Beyond The Stands Podcast (West Vigo Softball)
Coach Nidiffer gives us a look inside a roster packed with talent and depth, while Lindley, a D1 Akron commit, opens up about her dominant start to the season. She's already ranked top 10 in the state in both RBIs and strikeouts — and she's just getting started.
Don't miss this deep dive into one of the hottest teams in Indiana softball.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Vikings Get Major Justin Jefferson Development as Season Nears
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Minnesota Vikings training camp hasn't looked the same this summer without the team's most competitive player, Justin Jefferson. Jefferson suffered what head coach Kevin O'Connell described as a "very mild" hamstring strain on the second day of training camp in July. However, almost a month has passed, and Jefferson has not participated in practice. His availability and building of chemistry with first-year starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy is tantamount for the team's success, especially with Jordan Addison poised to miss the first three games of the season due to suspension for an alcohol-related offense. Fortunately, Jefferson and McCarthy can start to make up for lost time. MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 15: Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings runs out of the team tunnel during player introductions before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at U.S. Bank Stadium on September... MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 15: Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings runs out of the team tunnel during player introductions before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 15, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings beat the 49ers 23-17. Jefferson was limited in practice on Wednesday. MoreESPN's Kevin Seifert reported on Monday, Aug. 18, that Jefferson will participate in part of the day's practice -- his first action since the second day of training camp. As Jefferson's injury absence continued into August, there was some concern that this was a lingering issue that could impact his availability for at least the team's season opener on primetime against the Chicago Bears. The Vikings still appear cautious with Jefferson. Read more: J.J. McCarthy Faces Brutally Honest Take After Vikings Camp "You'll see him [at practice]," O'Connell said when asked about Jefferson's status for Week 1. "He will begin to take part in practice. It'll be kind of a ramp-up. You'll see him take part in bits and pieces of it here, but he will officially be back to work and be ramping up from here. So glad you asked." Justin Jefferson will begin to take part in practice this week — Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 18, 2025 In 2023, Jefferson suffered a right hamstring injury that forced him to miss half of the season. This summer, Jefferson is currently nursing a left hamstring injury. Given Jefferson's lack of work this summer, there is some ground to suggest he could play a few snaps in the team's final preseason game against the Tennessee Titans on Friday. Read more: Vikings Facing Backlash Over Major J.J. McCarthy Decision However, the inherent risk of injury could keep Jefferson off the playing field until his team visits Soldier Field for Monday Night Football. At just 26 years old, Jefferson has the most receiving yards by any player in NFL history through their first five seasons, with 7,432 yards receiving in 77 regular-season games played. The gravity that Jefferson commands on defense has led to entire coverage schemes built to take him out of the game, which can be a boon for the rest of the Vikings' offense and McCarthy. For more on the Minnesota Vikings and general NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Justin Jefferson injury update: Status, latest news on Vikings WR
The Minnesota Vikings have spent most of training camp and the preseason operating without their top receiving weapon. Justin Jefferson has been out since the early stages of Vikings training camp because of a hamstring injury. His malady wasn't expected to be severe, but he still was out of action for three weeks because of it. The good news for Vikings fans? Jefferson appears ready to return to the field, well ahead of the Vikings' Week 1 "Monday Night Football" game against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 8. Here's what to know about Jefferson's injury and his status moving forward. Justin Jefferson injury update Minnesota coach Kevin O'Connell announced Jefferson would be returning to Vikings practice on Monday. "You'll see him," O'Connell told reporters when asked about Jefferson's status. "He will begin to take part in practice. It'll be kind of a ramp up. You'll see him take part in bits and pieces of it here, but he will officially be back to work and be ramping up from here." Jefferson had been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury during the Vikings' second training camp practice. At the time, O'Connell referred to the injury as mild and said Jefferson would be re-evaluated in a week. Jefferson's absence ended up lasting longer than that. Minnesota held him out of action until Monday's session, marking 24 days between practices for the star receiver. But now, it appears the 26-year-old is back to full strength, though the Vikings are preparing to ease him back into action with about three weeks remaining until the start of the 2025 NFL season. Justin Jefferson stats 2024 Jefferson was the Vikings' top receiver in 2024, as he posted his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season to open his career and posted more than 100 catches for the third time. Below is a look at Jefferson's stats from the 2024 NFL season: Jefferson was named an All-Pro first-teamer for his strong performance in 2024, marking the second time he had received the honor. NFL PRESEASON: Jaxson Dart, Caleb Williams among biggest winners of Week 2 Justin Jefferson fantasy outlook Jefferson figures to once again be one of the best fantasy football wide receivers in 2025. The 26-year-old has proven to be one of the most consistent pass-catchers in the NFL over the last half-decade; his history of success should allow him to retain his billing as the No. 2 fantasy receiver behind only Ja'Marr Chase. There are a couple of concerns with Jefferson. Notably, the Vikings are set to pivot to first-year starter J.J. McCarthy as their top quarterback; if the 2024 first-round pick gets off to a slow start, Jefferson might start the season on a slower-than-average pace. Jefferson's injury was also a point of pain for prospective fantasy managers before his return to practice. Now that he's back on the field, fantasy managers can feel confident selecting the 26-year-old as a top-five player in their fantasy football drafts. He should have plenty of time to ramp up to full speed before the regular season begins – barring any setbacks. Vikings WR depth chart Jefferson is the clear-cut No. 1 receiver on Minnesota's depth chart. He figures to see an especially large target share in the first three weeks of the season, as Jordan Addison will be serving a three-game suspension during that time. Below is the pecking order of Minnesota's top-six receivers according to the Vikings' most recent depth chart: * Denotes starter. The Vikings also lost veteran receiver Rondale Moore for the season due to a knee injury, so their depth at receiver figures to be tested early in the season.
New York Times
11 hours ago
- New York Times
Minnesota Vikings' shape-shifting defense has unearthed a star in Josh Metellus
EAGAN, Minn. — The most interesting player on the NFL's most metamorphosic defense doesn't have an actual position. Josh Metellus, like the Minnesota Vikings' defensive system, can be many things at once. On the whiteboard, when innovative defensive coordinator Brian Flores is installing concepts, Metellus is represented by a number of 'Xs.' Advertisement All over the whiteboard are the Xs: in the defensive backfield, where Metellus could rotate from a nickel defender on one snap to a deeper safety position on another; 'stacked' a few yards behind an outside cornerback in a coverage disguise; in the box as an inside linebacker; drawn into every rushing position across the line of scrimmage. 'So we call it the 'X-Man' spot,' Metellus told The Athletic, his easy grin slowly spreading across his face as he explained what exactly it is he does for the Vikings. 'I'm all Xs … where I started to go with it, then you talk about the blue lady in 'X-Men,' Mystique. Her being able to just fit different roles while still being elite at what she does.' X-man. Special. Linebacker. Safety. Nickel. Not normal. Amoeba. Joker. Handyman. 'Star.' Metellus has tried on all the names and descriptions since he emerged in this defense in 2023. 'I just tell people (now) that I'm a great football player,' he said. 'I might not be elite at one position, but I'm elite at football. That's what matters. That's the game we play.' The Vikings defense under Flores is the only of its kind in the NFL. It is a shape-shifting, ultra-aggressive scheme that features constant rotations by multiple defenders, the most exotic blitz packages in professional football and disguised pressure that doesn't just bewilder quarterbacks but also sometimes fools advanced statistical tracking systems. The Vikings blitzed at a league-leading 40.7 percent rate in 2024, according to Next Gen Stats, and they frequently show pre-snap looks that suggest they will send extra rushers but then drop multiple defenders in coverage instead. It means the 5-foot-11 and 207-pound Metellus, listed as a safety on the Vikings' roster, is sometimes categorized by tracking systems as playing defensive tackle snaps. According to Next Gen Stats, Metellus aligned at the line of scrimmage more often than any other NFL defensive back in 2024. He might be playing an inside gap, as a defensive tackle would, in order to execute a certain pressure call or fit a run like a linebacker. He might also be dropping into an inside linebacker position after the snap, or even further into the defensive backfield in coverage as a safety or nickel. In the eyes of the quarterback, any of this could be true — and he has no way of knowing what Metellus will do. By design, the defense has no tendencies, so opposing offenses have nothing to latch on to in order to diagnose a given play. The defense as a collective becomes a living entity, one with multiple personalities. All of those are aggressive, and somehow connected. 'Multiple personalities playing as one,' Metellus said. As unpredictable as it can be for the opponent, Flores' defense is made for his players' curiosity. There is always a new idea to try. Installations can be more like group incubator sessions, players say, where they are able to throw out and then test new ideas along with their coaches. Where most teams hold scripted walkthroughs during practice weeks, Vikings defenders operate even in that typically structured setting as though their play calls could change at any moment. Advertisement Curiosity is in Metellus' nature. He wants to see behind every door — and into every position room. First, he needed those doors to open. A sixth-round pick out of Michigan in 2020, Metellus could barely cling to the roster during his first few seasons in the NFL. During a recent conversation, he gestured to a long road that runs behind Minnesota's practice facility, just barely visible beyond the emerald grass and young pine trees at the field's perimeter. 'I'll never forget (in 2020) … got that phone call like, 'bring your iPad in,' he said. Metellus drove to his home down that very road to get his iPad (which held the playbook), knowing he'd be driving right back to get cut. Metellus made it back on the roster later that fall, mostly playing on special teams for the next two seasons. But then Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell hired Flores in 2023. Flores watched Metellus' previous preseason games (the only real defensive snaps he got), and told the young defender he believed he could do more. They began to create something new, with Flores adding bits and pieces to Metellus' role throughout that spring. He committed to the challenge. The road beyond the practice facility reminded him every day as he took the field of the alternative. 'Do whatever they throw at me, and find a way to get it done,' Metellus said was his mantra through that time. 'I'm not scared to fail. I know what it's like to be that 54th, 53rd guy on the roster fighting for your spot every day.' Now, Metellus rarely comes off the field. Over the last two seasons, he has played 2,056 snaps (about 90 percent of all defensive snaps since 2023). He also still plays on special teams. This spring, Metellus signed a three-year, $36 million contract. That's about $3 million per defensive position he played in 2024, for anyone keeping track. 'So proud of him. So excited for him,' said Flores shortly after the deal became official. '… I don't think there is anybody who has (better) embodied the kind of things we want to be defensively.' If you don't think I'm the most versatile defender in the league then you don't watch the Vikings enough 🤷🏾♂️ — Joshua Metellus (@NoExcuses_23) July 29, 2025 Atypical of most players across the NFL, Metellus now attends meetings in multiple position rooms. He starts his week by watching an opponent's first- and second-down tendencies the Monday after games. On either Wednesdays or Thursdays, he'll be with the linebackers working on run fits. When the pass rush plan is finalized, Metellus goes to those meetings, too, and reps into those drills on the field. He ends back with the coverage players to make sure he's understanding how the entire puzzle fits together. Flores holds large multi-position installation meetings throughout the week so that defenders can understand the larger purpose behind each others' roles. It's a good thing, too, because the defensive coordinator has been known to change elements of the game plan as late as Friday or Saturday. Advertisement Metellus has become adept at adjusting accordingly, relying on his in-depth study of the opponent earlier in the week and on details gleaned from position meetings to inform how he should attack from his varied spots. It's a massive amount of information, but he doesn't take many notes (he says his handwriting 'sucks'). Metellus doesn't think he has a photographic memory, but if he sees or hears something, he can understand how it should be applied on the field, and he never forgets it. Coaches even pick his brain as the week of preparation continues. 'Throughout the week, it's cool to have certain coaches, like the outside linebackers coach, to come up and talk to me about ball. Then I get the D-line coach, the linebacker coach. It's just really cool to be able to talk to all the coaches,' he said. 'To be honest, it almost feels like I'm a coach.' Metellus knows all the pass rush calls and all the linebacker adjustments. He knows when Flores needs him to disguise a pressure or a coverage and when to play it through. 'When you love football the way I do, it's all I think about,' he said. 'I'm constantly going through my head of different things, different scenarios.' At a joint practice against the New England Patriots last week, Flores didn't hold back, and Metellus changed forms fluidly from snap to snap. First he aligned in the slot. Then he moved to the line of scrimmage, off the right edge. Then he dropped backward again, sinking to cover up a route after the snap. Then he moved into the interior middle of the field as a linebacker. It looked like a dance, a set of movements concocted in some Flores fever dream about leverage and spatial control. Around him, and directed by middle linebacker Blake Cashman (who calls the defense as the 'green dot' player connected via headset to Flores), other players orbited too. 'It's having a high football IQ, and really understanding the game and the schematics of it,' Cashman said. 'Josh is a guy on this defense that knows it at a high level. He's so important to have on the field. … He's a guy that helps make my job easier. There are times where we have to change the call and I gotta rush that call to the defensive line, and before I'm turning to the secondary to get them on the same page he's already, like, understanding what page I'm on and he's making those calls (into the secondary) already.' Advertisement As he travels from room to room and job to job, Metellus will sometimes scroll through texts from Haley, his wife. She is, Metellus said with pride, as big a football junkie as he is, with a similar curiosity. 'We've got new (defensive) packages in?' she will ask him. 'So what positions are you playing this week?' Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
