Here is the result in plain text:
EAGAN, Minn. — The embrace was emphatic, a ground-shaking symbol of the Minnesota Vikings’ unlikely emergence as a Super Bowl contender. Late last month, just inside the visitors’ locker room at Lumen Field, two brash, muscular, headstrong men wrapped up each other in the wake of the Vikings’ 27-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, provoking knowing smiles from witnesses conscious of their budding bromance. A feel-good moment featuring Brian Flores and Ryan Grigson might not be on the bingo cards of most NFL fans, let alone either man’s former coworkers. Yet seeing Flores, once a Boston College linebacker, and Grigson, an ex-Purdue offensive tackle, lock arms while flashing massive smiles made total sense to the people who now interact with them on a daily basis.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to be in the middle of that hug,” said Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, who laughed before extolling the virtues of Flores and Grigson, each best known for experiencing high-profile firings traced partially to abrasive behavior. “But I think it’s awesome. I have really enjoyed getting a chance to be around them every single day. They’ve helped set a standard that has led to us winning a lot of football games. Those guys have been huge pillars of what we’ve been able to accomplish for sure, both on and off the field. It’s a real thing.”
As surreal as it may seem, Flores, Minnesota’s cunning defensive coordinator, and Grigson, its senior vice president of player personnel, are outwardly expressing joy amid the NFL’s most surprising postseason push. The Vikings, who went 14-3 and lost out on an NFC North title after falling to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, earned the NFC’s fifth seed and will face the fourth-seeded Los Angeles Rams in a wild-card playoff game on Monday night…
Source link
