Vikings – Page 133 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Case Keenum in Power Play Spot

Posted on December 31, 2017December 31, 2017 by David Shama

With one regular season game remaining today and the playoffs ahead, quarterback Case Keenum—a humble 29-year-old NFL journeyman—is now a power player for not only the fate of the Vikings but his own future.

The Vikings, who likely will defeat the Bears Sunday, can finish with an unexpected and impressive 13-3 regular season record. They will then have a first round bye and be among the favorites to earn their way to the February 4 Super Bowl in Minneapolis.

Head coach Mike Zimmer’s defense is holding NFL opponents to league bests of 280.9 yards per game and 16.1 points. The unit excels against both the run and pass. There are terrific playmakers on the line and beyond the line of scrimmage. Tackle Linval Joseph is a “wall” to run against, while end Everson Griffen ranks with the league’s top pass rushers and sackers. Linebacker Anthony Barr, cornerback Xavier Rhodes and safety Harrison Smith are standouts, too.

Zimmer is a master at defensive game preparations. His schemes, along with the execution of the players, can have opponents frustrated whether trying to pass or run. Opponents can be forced into costly turnovers and sometimes the Vikings turn those miscues into points.

It’s expecting a lot, though, for the defense to carry the Vikings through two wins in the playoffs and on to the Super Bowl. Certainly the offense must not only avoid giving opponents points with fumbles and interceptions, but also at times that unit must sustain drives resulting in field goals and touchdowns.

The Vikings have a good—not great—offensive team. The rebuilt line, led by new acquisitions from last year, is solid. Pass catchers Stefon Diggs, Kyle Rudolph and Adam Thielen are enjoying exceptional years. The power-speed combo of Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon has more than made up for the departure of Adrian Peterson at running back.

Case Keenum (photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

All of which leads back to Keenum, the spring of 2017 free agent newcomer who apparently no one, including the Vikings, wanted to be their starting quarterback. But the Vikings had no choice other than to promote expected backup Keenum to starter when starter Sam Bradford was lost for the season with a left knee injury early in the season. Keenum, who never established himself as a No. 1 quarterback with the Texans and Rams, has been Mr. Super Sub leading the Vikings to 10 wins in 13 games.

Keenum has completed an NFL fourth-best 67.3 percent of his passes, while throwing for 21 touchdowns, and has just seven interceptions. His career-high 98.1 passer rating is among the best in the league.

He has also extended plays and made them successful with his scrambling. He senses when tacklers are closing in and often avoids them. At maybe 6-feet tall, he is short enough to duck under pass rushers and sometimes run for first downs. NBC TV analyst Cris Collinsworth referred to Keenum’s escapes from tackles as Houdini-like in last week’s win over the Packers.

Keenum’s mobility has impressed offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. “…Typically, if you’re going to drive the ball against these good defenses, somewhere in a long scoring drive, the quarterback has to do something with his feet,” Shurmur said. “He’s been able to do that.”

Shurmur is highly regarded as an offensive coordinator who has been successful with Bradford and now Keenum. While Keenum’s ascension to a place among the NFL’s more productive quarterbacks is surprising, it’s not inexplicable. In college at the University of Houston he became the NCAA all-time leading career passer with 19,217 yards and 155 touchdowns. But he had a less than successful NFL Combine and was considered suspect because of his height, going undrafted by league teams and signing with the Texans as a free agent.

Keenum had a bias against him coming into the pros. The two NFL teams he played with prior to joining the Vikings—the Texans and Rams—were struggling to become winners and never committed to Keenum, who at 29 is more experienced and mature than he was with those franchises.

Keenum’s performances in the Vikings playoff games could well determine whether Minnesota wins twice and makes history by being the first NFL team ever to play in a Super Bowl in its home stadium. The stakes couldn’t be higher in January for he and the Vikings.

If Keenum leads the offense successfully he seems a cinch to be the team’s quarterback next season. The Vikings are paying him a reported $2 million and he has never performed before like a quarterback who deserves much higher compensation. He is a free agent after this season and could be in position to leverage something like a multi-year deal for $15 million per year.

What Keenum must not implode in the playoffs so that later he can negotiate for the big money and the security a new contract will deliver. Even if the Vikings lose on their way to the Super Bowl, he remains in a strong negotiating position with the Vikings if he avoids a disastrous game performance.

Bradford and Bridgewater are also free agents after this season but they don’t have anywhere near the leverage for new deals that Keenum does. Bradford is 30 years old with a history of knee problems including ACL surgeries. The Vikings reportedly are paying him $18 million this season. There is some speculation Bradford will decide to retire after this season.

Bridgewater, 25, suffered a horrific knee injury about 16 months ago and it’s still not known whether he can resume his career as a fulltime starter, or even effective sub. He gushes positivity and is a hit in the locker room. In a popularity contest, he probably would be voted the starter. But in the real world Bridgewater, who reportedly earns about $2 million on his present deal, has to decide how much he can command in the open market next year in money and potential playing time, with teams like the Browns and Redskins perhaps interested.

It seems unlikely the Vikings will offer Bridgewater a big contract, even if Keenum disappoints in the playoffs. A complete flop by Keenum seems unlikely since both his leadership and play have been so steady this season. His worst outing was his first game as a starter. He had a passer rating of 65.9 with no touchdown passes, but he’s been a lot more productive since that game against the Steelers September 17.

It will be known soon whether Keenum delivers for the Vikings and himself. He has evolved into a team MVP candidate and widely distanced himself from Bradford and Bridgewater who because of past injuries and inactivity are risky bets. Maybe Keenum will turnout to be a one-year wonder but right now he appears to be the Vikings’ best choice for the 2018 season.

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Test Your Vikings Trivia IQ Here

Posted on December 27, 2017December 27, 2017 by David Shama

How is everyone’s holiday season? Just sitting around this week? While you huddle near the fireplace, space heater or stove, consider testing your knowledge with this year-end Minnesota Vikings Holiday Trivia Quiz?

Earn a nifty score and impress your friends at a New Year’s party. No party plans? Well, take the quiz anyway. The following 20 questions could be a nice diversion from playing Solitaire.

Score 16 or more correct answers and qualify as a consultant for future quizzes. Answer 12 to 15 right and I am still impressed. Get half correct, or fewer? Well, as they say in sports, “There’s always next year.”

Here are the questions, with the answers following after question No. 20. Later your hands might be quivering from the cold weather, but send an email and let me know your score.

1. If the Vikings win Sunday against the Bears, Minnesota’s final regular season record will be 13-3. What year did the Vikings last lose only three games or fewer in a season?

2. Who are the three teams that have defeated the Vikings during the 2017 regular season?

3. Name the Vikings players invited to participate in the 2018 Pro Bowl in Orlando.

4. Wide receiver Adam Thielen, 27, is having a breakout season for his home state team. Name the Minnesota town where he was a four-sport prep athlete.

5. What’s the name of the Vikings’ practice facility and front office headquarters in Eden Prairie?

6. How many surgeries has Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer had on his right eye?

7. Name the Viking offensive coordinator who resigned his position during the 2016 season.

8. Who was the Viking that tackled Aaron Rodgers and the hit resulted in a broken collarbone for the Packers’ great quarterback?

9. The Vikings have two starters and one reserve that played college football at Notre Dame. Can you name the three players?

10. Since the franchise’s first season in 1961, the Vikings have played the majority of their home regular season games at Met Stadium and in the Metrodome. Name the other facilities in Minnesota where they have played during the regular season.

11. What was the final score last Saturday night when the Vikings defeated the Packers in Green Bay?

12. After Vikings long snapper Kevin McDermott was injured during the Packers game, who took over his duties?

13. Where did Vikings’ quarterback Case Keenum play his college football?

14. The Wilf family has owned the Vikings since 2005. Who did the Wilfs purchase the franchise from?

15. What is Bud Grant’s real name?

16. Back in October the Vikings defeated the Bears 20-17 in Chicago. How many times have the Vikings won in their last 10 games at Soldier Field?

17. When the Vikings defeated the Redskins this season, how many different players scored touchdowns for Minnesota?

18. Sam Bradford’s knee has been the subject of much angst this fall. Is it the left or right knee that has been so troublesome?

19. This ex-Viking punter is heard on the team’s gameday radio broadcasts and shows. Who is he?

20. A former Vikings first round draft choice, this athlete also played baseball for the New York Mets. Who is he?

Trivia Quiz Answers

1. Who could forget (hopefully not you) that the 1998 Vikings went 15-1 during the regular season before “crashing” in the NFC title game at the Metrodome.

2. The 2017 Vikings have been defeated by the Steelers, 26-19; the Lions, 14-7; and the Panthers, 31-24. They have won 10 of their last 11 games heading into Sunday’s season-closing game against the Bears.

3. Linebacker Anthony Barr, defensive end Everson Griffen, cornerback Xavier Rhodes and wide receiver Adam Thielen are the four Vikings selected for the Pro Bowl. Admirers of safety Harrison Smith lie awake at night trying to figure out how he was left out.

4. Thielen’s home town is Detroit Lakes, Minnesota where he played football, basketball, baseball and golf. Three other native Minnesotans on the Vikings roster are wide receiver Michael Floyd, fullback C.J. Ham and kick return specialist Marcus Sherels.

5. Winter Park is the name of the team’s practice facility and front office headquarters. The Vikings will move into a new state-of-the-art complex in Eagan next year.

6. Mike Zimmer has reportedly had eight surgeries on his right eye in the last 12-plus months. A difficult ordeal, but he’s a tough guy.

7. With the Vikings offensive struggling in November of 2016, Norv Turner resigned as offensive coordinator. Assistant tight ends coach Pat Shurmur was promoted to coordinator, and this year his name is mentioned for possible 2018 head coaching vacancies in the NFL.

8. It was, of course, Anthony Barr who made the now infamous tackle on Rodgers that has sidelined him for most of the season. This was a “layup” answer so presumably most everyone scored a point.

9. The three former “Golden Domers” are wide receiver Michael Floyd, tight end Kyle Rudolph and safety Harrison Smith. All are 28 years old and were teammates in South Bend.

10. You are a Purple trivia genius if you got this one correct. The answer is TCF Bank Stadium (2014 and 2015 seasons), U.S. Bank Stadium (2016 to present) and Memorial Stadium. The Vikings were forced to play one regular season game at the University of Minnesota’s old Memorial Stadium in 1969 because of a scheduling conflict at Met Stadium.

11. I am guessing that five years from now a lot of Vikings fans will still remember Minnesota dominated the Packers last Saturday night in a 16-0 win. Christmas came early for all Green Bay-hating Vikings fans.

12. Kevin McDermott’s replacement was David Morgan, a backup tight end and the reserve long snapper. Morgan got the job done without a miscue at Green Bay.

13. Case Keenum was an NCAA record-setting quarterback at the University of Houston where his coaches included former Gopher wide receiver Tony Levine who was assistant head coach of the Cougars.

14. Red McCombs, who made his fortune in the car business in Texas, sold the Vikings in 2005 for a reported $625 million after purchasing the franchise for supposedly $250 million about seven years earlier. McCombs used to preach that the Metrodome had “the loudest fans in the NFL.” Would you buy a used car from this man?

15. The legendary former Vikings head coach has been known as Bud for most of his 90 years but his real name is Harry Peter Grant.

16. The Vikings’ win at Soldier Field this fall was only the team’s second in the last 10 games there. The other victory was in 2015.

17. Five Vikings scored touchdowns in the team’s 38-30 win against the Redskins. That is the second highest total in team history.

18. Sam Bradford set an NFL record for completion percentage last season after being acquired by the Vikings but this year his troublesome left knee has kept him sidelined for all but two games.

19. Greg Coleman, who punted for the Vikings from 1978-87, is heard on gamedays giving his analysis including his “Sunday Sermon” where he mixes Biblical and football metaphors.

20. Ouch. I couldn’t resist ending with a difficult question. D.J. Dozier, a former Penn State running back drafted No. 1 by the Vikings in 1987, later played outfield for the New York Mets.

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Fleck Talks Up New Wide Receiver

Posted on December 21, 2017December 21, 2017 by David Shama

The 26-man Gophers football class announced yesterday on National Signing Day is ranked the best in the Big Ten West Division but that doesn’t mean the majority of players will be ready to make an impression on the field next fall.

The surest contributor could be four-star wide receiver Rashod Bateman from Tifton, Georgia. “I think he can make the biggest impact for us right now because we need some speed, some explosiveness, some playmaking ability on the outside, and I think he does that,” Gophers coach P.J. Fleck told the Big Ten Network yesterday.

Minnesota had one of the more unproductive passing offenses in major college football last season. The issue wasn’t just the quarterbacks, it was the inability of receivers to get open.

Playing for Tift County High School this year, Bateman had 83 receptions for 1,539 yards and 21 touchdowns. He was good enough that national power Georgia tried to persuade him to change the verbal commitment he made to the Gophers in June.

Allen Trieu from 247Sports, the recruiting authority that gives the Gophers 2018 class a composite No. 30 national rankingy, talked about the 6-2, 185-pound Bateman on the Big Ten Network yesterday. “Rashod Bateman is one of the best athletes in this class,” Trieu said. “A kid that Minnesota got on early, got him committed after one of their satellite camps, and had to hold off Georgia, Texas A&M, a bunch of schools…late.

“…Really athletic kid. He was a high school basketball prospect. Penn State, Virginia Tech, both offered him. His basketball (team) won a state title. I think you’ll see him out there on the field next year.”

Bateman is one of 10 candidates for the American Family All-USA Offensive Player of the Year award reported on this fall in USA Today. Ryan Burns, publisher of GopherIllustrated website affiliated with 247Sports, refers to Bateman as the “crown jewel” of Minnesota’s 2018 class.

Fleck photo courtesy of Minnesota Athletic Communications

After being hired in January of this year, Fleck and his assistants had to scramble in signing their 2017 recruiting class last February which had a No. 59 composite ranking from 247Sports. From that 25-man group, only a few earned significant minutes including wide receiver Demetrius Douglas and safety Ken Holly-Handy.

But more players are likely to emerge from the 2018 class to help next fall. Minnesota has needs not only at receiver but in the offensive line and at quarterback, and a number of recruits are intriguing at those positions. Names include junior college tackle Jason Dickson and four-star prep guard Curtis Dunlap. Vic Viramontes, labeled by 247Sports as the best dual-threat junior college quarterback in the country, could emerge from spring practices as Minnesota’s No. 1 quarterback.

Worth Noting

Fleck signed five state of Minnesota players yesterday and signed the same number last February. Big Ten recruiting has become such a national hunt for talent that signing a small number of Minnesotans isn’t unusual. Ohio State has signed four Ohioans in a state long known for its high school football excellence, according to a listing by 247Sports which also ranked the Buckeyes class No 2 in the nation.

Among Fleck’s five Minnesotans, Josh Aune is the first player from the St. Paul public schools to sign a National Letter of Intent with the Gophers in 15 years. The athletic Aune may become a safety at Minnesota.

Jerry Kill, who announced his resignation this week as Rutgers offensive coordinator because of health concerns, told Sports Headliners he will take some time off to decide about future plans. The 56-year-old former Gophers coach and his wife Rebecca are returning to their home in Illinois. They recently became grandparents for the first time.

Fleck announced today that defensive backfield coach Maurice Lindguist, known for his teaching skills and ability to recruit players in Texas and Georgia, will now have the title of assistant head coach.

Anthony Barr has to be a focus of security protection when the Vikings are in Wisconsin for Saturday night’s game with the Packers. Barr has been threatened by fans since he tackled quarterback Aaron Rodgers, resulting in a broken collarbone in the Vikings-Packers game in Minneapolis October 15.

Accuweather.com forecasts a Green Bay temperature of 16 degrees and wind gusts of 14 MPH nearing kickoff at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night.

There’s fond reminiscing about cold weather Vikings games in the 1960s and 1970s at the old Met Stadium but because of shorter NFL seasons and earlier playoff dates, only one game was ever played in January. That was the January 4, 1970 NFL championship game.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer responding yesterday to a question if there is a difference in playing a team like the Packers that is eliminated from qualifying for the playoffs, and if he talks to his players about it: “…It’s a division game. We have a lot to play for. What I talked to them about was two weeks ago we lost. We had a new sense of urgency and a new focus, and that’s what we need to do again.

“Just because we won this last week doesn’t mean, ‘Ok, we can go back to how we were,’ and end up getting beat. We just try to stay on point with everything we do, and continue to move forward and continue to try to get wins.”

A factor in the Twins’ reported willingness to spend big money in pursuit of free agent pitcher Yu Darvish could be that Joe Mauer’s $184 million contract expires after the 2018 season. It wouldn’t be surprising if Mauer, who will be 35 by then and is a committed family man, retires in the fall of 2018. But if he decides to play a 16th season with the Twins he will be taking a “haircut” in compensation.

Mauer’s grandfather, Jake Mauer, was friends with the late Ralph Jon Fritz, the former WCCO TV sportscaster who passed away earlier this month. After Fritz moved to Florida years ago, he and Jake played golf together.

FOX Sports North will televise “Twins Town Hall” live from the Target Field Champions Club tonight starting at 7 p.m. A discussion will include Joe Mauer, manager Paul Molitor, and team executives Derek Falvey and Thad Levine. The group will be in front of a live studio audience consisting of season ticket holders and select fans. Fans may submit questions for the panel via Twitter: @fsnorth, #TwinsTownHall.

The basketball Gophers are 3-0 historically against Oral Roberts, the team they play tonight at Williams Arena. The Tulsa-based school is named after the late Oral Roberts who was known as a TV faith healer.

The Golden Eagles are 4-10 this season, including a 104-69 loss to Arkansas Tuesday night. The Razorbacks defeated Minnesota 95-79 earlier this month.

ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy said during last week’s Minneapolis telecast of the Timberwolves-Sixers game he was surprised about local concerns regarding the Wolves’ performance this season. His take is positive, noting this is a franchise that hasn’t had a team in the playoffs since 2004. The Wolves, who are 19-13 and in first place in the Northwest Division, have the fourth best record in the Western Conference.

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