the concept of bowl games as a whole are no longer as promised. The expected expansion of the College Football Playoff from its current 12-team format up to 16, or perhaps 24, in upcoming years will mean fewer teams available for bowls.

When Notre Dame was left out of this year’s playoff, the Fighting Irish’s decision to not play in a bowl sent shockwaves through the sport.

“We are going to have an open mind of what the bowl system looks like,” Gophers athletics director Mark Coyle told the Pioneer Press on Wednesday. “I think people like the conference rivalries and the matchups when you play other conferences.”

One of the biggest reasons the bowl structure will at least resemble its current breadth is TV ratings. The 2024 Rate Bowl between Rutgers and Kansas State received 3.5 million viewers on the day after Christmas, which was its most-watched game since 2015.

The Gophers-Virginia Tech matchup in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Jan. 3 had 3.3 million on that Friday night, per an estimate compiled from Sports Media Watch.

“Saying that, ‘Oh, bowl games are dead,’ and taking bowl games away, I don’t think is very healthy. I don’t,” Fleck said last week. “I’m a huge advocate of bowl games. How we structure them from here on out, and what that looks like, and what conferences team up to do it, I think could be really interesting as we move forward.”

Bigger fines

Coyle said he is a proponent of schools receiving larger fines if they opt out of playing in bowls.

Both Iowa State and Kansas State — which were going through head coaching changes — were fined $500,000 by the Big XII Conference for declining to participate in this postseason. They were possible opponents for the Gophers before passing on the opportunities, which opened the door for New Mexico to take their place.

Pay to stay

The Gophers’ current revenue-sharing contracts with player include a payment for when they appear on the active roster for the bowl game. While some players will still opt out and forgo this money, the clause in their contract can be seen as an attempt to incentive players to remain with the program for the final game of the season.

Santa Fleck

Fleck and wife Heather make it a point to give a Christmas present to all of the assistant coaches’ and support staff’s children. This year, it’s up to more than 50 gifts to be opened during breakfast on Christmas Day. The staff also goes out to a restaurant for a nice meal earlier in the bowl week.

“You want to make it feel like the holiday season as much as possible and keep those traditions alive, especially for the kids,” Fleck said.

Briefly

Fleck was surprised by Jim McMahon during Wednesday’s practice in Phoenix. Fleck grew up in suburban Chicago and was a huge fan of the former Bears quarterback. Fleck has even dressed up as McMahon for Halloween many times. … When Rate dropped “Guaranteed” from its name in 2024, they issued a statement filled with corporate jargon. This bowl, in its 36th year, has also been called the Copper Bowl, Insight.com Bowl, Insight Bowl, Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, Cactus Bowl and Cheez-It Bowl. … Minnesota’s fifth appearance in this bowl ties Kansas State for the most. The Gophers also were here in 2006, ’08, ’09 and ’21.

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