The Vikings’ Unofficial 7-Step Plan For Winning On The Road

Written by Sam Ekstrom

New head coach Mike Zimmer inherits a team that has always played well at home. Even in their 5-10-1 implosion last season, the Purple still went 5-3 on their home turf (albeit with one win coming in London). The Vikings’ problem, perpetually, has been their play on the road. It’s been 16 years since the team had a winning road record. Yes, the 1998 bunch was the last to do it – not the 11-5 team in 2000, not the 12-4 team in 2009, not the 10-6 team in 2012.

Now that the team has left one of the loudest and most home-friendly stadiums in the NFL, the home-field edge may subside. That’s why the team’s road record must improve if the Vikings are going to be competitive in a stacked NFC.

A strong road team must have an unshakably tough mindset, and that mindset has to permeate through the locker room. The common-day locker room is more high-tech than the Bud Grant or the Norm Van Brocklin days, which makes it easier to subliminally culture-shape. On Monday in the Vikings’ locker room, a screen above the doorway between the dressing room and the shower room – a high-traffic area – flashed images of the Edward Jones Dome, the St. Louis Rams’ depth chart and a list of tips; well, more like instructions.

The heading atop the instructions said “Winning on the Road.” Below were seven phrases, each presumably an aspect of Mike Zimmer’s gospel. All of them are, what most would consider, clichés. The real gameplan is certainly more complex – and probably not published for all the press to see. But this regime has to start somewhere in reversing the .250 road winning percentage that Leslie Frazier posted in his three and a half year tenure. Maybe a dose of simplicity – in contrast to the dense complexity of Norv Turner’s route-numbering system – is what the Vikings need to shift their mindset.

So, according to the screen, to win at St. Louis in five days, the Vikings need to: 

1. Know what to expect.

The Rams fan base is understandably downtrodden after the torn ACL of quarterback Sam Bradford, and the Vikings will be licking their proverbial chops at the prospect of chasing down 34-year-old back-up Shaun Hill. However, it will be a tough task for Everson Griffen in his first game as Jared Allen’s replacement to penetrate the left side of St. Louis’s offensive line. Jake Long and Greg Robinson both line up left of the center and will protect Hill’s blindside stoutly.

The Ram’s D-line is where the toughest test lies with stellar pass rushers Chris Long and Robert Quinn blitzing off the edges. That doesn’t even take into account first-round draft pick Aaron Donald, an excellent blitzer who many thought would wind up in Minnesota.

St. Louis is down a key player in Bradford, but both their lines are well-fortified. If Minnesota overlooks this team, they might find themselves in a dogfight.

2. Establish consistent routine.

Coach Zimmer admits this hasn’t been the easiest for him. As a first-time coach, he now has to think like an administrator: ‘What time will practice be held?’ ‘When is the team picture?’ ‘What does my practice schedule look like?’ But now that the Sunday-to-Sunday grind is officially underway, Zimmer thinks this facet will improve. “I think once we get in the routine of the season, things will be a little smoother that way as far as schedules,” said Zimmer on Monday.

As for the players, they’ve already established a good habit throughout the preseason: winning. “We’ve got to carry it over,” said defensive end Everson Griffen of the 4-0 preseason record. “We’ve got to make it become habit in regular season games.”

3. Control the controllables.

“We’ve got to be a smart football team,” said Griffen. “We’ve got to go out there and execute the plays that are supposed to be made, and I think that will take care of itself.”

The Vikings played encouraging stretches of mistake-free football throughout the preseason. Opponents committed seven more penalties over the course of the four games, and even more importantly, turned the ball over six times to the Vikings’ one.

“It’s important to me, as I’ve said a hundred times, that we have a team that plays real hard, plays real smart, does the right things, doesn’t commit penalties,” said Zimmer. “Those things did show up in the preseason.”

4. Focus on playing.

As opposed to what? Dancing?

In all seriousness, this command could be valuable to the youthful Vikings. There’s a good chance that eight of the team’s 10 recent draft picks could play in the game – that’s roughly a sixth of the activated players on game day. With a capacity crowd roaring in their ears, it may be difficult for rookies to stay focused.

Griffen doesn’t buy it, however. “Having young guys in really doesn’t make a difference,” he said. “They’ve got to come out and do their job, know their assignment and go out there and be prepared and ready to play in the game.”

5. Be aggressive.

Last time the Vikings and Rams met, it was Week 15 of the 2012 season and a must-win game for the Purple. Minnesota sacked Sam Bradford four times, forced two turnovers, including a pick-six by Griffen, and held the Rams to just 87 rushing yards. They trounced them 36-22 that afternoon and need a similarly assertive performance on Sunday.

“Attack mode, smart,” said Griffen about the Vikings’ approach, “We’re going to execute our assignments, we’re going to make the tackles, we’re gonna be aggressive, and we’re going to go out there and try to win every single down … You’ve got to be very high-tempoed.”

6. Weather the storm.

Other than the suspensions doled out to special teams coordinator Mike Priefer and wide receiver Jerome Simpson, Minnesota hasn’t had many hitches in its offseason or training camp. Most injuries have been minor, many players have shown tremendous upside, and the local media can’t give enough praise to the new coaching staff.

Inevitably, things will change. After leading wire to wire in three of the four preseason games, the Vikings might trail early on Sunday, Matt Cassel could throw a pair of first-half interceptions, a safety could go down with an injury and leave the Vikings with only one backup at that position. Minnesota hasn’t faced too much adversity yet. How they handle it when it rears its ugly head will be pivotal.  

7. ‘Us against the world’ mentality.

It might be a stretch to say that nobody believes in the Minnesota Vikings, but in national circles, they are generally being dubbed as the NFC North doormat. Sports Illustrated pegged them as having four wins in their latest season predictions. Vegas is setting their season win total at 5.5. Both scenarios would have the Vikings losing 10 or more games.

But Zimmer is confident in the roster he’s constructed. The offense is rich with talent and has a seasoned leader to guide it, while the defense – particularly, the secondary – is rawer but just spent six weeks under Mike Zimmer’s watch.

“We’ve been playing good football; we’re doing smart things,” said Zimmer. “We keep doing the things that we’ve done in the preseason, we can go out and beat anybody.”