Scoggins: Vikings defense feeds off a vintage performance by Harrison Smith

Anthony Barr handled the Gjallarhorn and Skol chant duties in pre-kickoff festivities Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. The former Vikings linebacker wore a No. 22 jersey to honor his good friend, Harrison Smith.

Smith returned the favor by wearing a T-shirt with Barr’s image in the locker room after the game. Smith sported different attire to U.S. Bank Stadium in the morning: a shirt that he kept from former teammate Audie Cole’s bachelor party.

“He’s now my cousin-in-law,” Smith noted.

The wily veteran safety treated his buddies in attendance to a throwback performance. Smith grabbed an interception and caused several rushed throws on blitzes to highlight an overall defensive gem in a 31-0 cakewalk over the disinterested-looking Washington Commanders.

“We had a good time out there,” Smith said.

That statement has not been a frequent theme inside the Vikings locker room this season. Losing is hard, especially for players who are closer to the end of their career than the beginning.

Smith is 36 years old and in his 14th season. The final stop of his career should be the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Smith loves to win, but more than anything, he loves competition and the feeling of being on the field on gameday. Perhaps that is why his voice cracked with emotion as he shared the message that coach Kevin O’Connell delivered to players before the game. O’Connell asked them to envision how the high school version of themselves would think about getting to play Sunday.

“That hit home with a lot of guys,” Smith said. “Getting a chance to play in the NFL is fun, so make it fun.”

Vikings defenders had amusement park kind of fun by generating three takeaways plus a goal-line stand on Washington’s first possession. Individual superlatives were aplenty, but teammates’ comments about Smith’s impact carry a special tone.

“He’s a legend,” said Andrew Van Ginkel, who had one of his signature interceptions on a screen pass. “He’s one of the Vikings greats. You can just see all of us feed off that.”

“We call him the ‘OG,’” linebacker Blake Cashman said, meaning original gangster. “We’re just so happy for him. I think it’s a very unique and special thing to see someone of his experience and his age continue to play at such a high level.”

Smith anticipated Mariota’s throw based on the formation and made the perfect read and break on the ball.

“Just made an assertive decision,” he said.

The interception was the 38th of his career, moving Smith ahead of Joey Browner for fourth most in franchise history.

“He’s a guy who helped define what it is to be a safety,” Smith said of Browner. “I think we probably had similar games — pretty physical guys but also could turn the ball over well. It’s just an honor to be mentioned amongst him.”

Smith celebrated his pick by making the “Hitman” hand signal.

The lack of takeaways has been a season-long narrative that has confounded the defense. The Vikings entered Sunday’s game with only 11 takeaways in 12 games, including just three interceptions.

“We’ve played pretty good ball in a lot of situations,” Smith said. “We just haven’t been able to get the tipped balls, the forced fumble recoveries, the Classic Gink.”

Van Ginkel’s interceptions on screen passes even have a name now: the Classic Gink.

Each interception by Smith carries added meaning now, too, given the stage of his career. His first pick this season was timely. The Vikings desperately needed a performance that lifted their spirits and removed some of the tension.

Barr’s appearance pregame to blow the Gjallarhorn served as a positive omen. He picked the right jersey to wear.