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STATS LLC Associated Press

Sep 14, 2016

Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer isn't telling anyone who's going to start at quarterback for Sunday night's game against the rival Green Bay Packers.

 

He's certainly not going to tell the media whether he's sticking with Shaun Hill or turning to newcomer Sam Bradford. And he might not even tell his own team.

 

That's how deep Zimmer is willing to take the gamesmanship for this early NFC North showdown.

 

"I did last week. I don't know if I will this week or not because it started leaking," Zimmer said on Wednesday. "Usually I like to inform the team of everything that's going on here and what I'm thinking, but I was a little disappointed that some of the things go out. We'll just see how it goes. I may talk to them. I don't know. Maybe I will."

 

Teddy Bridgewater helped the Vikings end the Packers' five-year reign atop the NFC North last season. With Bridgewater out for the season with a training-camp knee injury, Zimmer decided to start Hill last week. The Vikings won, but Hill had little to do with the success. The defense scored a pair of touchdowns in a 25-16 win at Tennessee.

 

Hill posted a passer rating of 77.3, which is good for 23rd in the league, and the offense enters the week ranked 26th in total yardage. The alternative is Bradford, who the Vikings acquired in the wake of the Bridgewater injury by sending first- and fourth-round picks to Philadelphia.

 

Bradford hasn't lived up to expectations after being the first overall pick of the 2010 draft, posting a 25-37-1 record and career passer rating of 81.0. But he's got a big-time arm that should fit nicely in offensive coordinator Norv Turner's scheme. The question is, could Bradford operate that scheme at a winning level, considering that Sunday will mark his 14th day with the team?

 

"A lot of it is terminology," Zimmer said, "and you start getting in motions and shifts, checks at the line of scrimmage. There's quite a few things. Really, when you think about it, you have to learn the snap count, you have to learn the huddle procedure, how the calls come in, the way you call it. There's so many things for someone that hasn't been in our offensive system, it's very difficult."

 

Packers coach Mike McCarthy expects Bradford to get the call, though his team is preparing for both quarterbacks. Either way, he knows the starting point of beating the Vikings is slowing running back Adrian Peterson.

 

"I think it's part of your personnel evaluation. It's part of your scheme evaluation," McCarthy said of the quarterback uncertainty. "You tilt toward certain schemes with one quarterback, as opposed to another. Those are the questions you ask through the game-planning process, but the fact of the matter is it's going to start with giving the ball to Adrian Peterson. Every time we play the Vikings, that's the focal point of our defense."

 

From Minnesota's direction, the defensive focal point will be controlling Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. They did so in the two games last season, holding him to a sub-90 passer rating in both games, including a Week 17 win at Lambeau Field that won the division.

 

The Vikings kept Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota under wraps in Week 1 by keeping him in the pocket. Keeping Rodgers in the pocket and preventing him from making big plays while on the move will be key

on Sunday.

 

"He's as good as there is," Zimmer said. "He amazes me with the things he does, the things he sees. Not just with his athletic ability. I'm talking about his intelligence and the way he sees everything. Then you add his athletic ability and his competitiveness. I mean, this guy is unbelievable. I kind of wish he was in a different division."

 

This is a huge early-season game, especially from Minnesota's perspective, with the Vikings opening the doors on U.S. Bank Stadium. Minnesota played 32 seasons in the Metrodome and, after a two-year outdoor hiatus at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium, the Vikings are headed back to the great indoors. Their .615 winning percentage in dome games is tops in NFL history.

 

"The stadium is amazing," Peterson said. "It's going to be loud. You know, going on 10 years I've played in Green Bay, at home it always seems like it was kind of even, you know? Wisconsin, they come down and they pack the stadium as well.

 

"It kind of reminds me of the Red River Rivalry -- half Texas and half Oklahoma. That's what it feels like when you guys come here. I don't know if there's really going to be that big of an advantage outside of us playing at home."

 

 

 

Packers/Vikings should never be primetime ever.

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Minnesota has to weather the storm early or this is going to be a shit show. Keep Green Bay under 20 points in the first half, under 10 in the first quarter. Just keep it close.

 

Also, AP is going to suck again. This is the end. I still think Green Bay wins.

 

:Packers: 23

:Vikings: 16

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I can't really imagine the NFL letting the Vikings lose the christening of their new stadium.. Not saying the Packers will deserve to win or even play well, but...

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Adrian Peterson looked like a wet towel last week. I expect the trend to continue.

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If he is going to have one good game this year, though, it might be this week. Also, Bradford will be starting and Sam Shields is out with a concussion. I am worried for Sam's future. He missed like 4 weeks at the end of last year with a concussion and this one could be worse.

 

So, Bradford is going to be playing at home, in a new stadium with hyped up fans against a trio of 2nd year CBs in Rollins, Randall, and Gunter. And behind them... rookie Josh Hawkins. Expect Micah Hyde to play a lot of CB this week and he will need to make some plays for the Packers to win. The safeties are gonna need to do some work too.

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Well as long as your DB's can get away with mugging the Vikings WR's I'm sure they'll do fine. Damaryious Randall is one vicious dude. He goes at guys like they stole his lunch money in primary school.

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Well as long as your DB's can get away with mugging the Vikings WR's I'm sure they'll do fine. Damaryious Randall is one vicious dude. He goes at guys like they stole his lunch money in primary school.

 

Bring back the days of Al Harris and Mike McKenzie, I won't complain.

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Jarius Wright is inactive for Week 2 against the Packers.

It's Wright's second straight game as a healthy scratch. Vikings LT Matt Kalil is active and will start. The rest of Minnesota's inactives are DT Sharrif Floyd, CB Xavier Rhodes, TE MyCole Pruitt, LB Kentrell Brothers, OG Nick Easton, and LB Edmond Robinson.

 

 

 

Packers CB Sam Shields (concussion) is inactive for Week 2 against the Vikings.

Shields is week to week with his fifth concussion. Also inactive for the Packers are QB Joe Callahan, CB Josh Hawkins, LB Jayrone Elliott, S Chris Banjo, and OT Kyle Murphy.

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What a bogus holding call on Newman. Walt Anderson and his crew are the worst.

 

Man, fuck Clay Matthews, that dirty, roided up fucker.

 

AP is done.

 

That was NOT a hold on Waynes. lolWaltColeman'sCrew

 

Stefon Diggs, man. This is so unexpected.

 

Bogus penalties on Trae Waynes counter: 2

 

This is getting ridiculous. The kid is playing out of his mins. Stop punishing him for it.

 

Who castrated Andre Smith and Matt Kalil? Fucking pussies.

Edited by BwareDWare94

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Trae Waynes will give up more receptions than Xavier Rhodes will but he'll get more INTs, too.

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Why is Diggs unexpected? He destroyed souls last year and the Packers were without their top corner. If you didn't see that coming, I think you were tempering expectations so you feel better about it afterwards.

As far as the Packers go it's time to make sweeping changes. Eddie Lacy needs more carries up the middle. The TEs need to stay involved like they were late 3rd and 4th quarters. Davante Adams needs benched. Aaron Rodgers needs to stop forcing bad throws and missing easy ones.

Packers game plan hasn't changed in over a year and if last year wasn't evidence enough, good teams (at least D coordinators) can stop it. All they need to do is take out those 7-8 yard comeback routes on the sideline and the offense falls apart.

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Why is Diggs unexpected? He destroyed souls last year and the Packers were without their top corner. If you didn't see that coming, I think you were tempering expectations so you feel better about it afterwards.

 

As far as the Packers go it's time to make sweeping changes. Eddie Lacy needs more carries up the middle. The TEs need to stay involved like they were late 3rd and 4th quarters. Davante Adams needs benched. Aaron Rodgers needs to stop forcing bad throws and missing easy ones.

 

Packers game plan hasn't changed in over a year and if last year wasn't evidence enough, good teams (at least D coordinators) can stop it. All they need to do is take out those 7-8 yard comeback routes on the sideline and the offense falls apart.

Diggs destroyed souls for 4-5 games, then fell off the map for the second half of the season. He struggled with press coverage. I needed to see him produce again. Through two games he's annihilating people, and playing the worst corners he'll have seen yet next week.

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Sammy Sleeves looked good. He was accurate and made some really nice throws; bucket throws where only his receiver could get it. The 2nd half of the season last year, Bradford began to get use to the system and started to play well. His career is an odd one with constant change lacking stability/comfortability and injuries. And quite honestly, if he can sustain this type of play, I think he will be much more effective than what a healthy Bridgewater can provide. With the Vikings making such a desperate move to obtain Bradford doesn't seem to bode well with how they feel about Bridgewaters recovery. In my opinion at least. The Bradford to Stephon Diggs connection was fun to watch as well as the Vikings defense. I love what Mike Zimmer has done to this team. I hope A.P gets well soon. He still has some records that I would like for him to beat. I would love for someone of his caliber to hold the all time rushing record.

Edited by Dutch

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I'd like for Adrian Peterson to not be a Viking anymore.

 

Bradford made throws last night that Teddy can't even attempt to make.

Edited by BwareDWare94

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I totally agree. Bridgewater is definitely limited as a passer. Mobile with a noodle arm. I was glad to see Mike Wallace freed from that situation and now has what, 3 TDs and a long bomb in the opening week? Anywho, I think this is Sam Bradford's job to lose. He's undoubtedly a more talented passer than Bridgewater and it's not even close imo. I just hope he can stay healthy. I really should be rooting for the Vikings to do terribly to get a better draft pick, but I do like the Vikings under Mike Zimmer. I can still hope for 2-14 lol.. But the Vikes seem to be primed to be the kings of the North again.

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I wonder if Rodgers still thinks preseason is useless and if only 2 drives is adequate?

 

I can't say for sure what the problem with the offense is but Rodgers and company have looked horrible since the bye last season. Rodgers often seems flustered and forcing errant throws or too hesitant to throw an interception that he either places it horribly or throws it out of bounds. For someone that is the current leader in career passer rating, Rodgers hasn't hit 100 since San Diego last season. Or the fact that we have only passed for over 300yds 3 times in the last 20 games, and 2 times was in losing efforts where Rodgers had 61 attempts in a single game. McCarthy refuses to feed Lacy, dude was averaging over 4ypc against a pretty good front 7 yet we only give him the rock 12 times? Pathetic. I'm not sure if its McCarthy or if Rodgers has taken control over him, but this going for it on 4th down when we're in the redzone or close to it is puzzling. Last week, we went for it around the 20 and got it since Lacy was in. Last night, I understand not wanting to sub so the Vikes' D couldn't sub but running with Starks out of the shotgun was stupid.

 

A lot of people are hating on Randall and the defense, which wasn't great or anything, but they only allowed 17pts. Our offense should be able to surpass 17pts any game, especially when 1 TD drive started at midfield due to that blocked punt.

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