The lore of the Minnesota Vikings, with four losses in four Super Bowl appearances and five NFC championship game defeats since then, is marked by a long list of major letdowns.
Advertisement
Chip Kelly doesn’t get credit for much these days in Philadelphia. Vikings head athletic Eric Sugarman said the recovery time will be significant, but the team expects its starting quarterback to make a full recovery. Coach Mike Zimmer, naturally, wasn’t ready to declare a starter for Sunday. But that was before the Vikings sent a first-round pick in 2017 and a conditional fourth-round selection in 2018 to the Eagles for Bradford, who nearly certainly will start eventually.
On Tuesday morning, the Vikings released an unofficial depth chart for their upcoming game against the Titans.
In the past, the team has found a lot of success in first round draft picks.
On one level this makes sense.
Hill initially was earmarked as Bridgewater’s replacement.
“Some teams asked for a first-round pick and a core young player”, he continued.
While the difference between Hill and Bradford this week might be minimized by Hill’s familiarity with the Vikings’ offense, it won’t be long before Bradford’s at the wheel, for exactly the reason Mularkey noted.
“I’m going to lead them”, Zimmer said. When I watch TV, I watch Disney Junior. But I do think at this point, on Wednesday, I don’t think they know which way they are going to go. He said he’s getting more comfortable each day.
No whining. No pining.
Vensel: It was a hard one to get over for sure, just given how they lost.
“I stay in my lane”, he said. “I keep that same narrow focus throughout the whole season, whether I’m playing or not. It’s worked for me”.
“Always and forever, defense wins championships”, said defensive end Everson Griffen. He publicly expressed confidence on Thursday in Shaun Hill to take over for Bridgewater, but the 15-year veteran Hill has only been a starter as an injury fill-in and has limited arm strength with which to stretch the field for Adrian Peterson and the rest of the offense.
Rejection still burns, especially when it is so transparent. The Vikings have been part of the future talk for the past few seasons.
Bradford is now working with his fifth head coach and sixth offensive coordinator in five seasons in St. Louis, another year in Philadelphia and now Minnesota.
Reunited, they not only are competing for Sunday’s starting job but practice reps. Mularkey should be in a straight-jacket.
“I only know what we’ve put in the past two days or what they’ve taught me the past two days”, Bradford said afterward.
Advertisement
Conspiracy theorists are staring right through the big picture.
