Written by Chris Schad
The average football fan will tell you that the preseason means nothing during the long grind of a NFL season. While it may be true, that can’t be said for the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings are in a different spot than they were a year ago. With changes at quarterback, the coaching staff and even a new place to play their home games, there will be a learning curve during the preseason for a team that fell short of expectations a season ago.
One of the most noticeable changes at training camp has been the implementation of Mike Zimmer’s staff. While his predecessor, Leslie Frazier, was more reliant on his coordinators to do the heavy lifting, Zimmer has taken a hands on approach to both sides of the ball.
“Coach Zimmer gives great insight,” Quarterback Matt Cassel told reporters on Wednesday afternoon. “What [the opposing team] is trying to accomplish with different blitz zone schemes, where they might be more susceptible in certain coverages. That’s been really helpful to us because he’s so hands on.”
That hands on approach will have to be adapted when Zimmer takes the field for the first time as a head coach during game action. After a 20-year climb to his first head coaching position, it’s a benefit to have Norv Turner (and his 15 seasons of experience as a head coach) on his staff.
With Zimmer revealing on Monday that general manager Rick Spielman has quizzed him on in-game situations, it’s clear that the preseason will be a great learning tool for the coach as well as his players.
The Vikings will also see a change offensively as Bill Musgrave has been replaced by Turner as offensive coordinator. As a playcaller known for stretching the defense and finding creative ways to get his playmakers the football, he might be the piece that helps the offense reach it’s full potential — including wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, who didn’t sound like there was much to adjust to.
“There’s no change except for [that] I’m a starter now.” Patterson said of the changes. “Last season, I wasn’t [a starter] until later in the year, but I’m getting a lot more reps now. I’m doing the same thing I did last year and I hope big things happen.”
The Vikings are expecting big things from Patterson in the new scheme, but they’ll need to figure out which quarterback will bring out the best in him. Matt Cassel and Teddy Bridgewater have battled throughout camp and both sounded like they were excited for the preseason to begin to settle the competition.
“We’re just getting started here.” Cassel explained. “We’ve had a good training camp and there’s been a lot of great competition. I think it’s time to go compete against somebody else and see where we are at.”
Whomever wins the job will have to establish themselves with the offense quickly. While Cassel has the experience from last season, Turner said that Bridgewater had been playing at an “awfully high level” and will get first-team reps at some point during Friday’s opener which will be held at TCF Bank Stadium.
“The Bank” will represent a new challenge on it’s own for the Vikings as they’ll play their home games outdoors for the first time since the 1981 season. With the team posting a 2-15-1 record outdoors in the past three seasons (when the majority of the roster was constructed), it could be a concern down the road once the calendar turns to the later months.
“It’s going to be cold,” Robinson replied when asked about the frigid days on the horizon at The Bank. “The bottom line is that the other team has to brave the elements too. It’s going to come out who is mentally tough.”
With all of these factors heading into the preseason, it seems like a tough road to complete every non-playoff team’s goal of becoming this year’s Kansas City Chiefs. But it’s one that the Vikings are ready to embrace.
“Whether it’s the first preseason game or the first regular season game, the excitement is there around our locker room.” Kyle Rudolph stated. “We’ve been working hard the last four months and it’s finally an opportunity to showcase what we’ve done.”
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Chris Schad contributes to 105 The Ticket and has had his work featured on the Bleacher Report and Yahoo Contributor Network. He serves as the Vikings Lead Writerfor Pro Football Spot. Find him on Twitter @crishad. |