The Minnesota Vikings made one of the better hires among head coaches this past offseason. Mike Zimmer, who replaces Leslie Frazier, is viewed as one of the best defensive minds in the National Football League. In an offseason when each of the Cincinnati Bengals’ coordinators landed head coaching jobs in the NFC, Zimmer going to Minnesota was seen as a much better acquisition than Jay Gruden was for the Washington Redskins. Zimmer now begins to implement his vision in Minneapolis. The Vikings should not be written off simply because they have a first-year head coach at the helm.
Strengths
The Vikings’ defense, with young linebackers who have performed well and competed with more sharpness than a lot of pundits initially expected two years ago, should be very solid. With Zimmer coaching the team, Minnesota should be prepared for the other teams in the NFC North. Expect the Vikings to have a good plan for the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears. The Green Bay Packers will be the true test of Zimmer’s capabilities, while stretching the limitations of the linebackers and also the safeties, who are going to be under a lot of pressure against Aaron Rodgers. Minnesota’s defense, though, should be able to hang with most opponents. Late last season, even though the playoffs were out of the picture, the Vikings earned a tie in Green Bay and defeated the Chicago Bears at home in an extended overtime battle. This team didn’t quit on its former coaching staff, and with a new and even better coach in town, expect Minnesota to find new ways to win a few more games. One more thing that needs to be said about this team’s defense in connection with Zimmer is that Zimmer found ways to make Cincinnati’s defensive line successful last season despite a mid-season injury to premier pass rusher Geno Atkins. Zimmer’s ability to work around key injuries is exactly what should give Vikings fans confidence that this defense doesn’t need to be perfect in order to put up good results in a division where a lot of forward passes are going to fly, thanks to Rodgers, Jay Cutler of the Bears, and Matthew Stafford of the Lions.
Weaknesses
The Vikings’ offense is not a secret to anyone in the NFL. The passing game withered last season, as Christian Ponder lost his handle on the game and on his offensive unit. Ponder was lost at sea, and the Vikings’ ship sank. Minnesota scrambled desperately to find new answers at the position, signing Josh Freeman in a disastrous move that only muddied the waters even more. Matt Cassel played well in a few games here and there, but nothing more than that. The team’s situation at quarterback demanded a move on draft day, and the team took Louisville signal caller Teddy Bridgewater as the man Minnesotans hope will become the next great Viking quarterback. Should anything be expected this season, however? Bridgewater might need a few years to become great in the NFL. This position is going to hold the team back in 2014.
Schedule
The Vikings play their interconference games against the AFC East. They get the toughest game, New England, at home. They get Miami on the road. Splitting those two games and then beating both the New York Jets (home) and Buffalo (away) will give Minnesota a chance to make the playoffs. The non-NFC North road games are at St. Louis, New Orleans and Tampa Bay. The non-division home games are against Atlanta, Washington, and Carolina. If Minnesota can go 3-3 in the division, 3-1 against the AFC East, and 4-2 in the non-division NFC games, that’s a 10-6 season.
Outlook
The quarterback issues are too severe for this team to win 10 games. Winning eight, on the other hand, seems realistic given the quality of Minnesota’s defense. Definitely go with the over here.
Pick: Over 6
