‘Not surprised in any way’ — Harrison Smith’s dominant Christmas Day game does more than cement his Hall of Fame legacy

Vikings S Harrison Smith called it the best defensive performance he’d been a part of in the NFL, and at age 36, he stood out above everyone.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Dec 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (22) is interviewed by Dianna Russini after the game against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Vikings found a way to get back to o.500 after defeating the Detroit Lions 23-10 on Christmas Day. Not only did it knock the Lions out of the playoffs, but Brian Flores’ defense stole the show.

With the Vikings not being able to do anything on offense, as they won with just three net passing yards, head coach Kevin O’Connell needed the defense to step up, and they did just that with the first six turnover game of the season, and their first since the 2019 season against Phillip Rivers and the Los Angeles Chargers.

Harrison Smith continues to build Hall of Fame legacy

One of the turnovers was an interception by safety Harrison Smith. He read quarterback Jared Goff on a three-step drop when the Vikings blitzed and stepped right in front of Amon-Ra St. Brown to force the turnover.

He didn’t just get the interception; Smith logged three tackles, two tackles for loss, and three passes defended. This was another banner performance of a Hall of Fame career for Smith, who looks like a player who is having a great time out there.

“When you can get out there with a defense like that and a play-caller like that, it’s just fun. I don’t care what day it is. I don’t care what’s on the line. I don’t care what’s at stake. We play a really aggressive style of football that I absolutely love,” said Smith after the game.

When you have a 36-year-old safety who has slowed down a little bit, it’s normal to see them take a step back. That’s not what’s happening with Smith, and head coach Kevin O’Connell isn’t surprised.

“Just not surprised in any way, shape or form,” said O’Connell after the game. “I credit Flo [for] really turning a lot over even more. So Harry’s [the] quarterback and a lot of things for us defensively, but in these games, especially against the divisional opponent, we obviously know each other well. So we wanted to give Harrison the ability to win the pre-snap in many ways. And then what, what I think he did tonight was win the post snap in many ways. And his leadership throughout this stretch, you know, has also been something that, you know, I’ll remember, you know, him amongst a lot of other guys.”

It’s always been the little things that have made Smith special. The ability to read what the offense is doing has always been next level and separated him from his contemporaries. We still don’t know if Smith is going to return next season, but he knows a Super Bowl is coming.

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