The last few weeks of August 2016 have had more grown men crying than any time period I can think of. Between Frank Ocean releasing his new album, and the loss of QB Teddy Bridgewater for the season, Minnesota Vikings fans have many things to be sad about. All is not lost for the 2016 season however.
This was supposed to be the year Teddy Bridgewater put it all together. He's put together 2 very solid seasons in the NFL, but many felt that he would really take the next step this year. Unfortunately during a non-contact drill, Bridgewater slipped and tore his ACL and dislocated his knee.
The prospect of the 36 year old journeyman Shaun Hill quarterbacking a team in 2016 is not very enticing, this will still be a very good team. Adrian Peterson has shown no signs of slowing down, even at 31, and the Vikings defense is primed to be a top 10 unit, possibly even top 5. With what will likely be an excellent running attack and a great defense, all the Vikings need is a quarterback who can manage the game. Bridgewater was nearly the perfect quarterback for this system, but the Vikings will certainly look into acquiring a player to take over for Hill this season.
The options available for the Vikings at this point consist of trading for failed projects such as Colin Kaepernick, EJ Manuel, Mike Glennon, Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith.. While none of these players are great by any means, the price to acquire one might be something the Vikings would want to avoid. Essentially all the Vikings need is a one year rental QB. The free agent market is underwhelming as well, but I could see Minnesota looking into Michael Vick or former Rams QB Austin Davis. The Vikings can't be thrilled with their choices, but I believe the best 2 options would be Vick or Sanchez. Sure, neither player has shown they can be reliable as a long term option, but both players can provide veteran leadership and have adapted to many different playbooks.
No matter which quarterback the Vikings go after, I'm not entirely sure that passing would be a huge part of this offense. Bridgewater put up decent numbers but has never had the volume to show off his talent. Right now, the Vikings will be a running offense thru-and-thru. Even with selecting WR LaQuon Treadwell back in may, the Vikings don't have a whole lot of options that scare opposing defenses. Treadwell and Stefon Diggs, may form a decent combination in the future, but this is still Adrian Peterson's team.
Besides the quarterback positions, Viking fans actually have a lot to look forward to with the future of this team. The defense is absolutely loaded with talent, and Mike Zimmer is one of the best defensive minds in all of football. Just looking at the defensive line has to give opposing teams nightmares. Everson Griffin has emerged as an excellent pass rusher, Linval Joseph and Shariff Floyd are a nice one-two punch on the inside, and 2nd year player Danielle Hunter looks to build upon a 6 sack rookie campaign. Add in the versatility of Anthony Barr, who is skilled in both coverage and applying pressure, and young star Eric Kendricks, the Vikings have one of the best front 7s in the NFL.
The only part of the defense that might not be quite up to par is the secondary. Harrison Smith is one of the best safeties and players in the NFL, but beyond that there are question marks. Xavier Rhodes has flashed a lot of talent at CB, but needs to take the next step. The Vikings have invested a lot of draft picks into finding a shutdown corner, and are hoping either Trae Waynes (a 1st round pick last year), or Mackensie Alexander (2nd round pick this year) can unseat veteran Terrence Newman from the number 2 corner spot. Even with some questions, the secondary will be greatly helped due to the pressure the defensive line can put on opposing QB's.
Looking at Minnesota's schedule, it doesn't look too bad for them. Playing the AFC South and NFC East definitely helps with their outlook. That being said, playing the Packers twice, the Panthers and the Cardinals will prove difficult. If the defense is just as good as advertised, and Adrian Peterson still plays at a high level, my prediction for the Vikings is 9-7, putting them right in the running for a Wild Card spot. With Bridgewater, the Vikings looked to be a real contender in the NFC, but even with below average QB play, Minnesota should still be a very competitive football team.
While losing Teddy Bridgewater may seem like a devastating blow, here's hoping the Vikings can still have a good season. They are a very talented team, that as a Bills fan I find them easy to root for. Like the Bills, the Vikings are 0-4 in Super Bowls, Minnesota is apparently a frozen tundra like Buffalo, and are always the lovable underdogs to the Bears and Packers. Maybe this season wasn't meant to be great for the Vikings, but Bridgewater is young, and will have a great supporting cast to come back to for the 2017 season.
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