Colts CB Xavier Rhodes has nothing but love for Vikings ahead of grudge match

Colts CB Xavier Rhodes will face his former team this weekend.

The Indianapolis Colts need a bounce back win in the worst way in Week 2 after disappointing in Week 1.

Unfortunately for them, the Minnesota Vikings are no slouch. When you consider their loaded talent on both sides of the ball, it really isn’t surprising that some analysts predicted them to make a deep run in the playoff this year.

To put it simply, this is a massive matchup for the Colts as history has proven that teams who start 0-2 rarely make the postseason. While all units will need to turn the intensity up a notch after their performance in Week 1, it goes without saying that an improved showing from the secondary is the most mandatory.

In terms of things to watch, offseason acquisition Xavier Rhodes will be playing against his former team, which released him ahead of free agency. Given how his seven-year stint in Minnesota ended, it would be understandable if the veteran cornerback was holding a grudge against his former franchise. However, Rhodes revealed that he has nothing but love for the Vikings ahead of Sunday’s game.

"“It’s all love,” Rhodes told reporters on Tuesday. “I was there for seven years. It was a brotherhood when I was there, and it’s still a brotherhood to this day. So it’s going to be good going against those guys. When I was practicing against those guys when I was there, we were competing each and every play so it’s going to be the same right there on the field. But I’m going to be able to tackle them this time.”"

As much as we would have loved to hear Rhodes proclaim he was going into Week 2 with extra motivation to stick it to the Vikings, who cut him just two seasons into the five-year, $70 million contract extension he signed during the 2017 offseason, it’s encouraging to know that he has a clear mind heading into this grudge match.

After all, the former All-Pro CB had a debut to forget with Indianapolis as two of his mistakes in coverage ultimately led to 10 Jaguars points. A long pass interference penalty resulted in a field goal and a blown assignment while covering Keelan Cole turned into a 22-yard touchdown that proved to be the game-sealing score for Jacksonville.

Shortly after arriving for training camp, Rhodes raved about how the Colts’ zone-oriented scheme would better suit his skillset. That certainly didn’t appear to be the case in Week 1, so let’s hope that his familiarity with the Vikings system leads to a better performance against his former team.