Talk about intrigue. The Vikings play the Bears in Chicago on Sunday and the game could be a laugher for the Purple—but then again perhaps Marc Trestman’s group can finally get things right.
The Bears have lost three consecutive games, including the last two by a combined 69 points. Let’s just say Trestman, the Bears second-year coach from St. Louis Park, isn’t positioned to run for mayor of the Windy City anytime soon. Last night the Bears probably reached a new low in the Trestman era when the Packers embarrassed Chicago 55-14 on NBC’s national telecast. That defeat came after a 51-23 loss to the Patriots.
“It was humiliating,” wrote Mike Foss for Monday’s Usatoday.com. “The last team to give up 50 points in consecutive games was the Rochester Jeffersons in 1923. Yes, that doesn’t sound like a real team.
“It was dumbfounding. After the game, Packers receiver Randall Cobb noted that the Bears essentially gave up.”
The headline on the Foss story is: “The Chicago Bears are dead. The Green Packers killed them.”
The Bears, 3-6, clearly have major issues this season—including injuries that have impacted the offense—but will they have at least a little bite against the Vikings, 4-5, or is this team headed for early hibernation? Vikings offensive lineman Brandon Fusco said the Bears might be “down in the dumps” but players won’t quit on themselves because they are competitors. “It’s the NFL. It doesn’t matter what your record is,” said Fusco who is injured and out for the season.
Vikings safety Harrison Smith watched last night’s game and was asked what he thought the Bears’ reaction will be? “You never know. Locker rooms are different. I am not in their meetings, not in their locker room. I know they got a bunch of Pro Bowl players on that team so we just gotta get ready to play those guys.”
Anthony Barr, the Vikings rookie linebacker, expects the Bears’ adversity to work in their favor next Sunday. “I think you play harder because of that. I think it makes you want to respond and come back the next week and prove yourself.”
A couple of Vikings mentioned the difficulty of playing the Bears at Solider Field. Center John Sullivan, for instance, is 0-6 at the historic stadium during his Vikings career. What’s interesting now, though, is the Bears are 3-3 on the road and 0-3 at home.
This week the Bears will want to forget their home record and the results of recent games including last night. “They got it handed to them. That’s behind them,” said Vikings wide receiver Greg Jennings. “They’re moving on to us and we’re moving on to them.”
The Vikings, coming off a bye in the schedule, are on a two-game winning streak. They have a different kind of momentum than the Bears, and they hope to retain it after Sunday.
There’s plenty to note about Paul Molitor being hired as Twins manager including historical ties to the Gophers.
The Twins announced today they will introduce Molitor as their new manager tomorrow. He has agreed to a three-year contract that will run through 2017, and he becomes the first former Gopher to lead the Twins.
Also, for the first time ever there are now five former Gophers leading teams in MLB, the NBA, NFL and NHL. Flip Saunders and Kevin McHale, basketball teammates with the Gophers, are the head coaches for the Timberwolves and Rockets in the NBA. Former Gophers quarterback Marc Trestman is head coach of the NFL’s Bears. Ex-Gophers defenseman Todd Richards, who once coached the Wild, is head coach of the NHL’s Blue Jackets. All five U alums attended the University of Minnesota in the 1970s and 1980s.
Molitor, a former Gophers All-American shortstop, was considered the favorite for the Twins manager job since Ron Gardenhire was let go in late September. Molitor’s hiring will put smiles on the faces of most Twins fans but his presence in the dugout probably won’t sell a lot of tickets unless the club puts an end to its dismal performance on the field.
Molitor is considered one of baseball’s smartest men. He can talk for hours about a single subject like base running. He reportedly can sit in a dugout and predict what pitch will be thrown next. He has been a Twins coach and before that minor league instructor with the Twins while drawing praise from players for his advice.
What Molitor may have had to convince Twins hiring authorities about is his willingness to get after players and motivate them. Will he travel during the offseason to check in with pitcher Ricky Nolasco who was a major disappointment in 2014 after signing a big contract with the Twins? Would he be bold enough to drop Joe Mauer down in the batting order if deserved?
Managers do make a major impact—if they are the right ones like Billy Martin who in 1969 shook up the Twins and made a big difference in performance. Joe Maddon is probably baseball’s best manager of the current era and his name came up during the Twins’ search but he signed on with the Cubs after leaving the Rays. Maddon’s hire would have made a stir here.
Molitor, 58, has never managed before so it’s appropriate to wonder what kind of job he will do. Part of his success will be tied to the staff he assembles. Will former Brewers teammate Robin Yount, a Hall of Famer like Molitor, be on the staff? The names of Bert Blyleven, Jack Morris and Frank Viola have been mentioned as possible pitching coaches.
Molitor has waited a long time for a manager’s job, and making things sweeter is the Edina resident will do it in his hometown. He will pump new life into the Twins organization but in the long run neither he nor the Twins will maximize success without better players. But that’s for another day, not tomorrow.
Worth Noting
Everson Griffen was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October and yesterday he led the Vikings linemen in tackles and came up with a sack for the fifth consecutive game when Minnesota defeated the Redskins at TCF Bank Stadium.
Griffen, who only started one game during the previous four seasons, is having a breakout year. Asked if he wants to see the season end with All-Pro recognition, the Vikings defensive end said, “I am trying, man.”
Griffen added that team wins are most important and success by the Vikings can only support individual awards. He leads all NFC players in sacks with nine and is second in the league to the Chiefs’ Justin Houston who has 12.
By coming up with a sack yesterday, he now has seven in the last five games. He also had five solo tackles in the 29-26 win over the Redskins including an important first half tackle on third and one when he chased down Washington running back Roy Helu, Jr. for a loss.
Griffen had an NFC-best six sacks in a four-game period in October. He was the only player in the conference with at least one sack in four games. He also led all NFC defensive linemen with 20 total tackles (16 solo) in October.
After nine games, Griffen already has more sacks than his previous season-best of eight in 2013. He can be sure All-Pro selectors are noticing.
Rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has only been sacked three times in the last two games. In the two games before that Bridgewater was sacked 13 times as the Vikings lost games to the Lions and Bills.
Mike Zimmer
Bridgewater has now helped the offense in three fourth quarter wins including yesterday. “I feel like Teddy is growing up and I feel like the rest of us are growing up,” Vikings head coach MikeZimmer said on KFAN Radio after the game. “We just gotta be more efficient in everything we do.”
Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen, who made the team’s roster this season after being on the practice squad in 2013, has been speaking to school groups. The former Detroit Lakes High School player’s message is: “Anything is attainable.”
The Vikings have a reorganized wide receiver group that also includes Jarius Wright who in 16 games last season had 434 reception yards. This season in nine games Wright is second on the team with 315. What’s changed? “A lot of it is my confidence and their confidence in me,” he told Sports Headliners.
Did you know the Gophers’ total of six alums on NFL opening day rosters was tied with Indiana for fewest in the Big Ten Conference? The leaders were Ohio State with 33, Wisconsin 32, Michigan 25 and Penn State 25. The six Gophers were Eric Decker, MarQueis Gray, Ra’Shede Hageman, Marcus Sherels, Matt Spaeth and BrockVereen.
Despite a bye in the schedule last Saturday and extra week of rest, it’s a good guess injured Gophers Alex Keith (defensive end), Ben Lauer (offensive tackle) and Drew Wolitarsky (tight end) will not be ready for Iowa Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium.
Dick Jonckowski starts his 29th season as Gophers basketball public announcer on Thursday night when Minnesota plays UMD in an exhibition game at Williams Arena. Jonckowski, who experienced health problems during the offseason, is one of only two public address announcers in Williams Arena history. Julie Perlt did the PA work for 58 seasons.
UMD lost an exhibition game on Saturday to Notre Dame, 88-71. Brett Ervin, the senior center from Eden Prairie High School, led the Bulldogs with 29 points.
Lindy’s College Basketball magazine predicts the Gophers will finish fourth in the Big Ten behind Wisconsin, Ohio State and Nebraska. Gophers guard Andre Hollins is a second team all-conference pick.
The magazine has former Robbinsdale Cooper guard Rashad Vaughn on its Mountain West Conference first team. Lindy’s also lists the UNLV guard as the league’s “No. 1 signing coup” and top NBA prospect.
Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic has been susceptible to ankle and foot problems during his NBA career. He told Sports Headliners he applies ice for 12 to 15 minutes after each game. His total minutes per game this season are likely to seldom exceed 30, as coach Flip Saunders tries to limit the pounding on the veteran center’s feet and ankles. Through the first three games of the season he is averaging 30.3 minutes.
Flip Saunders
Former Minneapolis Marshall-University High School basketball coach Ed Prohofsky has been friends with Saunders for many years and is assisting the Wolves this season as a consultant. Prohofsky attends home games but doesn’t travel with the team. He began his coaching career in the military in 1957 and later had a 53-game winning streak at Marshall-U High. When Saunders coached at Golden Valley Lutheran College for the 1980-81 season, Prohofsky was an assistant coach.
The Wild, off to a 7-3 start, knows about home ice advantage. Minnesota, 5-0 at Xcel Energy Center so far, is the only Western Conference team yet to lose at home. The Wild finished 3-0 at home during preseason, 5-1 at Xcel Energy Center during the 2014 playoffs and 26-10-5 during the 2013-14 season. The Wild hosts the Penguins tomorrow night.
Bethel football coach Steve Johnson will speak at the November 13 CORES luncheon at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. Bethel, 7-1 overall and 6-0 in the MIAC, is the only undefeated team in the league. Johnson is in his 26th season at Bethel and six times he has been honored as MIAC Coach of the Year. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans. Reservations (by November 10) for the lunch and program can be made by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.
The Vikings, with a 3-5 record, are halfway through their 16-game schedule. BobLurtsema predicted last summer new coach Mike Zimmer and a reorganized staff would improve last year’s 5-10-1 record to 8-8.
Adrian Peterson
Despite the absence of key offensive starters including quarterback Matt Cassel, running back Adrian Peterson and tight end KyleRudolph, the Vikings have done enough to maintain Lurtsema’s confidence about an 8-8 finish. “I am still sticking with 8-8,” said the former Viking who attends practices and remains close to the team.
The Vikings play the Redskins, 3-5, at TCF Bank Stadium on Sunday—the first of eight remaining games. The Vikings have two games on the upcoming schedule with the Bears, 3-5, and also will play the Packers, 5-3, Panthers, 3-4-1, Jets, 1-7, Lions, 6-2, and Dolphins, 4-3. Those seven teams have a combined record of 25 wins, 29 losses and one tie.
Those aren’t intimidating numbers, and the Vikings’ opportunity to finish with a record around .500 percent is enhanced by another factor. Five of the remaining eight games will be in Minneapolis.
An 8-8 record is unlikely to earn entry into the playoffs. In 2013 the worst regular season record for an NFL playoff team was the Packers at 8-7-1. The Chargers, 9-7, also qualified. When the Vikings made the playoffs in 2012 as a wildcard entry their record was 10-6.
Lurtsema is conceding the NFC North title and automatic entry into the playoffs to the Packers. “I think too much of (quarterback) Aaron Rodgers. I just think that the Green Bay Packers are almost a machine.”
But that prediction doesn’t lessen Lurtsema’s enthusiasm for Zimmer and the Vikings. Minnesota won last Sunday, defeating the now 1-6 Bucs, and the Vikings have held their three most recent opponents to 15.6 points per game. A loss in the closing seconds to the Bills a week ago Sunday is a game that got away.
“We should be .500 now at the turn,” Lurtsema said. “We should be 4-4. Coach Zimmer has done everything I expected from (him), plus 20 percent. That man has got those players playing hard.”
Peterson is a former NFL MVP. Rudolph won the 2013 Pro Bowl MVP award. But because the NFL is a quarterback driven league, it’s the season ending injury to Cassel—a journeyman QB—that makes Lurtsema talk about what might have been. “If Cassel was in there I think we would have at least one more win. We’d have no trouble going 8-8.”
Worth Noting
Lurtsema likes Cassel’s successor, rookie Teddy Bridgewater. He praises the rookie’s poise and “velocity” on his passes but described a need for improvement. “He’s got to be able to read the field faster. That’s the part—some quarterbacks—never, ever, ever pick up on. They cannot quicken their reads.”
Lurtsema raved about the team’s other 2014 No. 1 draft choice—linebacker AnthonyBarr who caused a fumble in overtime last Sunday and scooped up the ball to run for the winning touchdown against the Bucs.
“Anthony Barr is the real deal. He could be Rookie of the Year.” Lurtsema said. “He’s got such great closing speed. The sky’s the limit for that guy. He’s smart, he’s respectful.
“He’s got everything you want. His long arms, his agility, his 40-yard speed, his 10-yard speed, whatever you want to talk about. That kid can play.”
Lurtsema played on the defensive line for not only the Vikings but the Giants and Seahawks, too. Ironically, all three organizations are hosting alumni gatherings this weekend and Lurtsema will travel to New York for the Giants’ homecoming.
A Vikings spokesman e-mailed earlier this week that except for the possibility of visiting teams returning tickets, the home games against the Redskins on Sunday and Packers, November 23, are sold out.
Former Bears coach Mike Ditka likes to say today is a gift because yesterday is history and tomorrow is a mystery. Ditka was talking about his philosophy on ESPN Radio’s “Mike & Mike Show” on Monday. “I didn’t make it up but I say it a lot,” said MikeGolic who co-costs the show with Mike Greenberg.
Bob Bossons, a Gophers assistant coach and top recruiter from 1958-1966, died earlier this month after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s. Bossons was a key contributor to the Gophers 1960 national championship and Rose Bowl teams of 1961 and 1962.
Drew Wolitarsky
The guess here is Gophers wide receiver DrewWolitarsky will be out indefinitely after suffering a high ankle sprain against Illinois last Saturday. The Gophers have a bye on the schedule tomorrow but don’t count on him playing against Iowa November 8 at TCF Bank Stadium.
The Timberwolves announced attendance of 18,296 for last night’s regular season home opener. The attendance came close but didn’t sell out (19,500 capacity) and a franchise spokesman told Sports Headliners earlier this week tickets are available for all home games including the much anticipated appearance by LeBron James, Kevin Love and the other Cavs on January 31.
Sports Illustrated’s NBA preview issue of last week predicted the Wolves, who are 1-1 this season, will finish 14th out of 15 teams in the Western Conference. An anonymous scout expressed concern in the magazine about point guard Ricky Rubio, now starting his fourth NBA season with the Wolves. “The great players add to their games in the off-season. I haven’t seen any change in Ricky Rubio over the last three years. His poor shooting has kept him from becoming a Tony Parker-like scorer. He’s a phenomenal passer, but it will take those young guys (Rubio’s new teammates) some time to grow accustomed to his creativity.”
An anonymous scout, perhaps the same one, spoke bluntly in the preview issue about former Wolves executive and coach Kevin McHale, now the Rockets head coach who has his team off to a 2-0 start. “They are the easiest team to scout because they have the smallest playbook and are lackadaisically coached. It’s as close to pickup basketball as there is in the NBA.”
The Wolves play the Bulls at Target Center tomorrow night and Sports Illustrated predicts Chicago will play the Spurs for the NBA championship next spring with San Antonio winning the title.
Bill Robertson
WCHA commissioner Bill Robertson is excited about KTWN-FM agreeing to be the exclusive radio promotional partner for the 2015 Final Five at Xcel Energy Center March 20-21. KTWN is the Twin Cities radio home for Minnesota Twins games.
Former Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi, sportscaster Joe Schmit, author of the book Silent Impact, and Frank White, founder of Respect Sports, will make presentations next Wednesday on leadership at the Minneapolis campus of St. Thomas. The “Leading with Character: What’s Your Direction?” conference will be from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. More details at Synergyexchange.org.
The Gophers wrestling team hasn’t started its schedule but is No. 1 nationally in the InterMat College Dual Meet Rankings. Eight other Big Ten teams are in the rankings: No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Iowa, No. 5 Penn State, No. 7 Nebraska, No. 9 Michigan, No. 11 Illinois, No. 14 Wisconsin and No. 16 Northwestern.
