An old Gruden’s QB Camp clip about Minnesota Vikings star Case Keenum has been making its rounds on the internet this week, and it’s strikingly accurate to the situation the quarterback finds himself this weekend. For the Rams? Those same Rams that are now in Los Angeles.
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Foles played well in two games in relief and then returned to Philly on a two-year deal to provide insurance behind Wentz this season.
Just how did this happen? He started 11 games there in 2015, then was benched. Try to keep up. A day later, the Rams acquired Keenum from the Houston Texans to back up Foles. Eagles draft Carson Wentz. The Vikings needed Bradford to replace the injured Teddy Bridgewater. After they drafted Jared Goff in the 2016 draft, he asked for, and was granted, his release.
Both Keenum and Foles came into the National Football League the same year, 2012. Somehow, the Eagles defied the analytics and beat Atlanta despite losing the turnover score, 2-0.
Who would have thought Foles’ and Keenum’s paths would become so intertwined.
“They’ve gone for it 26 times this year and converted 17, they’ve been very aggressive”, said Zimmer.
Philadelphia’s best shot is to withstand the onslaught for the first three-quarters of the game. Yes, it was the Miracle in Minneapolis.
With ten seconds remaining, Case Keenum dropped back to pass and found receiver Stefon Diggs, who slipped the tackle of Saints cornerback Marcus Williams, running 61 yards to the end zone as time expired sealing the 29-24 victory and knocking the Saints out of the playoffs.
Pederson was certainly unorthodox last Saturday at the Linc, but as he has all season, he just seemed to push the right buttons at the right times. Foles passed for 246 yards, including a completion that came after the ball caromed wickedly off an Atlanta defender. The Saints safety dives past him with his head down and knocks over his own teammate.
How about playoff history? No way? Kurt Warner? The two passers have three playoff starts between them. Drew Brees led the Saints to a game-winning field goal in that game.
The latest odds this week, via Odds Shark, had the Patriots at +105 favorites, meaning a win on a $100 would net $105 in profit. Eric is the Vikings top tackler this year with 113.
The Vikings have quietly asserted themselves as one of the NFL’s most risky teams as they continue to find ways to win in the face of adversity.
Like Foles, Keenum has played for three different teams, and both are in their first season with their current teams. The underdog Giants beat the Vikings in January 2000 and the Cardinals beat the Eagles in January 2009. The Vikings have given up just 35 pass plays of 20 yards or more. Philadelphia is receiving just 51% of the betting tickets as of this writing so this line movement would indicate sharp money coming in on the Eagles.
The NFC Championship Game is on Sunday at 5:40 CT.
Now it’s Keenum versus Foles.
Except for Thielen and the handful of Minnesota natives on the roster, though, those crushing losses of the past that helped shape Vikings lore have not been a part of this team’s experience, let alone the lives of most of the players.
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In the 1980s, they lost a heartbreaker to the Washington Redskins that would have sent the Purple to their fifth Super Bowl. Look for the Vikings to win by six.
