Vikings – Page 138 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Road Games May Not Slow Vikings

Posted on November 1, 2017November 1, 2017 by David Shama

A Wednesday notes column written during a week when the Upper Midwest could be in entertainment panic mode because the Vikings have a bye on the schedule Sunday.

The Vikings play four of their next five games on the road but that may not result in a bumpy ride. Two years ago Mike Zimmer’s team had a six-game stretch with four games away from home, and the Vikings were undefeated on the road. That team finished the season with an 11-5 record including five road wins and three losses.

The 2015 Vikings won the NFC North and this year’s team, with a 6-2 record now, appears headed toward another division championship. Zimmer has a veteran roster that should be comfortable playing on the road and won’t face a for-sure superior team in a five-game schedule that has Minnesota at Washington, home against the L.A. Rams and then at Detroit, Atlanta and Carolina.

Those five teams are a combined 20-16 this season in the parity-heavy NFL. In the latest ESPN.com NFL power rankings, the Vikings are No. 5, with the Rams No. 8, Carolina No. 12, Atlanta No. 13, Detroit No. 15 and Washington No. 18. Minnesota’s biggest worry, per ESPN, is sub quarterback Case Keenum remains somewhat untested after six-plus games.

What’s your guess as to the Vikings’ record after their December 10 game at Carolina? What will the record be at season’s end? What is an acceptable season and postseason?

Zimmer answering a question about trusting kicker Kai Forbath who has made 95.5 percent of his field goal attempts but just 75 percent of extra points: “Well, I’m probably not as jump off the wagon as you guys (media) are. You guys wanted me to get rid of him after he missed the extra point in the second game, or something. He’s done a really good job of kicking field goals accurately.

“He’s a good kid. He works hard. I think there’s a good rapport between [Kevin] McDermott, the holder [Ryan Quigley] and him. So yes, I feel comfortable with him.”

The Gophers’ P.J. Fleck could soon see his name mentioned in speculation about the many head coaching openings anticipated in major college football. Fleck’s contract with the University of Minnesota states neither he nor a representative can “seek, negotiate or accept other full-time employment” without first providing at least 48 hours written notice to the Gopher athletic director.

Drawing a lot of interest because of openings will be Iowa State second-year head coach Matt Campbell who at 37 is one year older than Fleck. The two coached against each other in the Mid-American Conference and both were born on November 29. Campbell was named Iowa State coach on November 29, 2015.

When the Gophers lost to Iowa last Saturday it ensured another year when Minnesota would not sweep its rivalry games against the Hawkeyes, Badgers and Wolverines. The 1967 season was the last that Minnesota captured Floyd of Rosedale, Paul Bunyan’s Axe and the Little Brown Jug.

Injuries have reshuffled the Gophers’ offensive line, but after last weekend Minnesota had allowed only eight sacks this year (tied for 11th in the nation, first in the Big Ten), and 27 tackles for loss (tied for 5th nationally, first in Big Ten).

Bleacher Report ranked the Gophers Richard Pitino No. 1 in an article last week about “up-and-coming college basketball coaches to watch in 2017-2018.” Candidates had to meet two criteria: not be older than 40, and have fewer than 100 career wins.

Pitino’s 2017-2018 Gophers are a popular top 25 preseason pick, with Minnesota fans hoping the Gophers will be playing for the Big Ten title on February 25 at Purdue in the last game of the regular season. The Associated Press preseason poll out today ranked the Gophers No. 15, with second ranked Michigan State the only Big Ten team higher in the poll that has Duke No. 1.

Pitino has reportedly offered a scholarship to Hopkins junior power forward Zeke Nnjai. While Nnjai is a talented and coveted recruit, Gopher fans might wonder if this is an acknowledgement it’s unlikely Minnesota can also land Rochester John Marshall superstar power forward Matthew Hurt in its 2019 recruiting class.

It will be interesting to see if Bemidji State’s Michael Bitzer or the Gophers Eric Schierhorn win the 2018 Mike Richter Award given annually to college hockey’s best Division 1 goalie. Bitzer and Schierhorn were recognized respectively Monday and Tuesday as players of the week in the WCHA and Big Ten. Bitzer, a senior from Moorhead, has 18 career shutouts. Schierhorn, a junior from Anchorage, has started every game since his freshman season, with his total of 83 total leading all NCAA goalies and ranking seventh in NCAA history.

Hard to see Twins center fielder Byron Buxton not being among the American League’s Gold Glove winners when award announcements are made next Tuesday.

The Big Ten reported Tuesday that based on average home attendance for volleyball, the league has four of the nation’s top five programs. Nebraska leads the country averaging 7,907 fans, Wisconsin is third with 5,969, Minnesota is fourth at 4,880 and Penn State is fifth at 3,428. The Gopher volleyball program has the potential to be a moneymaker for the athletic department.

The Minnesota Blue Ox (12-1-1), a junior team in the U.S. Premier Hockey League owned by Wild coach Bruce Boudreau, will play the Minnesota Moose (11-3), as part of a hockey fundraiser at Isanti County Arena next Monday. The junior game follows the annual U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women’s Face-Off Classic between Bemidji State and UMD game that begins at 6 p.m.

Proceeds from both games will benefit Matt Olson, the hockey player from Isanti who suffered a serious neck injury in 2016 while playing for a team in the USPHL. Tickets for the doubleheader are $5 for students and $10 for adults, and are available at the arena beginning at 5 p.m. November 6.

Comments Welcome

Time to See Keenum as 2017 Quarterback

Posted on October 26, 2017October 26, 2017 by David Shama

It might be time to start seeing Case Keenum as the Vikings starting quarterback for the remainder of this season. The Vikings, 5-2, will have played six games with the former backup as their starter after Sunday’s game in London, but fans view Keenum as an emergency and temporary part.

Keenum, 29, had never started more than nine games in his four-year NFL career when he signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Vikings last offseason. Yet he has been a godsend to the Vikings who have had to play the entire first half of the season without 2015 starter Teddy Bridgewater, and have had 2016 regular Sam Bradford for just a game and a half.

“We brought him here to win games,” said Kyle Rudolph, Vikings tight end. “In this league there aren’t many teams that go all 16 games and their starting quarterback goes out there every week.”

Keenum is 3-2 as the team’s starter and has been mostly good—and at least serviceable—leading an offense that includes a new line and is without potential star rookie running back Dalvin Cook, who is injured and out for the season. Keenum has thrown for 1,322 yards and five touchdowns as the Vikings near the half-way point of their 16 game regular season. He also has a career high 89 passer rating.

Case Keenum (photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

Projected over a full season, Keenum’s 2017 numbers would compare favorably with Bridgewater’s totals in his first two seasons in the NFL. Keenum also throws a better deep ball than what the Vikings saw in the past from Bridgewater. Keenum’s passing is part of the reason wide receiver Adam Thielen is having a career season and ranks among NFL leaders in receptions and yards.

Bridgewater, after missing last season with a devastating knee injury, is practicing again and is a fan favorite. There’s a perception he should soon replace Keenum as the starter. Bridgewater, though, only began formal practices with the team last week and hasn’t played in a game since August of 2016. Even if he can move well enough to protect himself, there should be concerns about his timing and rhythm throwing the ball.

Bradford hasn’t played since that nightmare first half against the Bears on October 9. He was then trying to play for the first time in almost a month but his painful knee wouldn’t allow him to effectively pass, or avoid pass rushers. Bradford and the Vikings are quiet about details regarding his knee injury, and it’s anyone’s guess whether he plays again this season.

Both Bradford and Bridgewater will be rusty when—or if—they return to the field. The Vikings, led by perhaps the NFL’s best defense, are the favorite to win the NFC North with the players who are available. Those players include a quarterback who unexpectedly could be leading the offense in the playoffs while Bridgewater and Bradford watch from the sidelines.

Rudolph believes Keenum is “going a great job” as the QB. “He’s our quarterback,” Rudolph said. “We just approach each and every week as if he’s going to be the guy. It’s up to other people to decide (coaches as to who starts), and that’s the way I think he approaches it, which is why he has had success.”

Worth Noting

While the Vikings return to London this week for the first time since 2013, Keenum was there last year quarterbacking the Rams. He threw four of his 11 interceptions for the season in a loss to the Giants, but doesn’t blame the long travel to London for the bad day. “No, it was just poor decisions,” he said yesterday.

Keenum is reportedly on a one-year contract with the Vikings worth $2 million.

Sunday’s game will be the fourth NFL game this season in London. The closest victory has been by 20 points, and the Browns, 0-7 this season, could lose by more than three touchdowns to the Vikings.

Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks after being asked what he planed to do on the eight hour airplane ride to London: “Sleep.”

Darrell Thompson, the Gophers career rushing leader and now color analyst on the football team’s radio network, speaks to the CORES lunch group Thursday, November 9 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. Thompson is president of Minneapolis headquartered Bolder Options, the nonprofit youth mentoring organization. Reservations for the Thompson lunch and program need to be made by Monday, November 6. Contact Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.

Former Gophers receiver Chester Cooper received an award and recognition yesterday from Hennepin County attorney Mike Freeman for his contributions and accomplishments as the county’s community corrections director. Cooper caught the last Gophers touchdown pass ever at Memorial Stadium in a season closing game in 1981 against Wisconsin. The Gophers moved into the Metrodome for the 1982 season.

Jackson Erdmann, the former Penn State walk-on quarterback from Rosemount High School now playing for Saint John’s, is second among all NCAA Division III passers with an efficiency rating of 191.5 this season. After last Saturday’s 320 yards passing and five touchdowns, the sophomore was named the MIAC Offensive Player of the Week.

The Green Bay basketball team that plays the Gophers November 5 in an exhibition game at Maturi Pavilion to benefit the American Red Cross hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico is predicted by Athlon’s college basketball magazine to finish sixth in the 10 team Horizon League. The Phoenix roster includes guard and Wisconsin native Sandy Cohen who the Gophers once targeted as a prep recruit. The Marquette transfer is eligible to play in his first game December 21. The Phoenix has a home exhibition game Monday against Ripon before travelling to Minneapolis.

Seating for the November 5 game is general admission and tickets are priced at $10 each. Gopher Score members and University of Minnesota student season ticket holders were able to access a special pre-sale this morning. General public tickets, based on availability, go on sale next Tuesday at 9 a.m.

The Minnesota Wild practice at Bloomington Ice Garden on Sunday starts at 11 a.m. and the inventory of complimentary tickets for fans is gone. Festivities will include presentation of a $75,000 check from Kraft for improvements to the facility.

Bravo to the Dodgers and Astros for playing their opening World Series game Tuesday night in two hours and 28 minutes, reportedly the fastest series game since 1992. Baseball’s yawning pace has been creeping on for decades. When the Twins and Dodgers played in their 1965 seven-game World Series, the briefest game was two hours and six minutes, while the longest was 2:34.

Last night’s World Series game clocked in at 4:19.

Comments Welcome

Rethinking 2014 Draft & Bridgewater

Posted on October 19, 2017October 19, 2017 by David Shama

A Thursday notes column focusing on the Vikings and Gophers.

While the Vikings wait to see when—or even if—injured quarterbacks Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater will play again, some observers might be looking back to a decision Minnesota made in the 2014 draft.

The Vikings used the 32nd pick in the first round to choose Bridgewater and four selections into the second round the Raiders took Derek Carr. Both young quarterbacks became starters during their rookie seasons, with Carr throwing 21 touchdown passes for 3,270 yards and Bridgewater at 14 TD throws and 2,919 yards.

Carr increased his numbers to 32 and 3,987 yards in 2015, while Bridgewater had 14 TD passes for 3,231 yards. Last year Bridgewater missed the entire season because of a devastating late summer knee injury. Carr started 15 games in 2016 until he broke his leg, and he threw 28 touchdown passes for 3,937 yards. He also had a career high 96.7 passer rating.

Bridgewater’s career rating is 87 and he has thrown 28 touchdown passes for 6,150 yards with 21 interceptions. Carr’s career numbers are a rating of 88.4, with 89 touchdowns, 12,118 yards and 35 interceptions.

Teddy Bridgewater (photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

Statistics are often not conclusive, including when comparing young players. Since 2014 Carr has been give more opportunities to produce impressive numbers than Bridgewater who just this week has been able to practice with the team for the first time in over a year. However, before this season Carr was ranked No. 11 on the NFL Network’s top 100 players list. In 2016 Bridgewater was No. 96 on the same list. Partly because of his upbeat personality, Bridgewater is popular with Vikings fans and teammates but few NFL teams, if any, would likely select him before Carr if there was a 2014 draft-do-over.

With Bradford sidelined with his own knee issues, the Vikings may decide to ride out this season with backup Case Keenum who has played effectively as their starting quarterback. Then they will decide whether to make a commitment to Bradford or Bridgewater in 2018. The next few seasons should for certain answer the question of whether the Vikings made a mistake in selecting Bridgewater instead of Carr.

Right now if Keenum was injured and couldn’t play, rookie Kyle Sloter would replace him. Offensive tackle Cedrick Lang was with Sloter in Denver earlier this year including during preseason. Lang doesn’t expect his teammate to be nervous when he plays in his first NFL regular season game.

“He can play. He’s got a lot of confidence,” Lang said about the first-year QB who was in four preseason games with the Broncos and threw three touchdown passes.

The Vikings leave for London next Wednesday night, arriving on Thursday morning. The team will head for the hotel and start making preparations for the Sunday, October 29 game against the Browns.

Linebacker Eric Wilson said players have been told to set time devices to London time about eight hours before arriving there. To minimize exposure to light and cope with jet lag, players will wear dark glasses. While there will be no formal team sightseeing, players are expected to go off on their own but have been told to stay in groups.

The Gophers have played in five consecutive bowl games but the streak is in doubt halfway through this season. Minnesota is 3-3 overall and 0-3 in conference games. To get the prerequisite six wins for bowl eligibility, the Gophers will almost certainly need to win Saturday against Illinois. After that Minnesota could be an underdog in its five remaining games.

Postseason games are a well deserved reward for players and coaches. Yet Gophers coach P.J. Fleck is mum on them with his team. “I don’t mention it until you’re bowl eligible, and then you probably mention it for about ten seconds, then you move on,” Fleck said.

Fleck’s focus is on the day-to-day process of building the program and achieving his vision for Gophers football. “It’s been 50 years since we’ve won a Big Ten championship, and that’s why I came here. There’s different avenues of that happening. There’s a process and progress to that—and every day that’s all I know how to do is get better than the day…before.”

Illinois, 2-4 and 0-3 in Big Ten games, has started 14 true freshmen, the most in the country. The Illini also appear to be the worst team in the Big Ten. They have a three point win over Ball State and 13 point victory against Western Kentucky. Big Ten losses include an 11 point defeat against Rutgers, probably the conference’s second worst team. The Illini rank 117th nationally in total offense and 94th in total defense. They do lead major college teams in forced fumbles with 12.

Fleck and his coaches, including wide receivers coach Matt Simon who is originally from Farmington, developed Corey Davis into a first round NFL Draft choice at Western Michigan. In the staff’s first season at Minnesota the wide receivers, including sophomore Tyler Johnson, redshirt freshmen Phillip Howard and Mark Williams, and true freshman Demetrius Douglas have impressed.

Fleck said the staff has a “strategic” way of developing the hands of pass receivers including hockey goalie drills for eye-hand coordination. “We have over 120 different ball drills that our players can choose from to use in different aspects of where they’re at in their development,” he said.

Fleck wasn’t publicly committing earlier this week as to who his starting quarterback will be on Saturday. It’s interesting, though, that on the depth chart where Demry Croft and Conor Rhoda are listed as alternate starters, true freshman Tanner Morgan has moved ahead of redshirt freshman Seth Green. Morgan was first listed ahead of Green prior to last week’s game against Michigan State.

The Gophers game at Iowa on October 28 will start at the unusual time of 5:30 p.m. FS1 has the rights to the telecast and chose the time.

Carter Coughlin, the Gophers sophomore defensive end who has started all six games this season, is listed at 240 pounds on the depth chart but weighs 225. “I am on a new weight program to help get my weight up, but at least I haven’t been dipping,” he said.

The former Eden Prairie all-stater is a speed rusher. He started one game last season, while participating in 11 total, and he is an improved player since his freshman year.

“I can remember the first couple games last year I was like shaking, I was all over the place,” Coughlin said. “It felt like it wasn’t even football. It was like just mind blowing.

“Now it’s just like every single time I go out there I feel poised. I am super confident that I know what I am doing. Super confident in my ability, so that’s allowed me to play a lot better I think.”

A media panel included Gophers Nate Mason and Amir Coffey on its 10-player preseason All-Big Ten basketball team announced today. Mason made All-Big Ten last season as a junior, while Coffey was selected to the conference’s All-Freshman team.

Beginning with the 2018-19 Big Ten season, the men’s basketball schedule will increase to 20 conference games per team and the women’s basketball schedule will expand to 18 league games. Men’s teams will play seven opponents twice and six teams once (three home, three away). The women’s format will have teams playing five opponents twice and eight teams once (four home, four away) each season. For the 2017-2018 seasons, men’s teams are playing 18 league games, while women have 16.

Minikahda Club teaching pro Jeff Sorenson shot a six under 66 last week to set a new course record at the Sand Valley Resort in Nekoosa, Wisconsin. He and five others qualified for the Taylormade National Championship at Pebble Beach next March.

Minnesota Football Coaches Association members have until Sunday to nominate players for the all-star football game December 9 at U.S. Bank Stadium. More at Allstarfootball.org.

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