This week I'll turn my attention to the greatest team in football: the Minnesota Vikings. Ok, I know I'm biased--they are my favorite team. But, all of us football rubes have our own opinion on where this squad will go this season. And with that, here are some of the things I think we need to keep an eye on this season if the Minnesota Vikings want to repeat as NFC North Champions:
1. Offensive Line Play
The key to any team in my opinion is good offensive line play. This can mean different things for different teams; but, a team will only go as far as its o-line can take it. This has been a weak spot for a number of years for the Vikings. We saw management address this in the offseason, acquiring Alex Boone and Andre Smith as well as getting a new offensive line coach in Tony Sparano. This team will need to do find a way to keep quarterback Teddy Bridgewater uprights this season so he can sit in the pocket and make reads, as well as have time to go through his progressions. More importantly, this group will have to open holes in the running game. No matter how many people say its time for the Vikings to open the game up and start to throw the ball, as long as number 28 is on the team, this will be a running team. With the retirement of perennial run-blocker Phil Loadholt, the team will rely on a new tackle to fill this run blocking void. With Boone playing the left guard next to Matt Kalil who has been struggling to do much of anything, we can't expect the left side of the line to pick up the slack in the run game. Smith or TJ Clemmings is gonna have to be the player who fills the void left by Loadholt. The Vikings success in the season depends on this o-line.
2. Teddy Bridgewater
This is the year that Teddy needs to show he can command this team. I don't need him to throw for 4,000 yards, but I think he needs to show a great understanding of the game and make great decisions on the field. Teddy just needs to complete passes to succeed with this team. But, we need to stop acting like this guy can only be a game manager. We've seen that he does have touch, has a sneaky mobile streak in him, and can avoid a rush when need be. Now he just has to be a leader on this team, and make great decisions in order to put the team in a position to succeed.
3. The Defense
This defense returns a lot of starters from last year. But, the big question is can it continue to see the strides in the right direction that it has since Coach Zimmer took over this squad? The d-line seems solid and has very good depth, as do the linebackers, the front seven look to be in a position to thrive. But, its when we look to the defensive backs is where there are questions. Harrison "Hit Man" Smith looks like a top safety in this league, and we seem to have more depth at safety than in years past. But its at corner--where Coach Zimmer is known for his coaching prowess--where we see some question marks. Is Trae Waynes ready to be a full time starter? Or are the Vikings gonna have to hope that veteran Terence Newman can be sneaky good like he was last year? The nickel spot looks to be good with Captain Munnerlyn, and rookie Mackensie Alexander looks like he could step in and play if he had to. All eyes will be on the starting corner spot opposite of Xavier Rhodes all season. If they can get a capable starter there, and the o-line play is good, this is a team that could go out and get a playoff victory come January.
