Recent content from Jim Souhan
Souhan: Sano's contract is big — to match his personality
After signing a three-year, $30 million extension with the Twins, Miguel Sano wants to boost his statistics as well.
Souhan: Twins pull off the improbable, improve a record-breaking lineup
A Twins team that set the MLB mark for homers in 2019 added more firepower in Josh Donaldson.
Souhan: Zimmer has something to prove with defense next season
For all of his regular-season accomplishments, coach Mike Zimmer will enter 2020 needing to prove that he can win with a new defense.
Souhan: Cousins the playmaker? That QB left behind in New Orleans
The Vikings are a pretty good team. Kirk Cousins is a pretty good quarterback. That combination isn't likely to bring a Super Bowl title to Minnesota.
Souhan: 2019 Vikings rewarded for sticking to their plan
Their commitment to the run has put less of a burden on Kirk Cousins and enabled the defense to avoid getting worn down.
Souhan: Star and 'bodyguard.' Cook not shy about crediting Ham
As running back Dalvin Cook emerged as the key to the Vikings offense this season, fullback C.J. Ham took on more and more responsibility for making things run well.
Souhan: From now on, never say never when talking about Cousins
In his first playoff game in with the Vikings, Kirk Cousins rose to the challenge in a hostile environment.
Souhan: Stakes are high for Vikings — and we're not just talking playoffs
The question Vikings ownership will face if the Vikings lose Sunday is: What do you do with a leadership team that succeeds in the regular season but not the playoffs?
Souhan: Minneapolis and New Orleans are different cities with similar passions for football
Football connects the Mississippi River's bookend cities.
Souhan: Vikings drew their worst possible opening opponent in Saints
Drew Brees-led New Orleans has a passing game that can shred apart a struggling secondary.
Souhan: Even with Vikings' loss, Bears clearly the team in decline
The best thing that happened to the Vikings this season was that the Bears imploded.
Souhan: Cousins flubs yet another chance to beat Monday night jinx
Unless Kirk Cousins can change the way he plays in important games, what happened on Monday night will be remembered as a prequel to another Vikings playoff failure.
Souhan: Vikings' 'Rushmen' are a tribute to defenders past and present
Coming off two dominant performances, The Rushmen on Monday night will face a unique challenge: A quarterback requiring caution, in Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers.
Souhan: It's time to hold Astros, Patriots accountable for cheating
The Astros won a World Series while cheating. The Patriots have won multiple Super Bowls while cheating. Here in Minnesota, we have the perfect precedent for punishing cheaters. Take away their trophies.
Souhan: Under Coyle, Gophers sports rising to 'amazing' level of success
It's truly a golden time for athletics at the University of Minnesota.
Souhan: In entertaining season, Vikings' narrative changes weekly
Every week has been a miniseries. They've featured sniping receivers, an apologizing quarterback, key injuries, a cornerback sideline tantrum, wrenching losses, redemptive victories -- and now a meaningful Border Battle.
Souhan: Vikings shroud Dalvin Cook's latest injury in mystery
Following their most lopsided victory of the season, the Vikings' smiles were paired with winces because of Cook's injury, the way expensive wine might pair with moldy cheese.
Souhan: The sod truth, Vikings struggle on grass
Since 1982, the Vikings' winning percentage on grass fields is .390 (66-104-2). That ranks them 25th among the 32 NFL franchises.
Souhan: Team bonding a sweet idea that hasn't shown much success
The Wolves and Wild engaged in relationship-building getaways during the offseason, but any success from such gatherings hasn't been visible to the ticket-buying public.
Souhan: Wild honors cool-as-ice captain Koivu
Koivu is a Minnesota rarity because of the oddity of his career. He was good and durable enough to play in 1,000 games, and understated enough to avoid fame.
Souhan: For Danielle Hunter, flamboyance is in the statistics
The 25-year-old defensive end had three sacks in the first half on Sunday, making him the youngest player in NFL history to reach 50 sacks.
Souhan: Where have you gone, Vikings defense?
The Vikings' defense is in decline because of some of their best and highest-paid players are on the downside of their careers or hampered by injuries.
Souhan: Twins' options to fill out rotation are plentiful
Signing Madison Bumgarner might be the easiest path for the Twins, but it also figures to be the most expensive.
Souhan: Rhodes' blowup another reminder all isn't right with defense
After another woeful performance by cornerback Xavier Rhodes, and another big-game whiff from the Vikings defense, should Rhodes be gone for good?
Souhan: History lesson on black quarterbacks is worth repeating
Time for a history lesson. Did you know that there was a point in NFL history when executives shied away from drafting, signing or developing black quarterbacks? It was 2018.
Souhan: Gophers, Vikings doing stunning, historic things right now
Here's the usual: Vikings lose big games, Gophers don't reach them. But what we're seeing so far has the makings of the best football season in state history.
Souhan: Tanner Morgan making history, but won't be the one to tell you
Tanner Morgan, who didn't practice until Wednesday because of concussion symptoms, threw four touchdown passes and now has a school-record 26 this season.
Souhan: Development of Morgan at QB is promising sign for Gophers' future
P.J. Fleck speaks of "culture" and speaks in slogans, but the true opportunity for building a better program lies at the quarterback position. He's off to a pretty good start.
Souhan: Huge comeback vs. Bears in '92 was a Vikings turning point
Sparked by a memorable comeback on Oct. 4, the Vikings finished 11-5 in 1992 and made the playoffs, setting themselves up for a decade of success that included two NFC championship games.
Souhan: Cousins continues mending his reputation by leading comeback
This was not your basic comeback: Kirk Cousins threw three second-half touchdown passes as the Vikings pulled off a rally that was unique in the history of the NFL.
Souhan: Vikings come down hard on Browns' Garrett for his outburst
Thursday night's brawl on national TV gives the NFL a black eye.
Souhan: Gophers look the part of a football team ready for the big stage
The Gophers have won big games before. They have upset highly ranked teams and traditional powers before. What was different about their latest upset was that it didn't look like an upset.
Souhan: Interviewing wore down Baldelli; 101 wins refreshed him
Teams can be fooled by interviews, but what the Twins saw in Rocco Baldelli during those meetings after the 2018 season dovetailed with his résumé and what others said about him.
Souhan: Tipped pass by Kendricks in final minute saves the day for Vikings
Eric Kendricks had spent Sunday night sifting through blockers and applying shoulders to one of football's best running backs. Now the Cowboys were isolating him on the biggest play of the game.
Souhan: Jerry Jones has nothing on the Wilfs and the Vikings
The Cowboys may be America's team, but the Vikings have their own impressive facilities and fan base.
Souhan: Big games bring big stakes for many on Gophers, Vikings
Neither game is do-or-die; both are do-or-doubt. These are the kinds of games that can make or mar reputations, especially at maximum-scrutiny positions.
Souhan: Fleck and the Gophers take a huge leap in relationship
Minnesota's paranoia of coaches departing for The Big City or The Bigger Program dates to Lou Holtz, who suckered the state into believing he was committed to the U in the 1980s.
Souhan: Should Twins break up the BombaSquad for a top pitcher?
The Twins might have to trade to fill their needs. For all of their hitting talent, they have few players who have proved they belong in the middle of the order for a championship team.
Souhan: C'mon, 'College GameDay': Gophers-Penn State is where you ought to be
This might be the biggest game ever to be played at TCF Bank Stadium and perhaps Minnesota's biggest game since Murray Warmath was coaching.
Souhan: NCAA decision more about own profits than helping athletes
This news feels like progress because the NCAA has made so little before. The organization has gotten rich treating athletes like modern-day, jersey-wearing sharecroppers.
Souhan: Wiggins remains an enigma, this time a heroic one
Sunday night, in the Timberwolves' home opener, Andrew Wiggins proved that the most appropriate unifying theory regarding his career is that he is an amenable enigma.
Souhan: Wolves following other teams' lead in making over organization
It's a direction that makes sense, even with the nonsensical word 'culture' attached to it.
Souhan: Promising second half awaiting Vikings after wild two months
After all the drama and suppressed controversy, the Vikings are on a winning streak, boast the third-best point differential in the NFL and are relatively healthy with nine more days to heal before visiting Kansas City.
Souhan: Vikings-Redskins game worthy of burying and praising cast of characters
Vikings fans, who should you cheer or jeer at U.S. Bank Stadium on Thursday night? Here's a roadmap.
![Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer celebrated their win with Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) at Ford Field.] Jerry Holt • Jerry](https://stmedia.stimg.co/ows_157161631887985.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Souhan: You're seeing Cousins that Vikings hoped they were getting
Kirk Cousins on Sunday in Detroit was accurate, aggressive, mistake-free and sometimes spectacular. He was also clutch, which is a word he doesn't hear often.
Souhan: Credit Vikings for keeping house in order
The Vikings did not did not let a little early-season adversity spiral out of control.
Souhan: Left brain, right brain battle over what Twins should do
Handing out major free agent contracts has been one sure way not to win the World Series in recent years. But imagine what a great pitching addition could do for a team that won 101 games this season.
Souhan: Combining substance with style, you can't deny Fleck can coach
If you hate overt marketing and sloganeering, you may still not like Gophers coach P.J. Fleck. But Fleck knows his target audience, and has passed an eye test that speaks to his coaching skills.
Souhan: Cure for an uncommon 'cold?' A hot game for Diggs
Stefon Diggs had more receiving yards Sunday afternoon than in any other two games this season. "I have been waiting patiently, preparing," he said.
Souhan: These next two Vikings games mean everything
If the Vikings lose their next two games, they will have to make up ground against such quarterbacks as Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, Philip Rivers, Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. That's a bit scary, given that they've already lost a game to Chase Daniel.
Souhan: Why Twins should consider trading Rosario
Rosario is talented, entertaining, clutch ... and tradable. Will the Twins deal their cleanup hitter for pitching this winter?
Souhan: From Metrodome to Target Field, Twins' dubious record lingers
The playoff failures are a shared history now, from old Yankee Stadium to new, from Metrodome to Target Field, from Everyday Eddie Guardado to Any Pitch Will Do Eddie Rosario.
Souhan: All is well (for now) after convincing victory over Giants
The Vikings proved that they could handle drama and beat a mediocre team with a rookie quarterback. But the fate of this season rests with how they'll do when things get tougher.
Souhan: Twins' lineup of sluggers does little to rattle Yankees pitching
In two lopsided losses in the Bronx, the Twins lost by a combined score of 18-6, and in their 8-2 loss on Saturday at Yankee Stadium in Game 2, they were hardly competitive.
Souhan: Twins off their game in series opener, and pay the price
The Twins on Friday needed more innings from starter Jose Berrios and more resistance from the lineup. Instead, they produced one run after the third inning.
Souhan: Twins-Yankees a modern baseball matchup in a classic venue
Never before have two 100-victory teams met in baseball's playoffs while wielding so much power and so little pitching certainty.
Souhan: Lots of reasons why these Twins shouldn't fear the Yankees
Are we supposed to believe that the 2019 Twins have no chance to beat the 2019 Yankees because a bunch of departed players failed to beat previous Yankee teams?
'Grown up.' Sano finally becoming the player he was expected to be
Twins executives, managers, coaches and teammates had tried to lead Miguel Sano. Then a new teammate came along and Sano found the ideal leader in Nelson Cruz -- and Sano was ready to follow him.
A much different Twins team gets ready to recapture postseason magic
These powerful newbies could break Minnesota's streak of 13 playoff losses.
Souhan: Take it from the old guard and welcome Yankees in the playoffs
Current and former Twins believe there is no reason to fear their playoff matchup with the Yankees, but that belief is hardly supported by historical fact.
Souhan: Blossoming bullpen becomes Twins' weapon of secrecy
The bullpen became a Twins weapon because of the most boring and underappreciated aspect of baseball management: Patience with young talent.
Souhan: Key players turned around careers for march into postseason
Wednesday night, a handful of formerly under-or-off-the-radar Twins players produced, again, proving that the most mathematic of sports is often the least predictable.
Souhan: Forget Lombardi. Fleck needs to be next Glen Mason (or Jerry Kill)
P.J. Fleck arrived at Minnesota painting himself as the next Murray Warmath. Approaching his third Big Ten football opener, it's time for him to target a more reasonable goal.
Souhan: Cook's excellence has made him the face of the Vikings
Dalvin Cook is the Vikings' best player, athlete, stratagem and blemish-obscurer. "We're riding his coattails,'' receiver Adam Thielen said.
64.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Souhan: Big money, big trouble so far in Year 2 of Cousins, Gruden
Success is still very much possible for the Vikings QB and the Raiders coach, but they are battling high expectations and confidence-deflating starts.
Souhan: Maybe Baldelli isn't so different from past Twins managers
Twins first-year manager Rocco Baldelli wields attributes that previously benefited Tom Kelly, Ron Gardenhire and Paul Molitor.
Souhan: Champion St. Paul Saints get their minute in the sun
The social media response turned a joke about having a one-block, one-minute parade into an event, which is just how things happen in Saints World.
Souhan: Is Cousins regressing? Or did Vikings overestimate him from the beginning?
On Sunday, quarterback Kirk Cousins was in situations where he could prompt comparisons to Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre. Instead, he evoked memories of Christian Ponder.
Souhan: Talk of Vikings' new 'offensive identity' should be silenced
What works one week might not work the next.
Souhan: Vikings will bring Ham to counter Green Bay, cheeseheads
C.J. Ham's ability to pass block, run block, run and catch could give him rare job security for an NFL fullback, especially one who wasn't drafted out of college.
Souhan: What the hex going on with Twins' history of crushing injuries?
The Twins, who found out Tuesday they'd be without Byron Buxton the rest of the season, haven't entered the playoffs with their best players healthy since 2003.
Souhan: Cook reminds us how much he needs to remain healthy
Having Dalvin Cook available and productive is the unifying theme of the 2019 Vikings. He is the rare non-quarterback who may be his team's pivotal player.
Souhan: Pressure is on Zimmer, Spielman to make playoffs run
The Vikings should be good this year. They should make the playoffs. If they don't, ownership will have to decide whether to give Mike Zimmer and personnel boss Rick Spielman one more year.
Souhan: Vikings' kicker drama nothing new, but now is self-imposed
When it comes to Vikings and kickers, history doesn't just haunt. It nags.
Souhan: USWNT, Lynx players support the fight for excellence and better pay
Both teams know that merely winning won't mean they will suddenly begin earning what their male counterparts make, nor will silence. "We're all in this together," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said.
