When the Vikings host the Seahawks this Sunday, they’ll need every competitive advantage they can get.
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“The wind affects things more than anything does”, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said Wednesday.
The Seattle Seahawks are checking their supply of puffy jackets and hand warmers.
After that rout, Minnesota shook off another loss to Arizona and won its final three games.
Despite their late burst in the second-half of the season, claiming six victories in seven games behind that stellar defense and quarterback Russell Wilson’s deft play in and out of the pocket, the Seahawks couldn’t completely erase their 2-4 start to the season and wound up as the last NFC team in the postseason.
National Football League teams employ a number of methods to keep their players as toasty as possible, from state-of-the art apparel to heated benches. A lot can change in a month.
In fact, the focus nearly automatically shifted to the Wild Card playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks. We got a lot of points the day we were there, that hasn’t happened in their other games.
“That’s a big part of what they do”, said Vikings Defensive Coordinator George Edwards.
Even if it was just one of those days, it was the football equivalent of sleeping through your alarm, then walking outside in the rain to a battery-dead vehicle. It was the defense’s worst game of the year and our only points came off a kick return TD from Patterson. Bridgewater has yet to find good rapport with his receivers, forcing Minnesota to rely on Peterson for most of their offensive productivity. “But his lateral movement, his ability to get through guys is unbelievable”.
“When we play with passion and energy, we don’t miss tackles”, he said. ‘You can’t sulk in this league. He is the team’s best blocking tight end and could line up at four different positions, including fullback. “I think we just kept getting better”.
Don’t worry Tucson, we won’t really feel the impact of that cold arctic air next week.
So no matter what path the franchise appears to be on, no matter how much momentum seems to be building as the new core comes together, Peterson knows moments like Sunday are to be savored.
The right-handed Bridgewater could have cost the Vikings dearly when he threw an ill-advised left-handed interception in the third quarter. The 2010 Green Bay Packers, 2007 New York Giants and 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers were all wild card squads that won it all.
“He kind of rushed some things”.
“He’s a very instinctive guy”, Zimmer said. “With Teddy, it’s all about consistency”.
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If the Seahawks win, Murray and Cantwell get Caribou Coffee, which is headquartered in Minnesota, and walleye.
