Well ladies and gentlemen it’s that time of year- the time of year when football fans everywhere pick themselves up by the bootstraps and gear up for another season of NFL Football filled with false hope and Super Bowl fantasies. I’ve been quiet about my Vikings for quite some time now, but that time is up. It’s a new season filled with new opportunities.
So without out further ado, and before the inevitable disappointment settles in, let’s dig in.
Last time we spoke my Vikings’ were riding high- best record in the league (a flawless 5-0), the number 1 ranked defense in the NFL, and aspirations of a Super Bowl berth…then Philly happened. The god damn Philadelphia game… This website kicked off that week with the epic Vikings-Eagles preview between fellow FSS writer Pat Graham and me. I put everything into that preview. I broke down the data, crunched the numbers, and backed my eloquently written arguments with cold hard facts. I even devised defensive schemes in Microsoft Paint to show how this game would be a guaranteed win in my Vikings favor. And what did I get? A fat pile of bird shit right to the head. I walked to the Linc confident that day. A cold case of beer in hand, tickets in the end zone, I thought it was fate. Fate that this stupid team who I’ve fallen so hard for would finally come out victorious against the hometown Eagles. But boy was I wrong. In hindsight, the signs were there- another day another let down. I just refused to see them. The moment that bratty kid stole those game worn gloves from me right as the Vikings entered the tunnel to the locker room I should have known- I was in for a heart breaker.
Sidebar: Many of you reading this may not be aware of the events that transpired pre-kickoff that day. That being the case let me educate you on the story of “The Gloves”. Before game time I made a trip down to the Vikings tunnel. I made sure to get there early. Like a kid at Christmas I ran down from my seats. Skipping stairs, and riding down bannisters, I raced the crowds in order to get a good spot.
Just like a 10 year old, my goal was to obtain an autograph from one of my childhood (and adulthood) idols, - Adrian Peterson. Peterson had gotten injured 4 weeks prior and would not be playing that afternoon but nevertheless I had hope I could catch him on the sidelines. To my disappointment, Adrian would not be there that day. He didn’t make the trip to South Philly with the team that weekend as the organization found it more fitting for him to stay in Minnesota and tend to his injured knee. Despite the somber news I maintained excitement- I was above the tunnel to the locker room of my favorite team! The possibilities were endless. Much to my surprise my wish to have an interaction with the players was not diminished. As the Vikings ended warm ups and headed to the locker room an opportunity for this lifelong Vikings fan arose. Cordarrelle Patterson! As the team approached I made a call- “Cordarrelle! How the legs feel?? You taking one to the house today?” He smiled, maybe even threw me a wink, I don’t know. I was in a blackout of joy. He took off his gloves and pointed. Pointed at me, directly at me! Like I had just become his favorite fan. “I’m feeling money today baby!” he said, and just as he finished, he turned to me and tossed the gloves… My heart raced. This was an opportunity of a lifetime! Game worn gloves?! How amazing?! This would be a story I’d tell my future grandkids! …But the joy did not last long… Just as the gloves left Cordarrelle’s finger tips a gust of wind came whipping off I-95 and through the Linc. “NO!” I yelled as the gloves were swept away. “Those gloves are mine! They’re rightfully mine!” But the moment was lost. The gloves had traveled 4 people down to a pipsqueak kid in an Eagles jersey. In a matter of seconds I had gone high to low; from (basically) the best friend of a player to the laughing stock of an 8 year old. The gloves were lost…and no one was there to justify my rightful ownership. I walked to my seat in silence.
Pain from a loss I can take. It wouldn’t be the first time the Vikings took the L to Philly, but it was the downward spiral the Vikings took post Philadelphia that has had me locked away in silence until now. Following the 10-21 loss to the Eagles, the Vikings went on to lose 3 straight. They’d surprise the fan base Week 11 with an upset over the Arizona Cardinals only to go back to disappointing us by going 2-4 in their final 6. Final record: 8-8; and worse of all? No 1st draft round pick to make up for it; made only worse by the simple fact that it now belonged to those DAMN EAGLES because of a last minute trade made between the teams before the season for Sam Bradford. Since that October afternoon the Vikings have been a sore spot for me. The collapse caused the purple and gold to miss a chance at the playoffs leaving me with yet another winter with no relevant football. The end of the season was followed up by the organization cutting ties with team legend, Adrian Peterson, as they felt his contract was too steep to pay for where AP was at in his career. The team then did little to make up for it (outside of a gem found in the second round of the draft who will be talked about later) in the offseason, as in typical Vikings fashion, the team was quiet through the offseason doing little to update a roster that followed up a 5-0 start with a 3-8 crumble to finish the previous season. So on that joyous note; let’s get to what you came here for:
The 2017 Minnesota Vikings Team Preview
The Offense:
Quarterback: SAMMY SLEEVES!! (Sam Bradford)
Sam Bradford is like my golf game. You have high hopes. You know if all goes right it could be a good day, but that’s the problem, things rarely go right. Bradford holds a lot of the attributes you want in a quarterback: strong arm, deadly accurate, great knowledge of the playbook, but the problem is, and he’s proven it now with the three teams he’s been a part of, is that when the game goes awry, and the plan goes to the wayside, Bradford struggles. I remember talking with friends before the start of the 2015 season when Bradford debuted with Philadelphia. Sam Bradford is the PERFECT 7-on-7 quarterback I said. With no extensive pressure upfront, the former Sooner can thread the ball like the best of them, but that’s the problem, the NFL’s not all sunshines and rainbows. Quarterbacks need to be able to improvise and Sam has proven he’s incapable of doing that. Unless the offensive line has become drastically better than they were last year (rated worst in the league), expect lots of check downs and aggravation from this 8th year quarterback. Similar to the few great chip shots I have on the course that keep me coming back, Bradford will at times show you what led to him ultimately winning the 2008 Heisman Trophy, but in the end, it will just be dampened by frustration.
Teddy Bridgewater?? Aka Teddy Cotton Legs. Don’t expect anything from him this year. The Vikings have Bridgewater wrapped in bubble wrap this season as they hope to get the quarterback’s knee back to form in time to make for an interesting quarterback decision post the 2017 season.
Running backs: Dalvin Cook, Latavius Murray
SWEET BABY DALVIN! Dalvin Cook, the ex-Florida State superstar, was the gem of the draft for the Vikings as they traded up (passing Philadelphia) to get him. With Latavius Murray out with a nagging leg injury to start camp, Cook has received all the RB1 reps in practice and in the preseason ultimately landing him the starting job going into Week 1. Cook looks to add fire to the Vikings running attack which ranked at the bottom of the league last season. Cook’s success will ultimately come down to how well the Vikings offensive line shapes up, but he’ll certainly be one of the Vikings centerfolds on the offensive side of the ball and a security blanket for Sam Bradford #CheckDowns.
Latavius Murray will be our bull. Signed during the first week of the offseason to replace MVPeterson, Latavius quickly found himself falling to the RB2 role as Dalvin razzled and dazzled during training camp. I expect nothing more out of Murray this year than to be a goal line and shortage yardage runner. Bruise ‘em up Tavy! We’ll need ya more often than not in Pat Shurmur’s boring, short plays, no risk offense. I expect a lot of 3rd and short opportunities for the 5th year back out of UCF.
Wide outs: Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Laquon Treadwell, Michael Floyd
Stefon Diggs is the obvious alpha of this bunch. No Michael, although you may be the experienced one, your performance in front of the Scottsdale, Arizona police has lost you those privileges. When Diggs is on, he’s on. The 3rd year wide out proved how deadly he can be last season when he reeled in 13 catches in two straight games for 244 yards. The wide receiver out of Maryland is absolutely resilient and will be the motor to this Vikings offense. The 3rd year is always the prove it year in the NFL, so look for Diggs to either cement himself as one of the league’s best up and comers or fall off the radar. With a bulldog mentality like his however, I expect the former.
Adam “The Great White Hope” Thielen is coming off his greatest season to date (69 receptions for 967 yards and 5 touchdowns). The former undrafted wide out filled in mightily for Bradford last season after Diggs went down with a groin injury and landed himself a fresh new contract extension by the Vikings because of it. Thielen finds himself in that weird limbo area of the NFL this season as he’ll need to prove his production last season was no fluke. Adam is exceptional in his route running abilities and is as efficient on the slant route as he is on the long ball. I don’t think teams take him quite seriously at times being that he was undrafted out of Minnesota State, but if the Vikings are to maintain any type of success on offense Thielen will have to be productive (it can’t just be Diggs & Rudolph). Pat Shurmur, the Vikings offensive coordinator, lives on quick short plays which is the perfect position for Thielen to excel in. Expect the wide out to prove his worth this season.
Laquon Treadwell (crickets). Treadwell’s rookie season was forgettable at best. The former first round pick out of Ole Miss barely got on the field last season as nagging leg injuries and the inability to pick up Norv Turner’s offense kept him sidelined. This season all reports point up for Laquon as he looks to build off of his 1 catch season (tied with Sam Bradford) last year. According to Vikings beat reporters, Laquon is settling nicely in the three hole. He is receiving first team reps alongside Thielen and Diggs and has spent a considerable time learning the playbook of new offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. All this is great to hear, but like the old adage says: actions speak louder than words. Treadwell has shown signs of confidence in preseason (4 catches for 45 yards) and I hope that translates into the regular season, but as of now, he’s still sort of a mystery.
Michael Floyd is the “old man of the group”. A once deadly threat for the Cardinals, off field issues have derailed Floyds career. The ex-Golden Domer however is only 27 (just goes to show how youthful this receiving core is), and with a change of scenery to his home state of Minnesota, I’m excited to see what kind of contributions Floyd can make on this team. I was stunned to see his placement as WR4 however when the Vikings put out their first depth chart heading into Week 1. This concerns me as it shows Floyd is not transitioning at the pace Shurmur had expected him to into the offense. Floyd and Bradford can be good together, but he’ll need significant playing time to do that. At WR4 I’m afraid he’ll drop to the Greg Jennings role of a few years ago- sporadic catches here and there with the occasional touchdown. On the bright side, this could be a good side for Treadwell as Floyd is listed behind him. He must be doing something right.
Tight End: Kyle Rudolph
Kyle is a quarterback’s best friend. Especially in Shurmur’s “nibble away” offense (can ya tell I hate the offense?), I expect Rudolph to get a lot of looks from Bradford. He will be asked to provide the majority of points for the Vikings this year especially if the run game struggles early. Rudolph found success in the pass game last year after Norv Turner resigned and based on all accounts I’ve seen going into the season, he is one of Bradford’s favorite targets. Kyle always has a lot of hype going into each season. The wily veteran looks to make this year’s production live up to that.
Finally, the defense:
After years of great drafting, the Minnesota Vikings have accumulated a defensive force that can handle the best the NFL has to offer. Behind 4th year coach, and defensive mastermind, Mike Zimmer, Minnesota finished 6th in total defense last season and I only expect them to get better this year. The defensive is equipped from top to bottom starting with talent at both ends of the defensive line with Pro Bowler, Everson Griffen and future star, Danielle Hunter (pronounced da-NEEL), combining for 20 sacks last season. These two are the engine that makes this defense roar and have a unique sense for the quarterback. Backed by nose tackle Linval Joseph, I expect this unit to yet again finish top 10 in the league in sacks. At linebacker, the Vikings provide a healthy dose of 2014 1st round draft pick, Anthony Barr and tackle machine Eric Kendricks (109 combined tackles last season). This young combo has proven ruthless when healthy and Zimmer is expecting havoc from both of them this year. Eric, the better of the Kendricks boys, has become one of Minnesota’s most reliable players- developing into one of the league’s best run stuffers and presenting the speed to defend the pass. He is quietly becoming one of the leaders on the defense and is the pivot point that allows for Zimmer to execute the blitz packages that have made the head coach’s defense so renowned among the league. Barr, although dismissive at times last year, is in his final year of his rookie deal and is looking to prove to the Vikings that he still has the ability that made him a Pro Bowler in his rookie season. Barr is a rare hybrid linebacker who has the toughness to make tackles up front, but the speed and agility to cover backs out of the backfield. When on his game, alongside Harrison Smith, Barr is the axe that can punish a defense throughout the entirety of an afternoon. Now at the prime age of 25, and another year of experience under his belt, I expect Barr to be one of the league’s elite. To finish off this platter of chaos, the Vikings present offenses with a defensive backfield that is one of their best in decades. Strong safety, Harrison Smith is arguably the best in the league and is teamed up with first time Pro Bowler, Xavier Rhodes and 3rd year vet, Trae Waynes below him at the cornerback position. Rhodes had his coming out party last year reeling in 5 picks and becoming one of the league’s best corners as he held Odell Beckham, Dez Bryant, Jordy Nelson, and DeAndre Hopkins all under 75 yards receiving last season when facing the Vikings. Trae Waynes began to back up the organizations decision to pick him 11th overall in 2014 as well last year, picking off opposing quarterbacks 3 times last season. He will begin the year as a starter for the first time in his career as he looks to build on his developing career.
Overall, I’m glad football’s back. I’m not necessarily impressed with my 2017 Vikings squad however and because of that, I’m projecting them at 7-9. The defense is great; bar none one of the best in the league, but other than adding Dalvin, I do not feel the offense did anything to help itself this season. The team cannot rely on the defense every game to pull off a miracle pick 6, or fumble recovery for a touchdown. If you couldn’t tell by now, I heavily dislike the lack of aggression Pat Shurmur’s offense provides and because of that I think the Vikings will struggle. Minnesota has potential weapons- Diggs, Cook, Treadwell, but that’s all they are right now, “potential weapons”. I truly believe they can be special someday, but as of now, they’re still developing as NFL players. It’s sad to say this on opening night, but I feel, between a developing offense, and the tough schedule the Vikings have this season, Minnesota will for a second straight year miss the playoffs.
I like to be optimistic, but at the end of the day I’m a realist. Cheers to the start of football everyone! Skol Vikes! Surprise me this year…
