Beyond the teams involved, the moment has few parallels with the Minnesota Vikings’ 10-9 loss to the Seahawks in the NFC wild-card playoffs in January, and it would be silly to pretend otherwise. In the Vikings’ 17-16 win at Cincinnati in last Friday’s preseason opener, Thielen got work with the first-team offense and hauled in a attractive 22-yard catch across the middle from Teddy Bridgewater.
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After being a surprise victor of the NFC North last season, can the Minnesota Vikings find a way to get to 10 wins this season?
Never mind that the ball hit the crossbar before bouncing over for three points.
Walsh found it gratifying, too. The Vikings drafted Laquon Treadwell in the first round and added Andre Smith and Alex Boone to the offensive line, so there is no excuse for him to have an average to bad season. I’m guessing that a 1:2 sack-to-completion ratio is something that disappointed John Fox… that he didn’t really expect it… and that a good old “we didn’t game plan” excuse will keep the reporters at bay for at least one more week. Griffen needs to lead this young defense once again and has the backing from head coach Mike Zimmer to do so. Zimmer said he’d let Peterson play “if he wants to”, but the coach and the player have not discussed the situation recently.
Wide receiver Charles Johnson showed some big-play potential in 2014 with the Vikings, catching 31 passes for 475 yards with two touchdowns, but he finished last season with just nine catches for 127 yards following a rib injury early in the season.
Change of venue, vastly different weather, nothing at stake.
The Vikings remain solidly behind Walsh, but even his staunchest supporters would probably admit letting out a sigh of relief after Walsh’s field goal bounced forward off the crossbar Friday night, rather than back into the field of play.
“Not at all. It’s a completely new season”, Priefer said. Blair’s had a phenomenal camp. He’s kicking off well. He’s kicking field goals well. “I’m excited about this year”.
Overshadowed by Walsh’s most visible miss were the 34 field goals he made during the regular season, the most in the National Football League, and the three others he converted that afternoon against the Seahawks.
“I don’t know, ” he said. The move inside U.S. Bank Stadium will also provide climate-neutral conditions. Then there’s the new task he’s been busy trying to master: kickoffs with hang time.
Said Sullivan: “If that’s what you’re going to see in the season, you may as well see it now”. “But we’ve got a good enough coverage unit where I don’t see us backing down from returners”.
“You just want to continue to work hard, like you always do”.
“I wish he would have been healthy last week, ” Zimmer said. “I’m happy with every other punt, though”.
Stay on topic – This helps keep the thread focused on the discussion at hand.
Newman has returned to practice, but you have to wonder if the Vikings will elect to give Waynes another extended look with the first team.
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Be Civil – It’s OK to have a difference in opinion but there’s no need to be a jerk.
