Minnesota Golden Gophers
Midweek Stock Report: Rhodes goes the distance
Minnesota Golden Gophers

Midweek Stock Report: Rhodes goes the distance

Published Dec. 9, 2016 12:37 p.m. ET

Every Wednesday, FOX Sports North takes a look at which athletes' stock is trending up and whose is trending down.

In other words, who is heating up and who is cooling off.

With that in mind, let's take stock of the current Minnesota sports scene.

Xavier Rhodes, Vikings cornerback

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Did Rhodes save the Vikings' season with his monstrous pick Sunday? Maybe not, but with the Vikings facing a fifth straight loss he came through at just the right time. Rhodes was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week after forcing a pair of critical turnovers in the Vikings' 30-24 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Rhodes' 100-yard pick six was the longest interception return in Vikings history and prevented a Cardinals score in the second quarter. NFL.com clocked Rhodes at a staggering 22.4 mph on the play.

Cordarrelle Patterson, Vikings receiver

Just a few months after the Vikings passed on the electric receiver's fifth-year option, Patterson is once again a key part of the team's offense. He did the bulk of his damage on a play that should look awfully familiar to Vikings fans, taking a kickoff return 104 yards for a touchdown, but he was uncharacteristically active in the passing game too. Patterson was Bradford's favorite target Sunday, hauling in four catches for 53 yards on eight targets and averaging 13.2 yards per reception.

Minnesota Duluth men's hockey

After slipping to No. 2 for a week the Bulldogs are once again the top team in college hockey. Minnesota Duluth escaped Omaha with a pair of tight wins over unranked UNO, improving to 10-2-2 on the season and solidifying their spot atop the NCHC. Leading scorer Alex Iafallo nabbed a goal and two assists in the sweep, as the Bulldogs prepare for a tough road series against No. 2-ranked Denver.

Blake Cashman, Gophers linebacker

Cashman was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after sparking the Gophers' defense to a 29-12 win over Northwestern on Saturday. Cashman had a career-high 10 tackles (nine solo), as well as two sacks and a forced fumble.

St. Cloud State men's hockey

For the first time in the building's nearly 30-year history, the St. Cloud State Huskies were shut out in back-to-back losses at the National Hockey Center. SCSU failed to score despite firing 62 shots on goal in a pair of losses to No. 5-ranked North Dakota, as goaltender Cam Johnson emerged with a pair of shutouts. It's a tough break for the Huskies, who fall to sixth in the NCHC with conference foes Western Michigan and Nebraska Omaha up next.

Ronnie Hillman, former Vikings running back

Let's get this over with: We tabbed Hillman as a player to watch in the second half. Whoops. Hillman was waived by the Vikings on Monday and claimed by the San Diego Chargers less than 24 hours later. He finishes his brief Vikings career with just 18 carries for 50 yards, and was unable to break through behind Minnesota's regular rushing tandem of Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata. The Vikings remain the league's worst rushing team, and are averaging just 2.7 yards per carry.

Zach Parise, Wild forward

After missing a game due to illness Parise returned to the lineup Monday, chipping in two shots on goal in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars. Parise appeared to have put his early-season scoring woes behind him before his illness, contributing six points in eight games, but his early performance is a bit concerning as the Minnesota native's age-32 season continues.

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