Vikings – Page 140 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

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.

1 comment

Pressure on Wolves from Opening Tip

Posted on October 17, 2017October 17, 2017 by David Shama

With a disappointing past but an intriguing offseason of personnel changes, coach Tom Thibodeau and his players need to fulfill expectations in the months ahead. The Timberwolves, who haven’t earned their way into the NBA playoffs since 2004, open the regular season schedule Wednesday night in San Antonio against the Spurs, and the pressure to win starts this week.

The Wolves are a favorite of NBA authorities to qualify for the 2018 playoffs, perhaps finishing with the fifth best record in the Western Conference behind the Warriors, Spurs, Rockets and Thunder. If the team doesn’t make the playoffs the disappointed will include Wolves owner Glen Taylor. He told Sports Headliners Monday he shares the “high expectations” of fans and nothing else could balance out the club not playing in the postseason.

Taylor described the expectations for the playoffs as “good pressure” on the Wolves. “We have some very good players,” he said. “The coaching staff should be ready. I can’t think of any reason other than injuries that’s going to hold us back.”

Glen Taylor (photo courtesy of Minnesota Timberwolves).

Taylor is more excited going into this season than any in awhile. In the past he has been looking down the road, hoping for a playoff team eventually. “I think we’re there now,” he said. “We just have to produce.”

Thibodeau’s chair is a little warm after last season—his first as the franchise’s basketball czar. As coach and president, Taylor has entrusted his team’s future to Thibodeau who was one of pro basketball’s most successful coaches with the Bulls. The Wolves, though, underachieved last season when they won only 31 games, lost 51, and weren’t even a threat to make the playoffs.

Thibodeau, who in the past has been aloof with players, is considered an old-school coach demanding discipline and physical play starting with defense. The new era NBA—at least some places—seems to put an emphasis on chummy coach and player relationships, while tactically spreading the floor, using long distance shooting and multi-positional players.

Can Thibodeau make things work? Will the Wolves play differently than the grinder style characterizing the coach’s Bulls’ teams?

The Wolves, who open their home season Friday night against the Jazz, have three new starters and four newbies coming off the bench. Power forward Taj Gibson, small forward Jimmy Butler and point guard Jeff Teague join center Karl-Anthony Towns and shooting guard Andrew Wiggins as starters. Shooting guard Jamal Crawford is a key reserve.

With so many new faces there are questions? How will the club chemistry be? Will the players share the ball on offense and help each other on defense? Will they sacrifice their bodies and egos to achieve team success?

Among questions being asked is whether collectively the players will shoot well enough from the outside to help deliver a big year? Butler, Teague and Wiggins haven’t been that effective with perimeter shooting in the past.

The challenge of stepping it up faces all three, but maybe Wiggins more than the others. He just signed a mega contract and his physical gifts rank with the best in the NBA. That includes the potential to be a better long range shooter. But in his previous three NBA seasons Wiggins seems more interested in being isolated with the ball and slashing to the basket.

Thibodeau will ask for maximum effort and performance defensively from his players. As defenders, improvement will definitely be expected from Towns and Wiggins. Their buy-in will dictate a lot regarding the defensive prowess of this year’s team.

The hype is on about the Wolves. Butler, acquired in an offseason deal with the Bulls, is one of the NBA’s better all-around players, and at 28 presumably the veteran leader the club has been missing. Towns, the 21-year-old center going into his third NBA season, was named in a preseason poll of league general managers as the player they would most want to start a franchise with. Teague is expected to provide better shooting than former starter Ricky Rubio. Gibson, at 32, gives the Wolves experience at power forward, and Crawford, even older at 37, will play the role of three-point producer and scorer off the bench. That same general managers poll showed 69 percent forecast the Wolves to be the NBA’s most improved team.

Taylor said that unlike the past, Thibodeau hasn’t been critical of players when talking to him. “Listening to him…he’s really been pleased with just about all the players. As a matter of fact, I don’t recall anything negative he said about any player.

“The year before he always had bitter expectations of some of the guys that they could have done more, or a little bit (of) this. But this year he’s been really positive about the guys, and he’s pointed out a lot of good things that he sees. That’s not just the starting five, but everybody on the team.”

Worth Noting

In its NBA preview edition that came out last week, Sports Illustrated ranked the league teams 1-30 for entertainment value using criteria that included “style of play, firepower, age, health, coaching and personality.” The Wolves ranked No. 7 after the Warriors, Rockets, Thunder, Celtics, Cavaliers and Bucks.

The magazine projects the Wolves will finish fifth in the Western Conference behind the Warriors, Rockets, Spurs, and Thunder. S.I. raves about Towns. Writing that Towns “flashed talent seldom seen from a second-year big man,” the magazine reported that following the NBA All-Star break last winter Towns averaged 28.4 points per game on 59.7 percent shooting with 13.4 rebounds.

The Timberwolves and city of Minneapolis officials are justifiably excited to showcase their $145 million Target Center renovation on Friday night for the team’s home opener. The concourse and bowl improvements include a new state-of-the-art scoreboard, better restrooms, new seats, upgraded sound system and digital signage. There is also new luxury seating, and exterior changes including a new three-story glass atrium.

City officials, though, should be concerned about downtown’s reputation for public safety. The threat of violence and individuals who harass others on downtown streets are issues that worry patrons attending events on Hennepin Avenue, and at Target Center and Target Field.

Taylor’s Lynx have won four WNBA championships but he said the 2017 title stands out after a controversial officiating call played a role in his 2016 team losing in the finals. “This is a good one. This is right up there (among the best title winning years) just because I was so disappointed last year and how that got refereed at the end (of the championship game). We lost something which I thought we deserved to win.”

If the Lynx receive an invitation to be honored at the White House, Taylor said it won’t happen for awhile. Most likely a White House visit would coincide with a scheduled Lynx game in Washington D.C. against the Mystics.

U.S. Bank Stadium’s five pivoting doors were opened at 9 a.m. Sunday for the Vikings-Packers game that started at noon. The outside temperature was 43 degrees. The doors (95 feet tall at their peaks) are popular for the outside feel they contribute to the roof covered facility, but fans in the west stands sometimes complain about cold air.

A street seller was asking $125 for an inexpensive seat for last Sunday’s game, and $300 to $400 for better seats.

A parking lot across from the stadium was charging $55, while eight to 10 blocks away the rate was $20 per vehicle. The cost was $30 about six blocks from the stadium. Meters on the street charged $25.

Vikings second-year receiver Laquon Treadwell had fans raving over his one-handed catch in the Packer game. Treadwell said it was the second best reception of his life, with an even better one playing in college for Mississippi.

The Gophers’ fragile bowl hopes start with a must win Saturday at home against Illinois, the Big Ten’s worst team. Minnesota, 3-3 overall and 0-3 in the Big Ten, could get to the prerequisite six victories and a bowl invitation by defeating Illinois and Nebraska at home, and Northwestern on the road.

Iowa athletic director Gary Barta, who played high school football for Burnsville, is taking an extended leave of absence because of surgery and treatment for prostate cancer.

Comments Welcome