DAILY CLIPS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

LOCAL NEWS: Friday, September 11, 2020

Star Tribune

Kirk Cousins delivers stability, but can he deliver Vikings a championship? By Ben Goessling https://www.startribune.com/with-new-contract-kirk-cousins-still-has-more-to-prove/572376612/

Rapid QB evolution — more Lamars and Deshauns, fewer Kirks and Toms — will define this NFL season By Jim Souhan https://www.startribune.com/rapid-qb-evolution-more-lamars-and-deshauns-fewer-kirks-and-toms-will-define-this-nfl- season/572378252/

Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman hopeful Danielle Hunter's stay on injured reserve is minimum three weeks By Andrew Krammer https://www.startribune.com/spielman-hopeful-hunter-s-stay-on-ir-is-minimum-three-weeks/572375902/

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer lacks usual info about Packers going into Sunday's game By Sid Hartman https://www.startribune.com/vikings-coach-mike-zimmer-lacks-usual-info-about-packers-going-into-sunday-s- game/572377302/

Pioneer Press

Vikings remain coy about rookie K.J. Osborn’s role as return man By Dane Mizutani https://www.twincities.com/2020/09/10/vikings-remain-coy-about-rookie-k-j-osborns-role-as-return-man/

Vikings still discussing plan for national anthem this weekend By Dane Mizutani https://www.twincities.com/2020/09/10/vikings-still-discussing-plan-for-national-anthem-this-weekend/

Who steps up for the Vikings with Danielle Hunter out? By Dane Mizutani https://www.twincities.com/2020/09/10/who-steps-up-for-the-vikings-with-danielle-hunter-out/

The Athletic

Ten bold (and not so bold) predictions for the 2020 Vikings season By Chad Graff https://theathletic.com/2056063/2020/09/10/ten-bold-and-not-so-bold-predictions-for-the-2020-vikings-season/

SKOR North

Danielle Hunter’s injury creates opportunity; Yannick Ngakoue working overtime to learn Vikings’ system By: Judd Zulgad https://www.skornorth.com/2020/09/danielle-hunters-injury-creates-opportunity-yannick-ngakoue-working-overtime- to-learn-vikings-system/

Purple Insider

How will the Vikings deal with Danielle Hunter's absence? By Matthew Coller https://purpleinsider.substack.com/p/how-will-the-vikings-deal-with-danielle

NATIONAL NEWS: Friday, September 11, 2020

NFL.com

Dalvin Cook will be 'out there' against Packers despite no new deal By Kevin Patra https://www.nfl.com/news/dalvin-cook-will-be-out-there-vikings-packers-despite-no-new-deal

Associated Press

For visit by Packers, Vikings present crowd-free, revamped D By Dave Campbell https://apnews.com/87a39cc369295eb8ab49adb82f57cc28

Maven Media

With No Danielle Hunter, the Spotlight is on Yannick Ngakoue in Week 1 By Will Ragatz https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/danielle-hunter-spotlight-yannick-ngakoue-week-1-packers

MULTIMEDIA NEWS: Friday, September 11, 2020

Schrager: I See Rodgers Having His Way Against The Vikings By NFLN https://www.vikings.com/video/schrager-i-see-rodgers-having-his-way-against-the-vikings

Vikings Prepare for Packers Without Hunter By KARE http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=75232093-712f-4181-a01a-a3f6a6a1a7a1

Vikings Near Game Ready By WCCO http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=55065414-062c-4b76-9887-a694dbe291e2

Vikings Get Ready to Host Packers By KMSP http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=70eaee38-ff16-4000-954c-96eb192545e7

Fanless Football By KSTP http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=8a28671c-6f53-4bb9-b4a4-7199be623839

VIKINGS ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK NEWS: Friday, September 11, 2020

NFL Expert Picks: Split Opinions on Vikings-Packers in Week 1 By Eric Smith https://www.vikings.com/news/packers-nfl-expert-picks-week-1

Vikings Believe Team Approach Can Help Replace Hunter vs. Packers By Eric Smith https://www.vikings.com/news/vikings-believe-team-approach-can-help-replace-hunter-vs-packers

Kyle Rudolph Ready to Extend Starts Streak to 82 By Craig Peters https://www.vikings.com/news/kyle-rudolph-2020-season-ready-to-extend-starts-streak-to-82

Lunchbreak: Barnwell Outlines Paths to Super Bowl LV for Vikings & Others By Eric Smith https://www.vikings.com/news/lunchbreak-barnwell-outlines-paths-to-super-bowl-lv-for-vikings-others

A Hand-Picked Division: Vikings Placement Beat the Odds By Craig Peters https://www.vikings.com/news/packers-vikings-placement-beat-the-odds

PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 9/11/20

Kirk Cousins delivers stability, but can he deliver Vikings a championship?

By Ben Goessling

Kirk Cousins’ birthday falls on Aug. 19, arriving as a signpost each year in the middle of the NFL preseason to mark the continuation of a career that once seemed fated to end long before the quarterback reached his 30s.

He turned 32 this year, on the day the Vikings practiced in pads for only the third time since their NFC divisional playoff loss to San Francisco in January. Cousins spent the day throwing passes to rookie receiver Justin Jefferson, whose brother Jordan (older by eight years) worked out with Cousins at the 2012 NFL combine after playing quarterback at LSU.

“I said, ‘Well, how old were you when Jordan was the quarterback at LSU?’ ” Cousins recalled. “[Justin] was like, ‘Eight or nine years old.’ That made me feel a little old. … But it’s an honor. I’ve always said, if there’s one place you feel good getting old, it’d be pro football, because the NFL does stand for Not For Long.”

The coronavirus pandemic has scrambled the NFL schedule, jarring the routines of a sport steeped in mechanistic precision and leading stable organizations to be regarded as havens.

Spielman hopeful Hunter's stay on IR is minimum three weeks Spielman hopeful Hunter's stay on IR is minimum three weeks During an interview with SiriusXM radio, Vikings GM Rick Spielman said the team will have to "reassess" Danielle Hunter's injury to know how soon he can actually return. The Vikings doubled down this offseason on the structure they’ve built in recent years, with co-owner Mark Wilf citing a “body of work,” as much as any postseason success, as the club’s reason for extending the contracts of General Manager Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer through 2023. The Vikings also wasted little time in offering Gary Kubiak the chance to return to play-calling duties, opting for continuity after offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski became the Browns’ head coach in January.

Cousins is, as much as any player in the Vikings organization, the on-field personification of their approach, heading into his ninth season as a quarterback who crowbarred his way into the NFL’s loftiest tax bracket through preparedness, perseverance and an ability to keep things on track.

He is a former fourth-round pick, playing for a coach who has found a home after being turned down for multiple head coaching jobs and a GM who spent six years with the team before getting full control of the roster. The Vikings’ men in power got there the same way Cousins did; no one will call his attributes flashy, but they’ve delivered him the stability he craves in an organization that values it just as much.

“Last season, I found myself saying, ‘I don’t want to move. I don’t want to leave,’ ” Cousins said. “You find yourself saying, ‘Hey, it’s a lot easier to play if it’s with the Minnesota Vikings. It’s a lot easier to talk about playing into my late 30s if it’s assumed I’m going to be here. Part of what makes that thought enjoyable is thinking that it would be in purple and gold.”

After the most efficient statistical season of his career and leading the Vikings to an NFC wild-card playoff win, Cousins got what he’d hoped for on March 16: a three-year, $96 million contract. It came with a $30 million signing bonus, two more years of guaranteed salaries and a 2022 base salary of $35 million that becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2021 league year.

The move caused wide receiver Stefon Diggs to go public with his long-simmering frustration, tweeting, “It’s time for a new beginning” hours after Cousins finalized his deal. But it had long been clear the Vikings liked the structure they had built around their quarterback; the extension only made it official.

Perhaps at no point in his NFL career has Cousins been as solidified in his life as he is now, with a team that hasn’t equivocated in its commitment to him, an offense built to his liking, a cul-de-sac house in Inver Grove Heights near friendly neighbors and a church with locations minutes from home.

He is as much the face of the Vikings offense now as he has ever been, after his overtime throws to Adam Thielen and Kyle Rudolph against the Saints diminished some of the national media chatter about his ability to win big games. He works with a group of pass-catchers reconfigured in Diggs’ absence, with first-round pick Justin Jefferson and 2019 second-rounder Irv Smith Jr. expected to grow into larger roles. The Vikings’ fortunes, to a great extent, are in his hands.

“Kirk is a critical part of our team and he’s a leader in our locker room, and his play has really demonstrated warranting that kind of move,” co-owner Mark Wilf said of Cousins’ contract extension earlier this week. “On all fronts we were very supportive. As we saw last year, we saw him step up and take steps in an already successful career. Again, our coaches and personnel folks have that confidence in him, and we do as well.”

A paradoxical year

At this time last year, when Cousins looked back on his 2018 season in an interview with the Star Tribune, he called it the best of his career, given what he was asked to do in an offense that threw 606 times while posting the third- worst run game in the league.

According to Football Outsiders, the Vikings’ high-volume passing game was still only the 17th-most efficient in the league, in terms of the site’s Defense-adjusted Value Over Average statistic. In 2019, as the Vikings’ run game jumped from 24th to 10th in DVOA, the passing game improved to 11th.

Asked last week to assess his 2019 season in the same manner he’d looked back on his 2018 season a year ago, the quarterback called his year “sort of a paradoxical thing.”

Watch: StribSports Live 2020 fantasy football preview Watch: StribSports Live 2020 fantasy football preview Get ready for the fantasy football season with our StribSports Live preview, featuring Michael Rand, Chris Hine and a special guest who probably takes it way more seriously than you. He threw only 444 passes in 15 games last year, but his adjusted yards per attempt — weighted positively for touchdowns and negatively for interceptions — were a career-high 8.7 last season, owing plenty to the friendly down- and-distance situations from which Cousins could fire downfield for Diggs.

The Vikings’ theory of how to create offensive success puts them out of step with much of the analytics community, which says it’s almost always preferable to throw more frequently, but it’s endorsed by the man who’s thrown all of their pivotal passes the past two years.

When the Vikings threw on second or third down last season, they needed an average of 7.9 yards for a first down — the third-shortest distance in the league, according to Pro Football Reference. They converted 42.1% of those second- and third-down attempts into first downs; only Baltimore (at 42.3%) did it more frequently.

“What was interesting about last season, as I took stock of it, was I found I was a very similar player myself to prior seasons,” Cousins said. “A big difference was, we ran the ball so well that I actually did less, and to the observer, it was as if I did more.”

He added: “I don’t think we go down and beat the Saints unless we can run the ball effectively. That style of play was what enabled us to win games against good teams in tough environments.”

Cousins will have a different play-caller for the fifth time in as many years, but the voice in his helmet will be that of Kubiak, who oversaw the scheme that helped the quarterback feel comfortable in 2019 and thrive particularly on bootlegs off play action.

In 2020, Cousins has talked about wanting to extend plays and improvise more often; he said it’s actually the Vikings coaches who are nudging him to do more of it, especially when the offense might need a spark.

“It’s a balance, right?” Cousins said. “If you’re not running the offense, then you’re not helping the team. You trust the plays, you run them. But when it’s coming from the coaches, that they’re encouraging me to try to make plays with my feet, make plays leaving the pocket with my arm, they’re basically saying, ‘Hey, this should be a part of our offense. It’s just not being drawn up with Xs and Os.’ So they’re giving me latitude to do that.”

Reasons to stay in Minnesota

Cousins’ second contract in Minnesota, like his first, traded long-term certainty for short-term leverage. His initial deal made history as the first fully-guaranteed veteran contract in the NFL; the fact his $35 million base salary guarantee triggers in 2021, a year early, means the Vikings could be looking at another set of negotiations before next season.

In any case, Cousins’ desire to play into his late 30s means he’d need at least one more contract to finish his career with the Vikings. He assesses the fit in Minnesota much like an in-demand job candidate, factoring in workplace culture, school systems and quality of life metrics; that is to say, he seems well aware he’d have options should he want to pursue them.

“It’s a long list [of reasons to want to play here],” he said. “Not every team in the NFL has a fan base like this. I played for a good fan base in Washington, but you talk about a home gameday atmosphere, there are other good ones, certainly, but they’re probably just a tie with U.S. Bank.”

He mentioned the coaches, facilities, ownership group and personnel staff: “You’re just saying, ‘Man — just really, really good people and competent people in all those roles.’ ”

He moved on to his family. “You think about raising your kids, and know your boys are in a great place to grow up: tremendous neighbors, a great school system, a great church,” Cousins said. “You start to realize there’s a long list of boxes that are being checked when you’re living in Minnesota and playing for the Vikings. It would certainly make it hard to go play elsewhere.”

He also understands the fact he does not want to play anywhere else means he’ll have to be effective enough for the Vikings to want to keep him.

The win over the Saints, Cousins said, was more important as a step toward the Super Bowl than it was as a means to answer his critics. The Vikings have talked obliquely all offseason about “taking the next step” or “getting over the hump” after January’s 27-10 loss to the 49ers.

But everyone knows what that means: A franchise in Year 60 has everything it could possibly want, except a Lombardi Trophy.

How many more birthdays Cousins celebrates with a training camp practice in Eagan, ultimately, could depend on how many games he helps the Vikings win.

“I’ve got to go out and play at a high enough level where the Vikings are saying, ‘Hey, we’ve looked around, and you’re the guy we want,’ ” he said. “That’s really something, even with a contract, you need to go out and earn every single day. I think that’s something people maybe don’t quite realize from the outside as much: Hey, signing a contract’s great, but I need to go out and earn it every single day, or there’s always more competition coming in to replace me, sooner than later.” PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 9/11/20

Rapid QB evolution — more Lamars and Deshauns, fewer Kirks and Toms — will define this NFL season

By Jim Souhan

The NFL has been transformed by the mobile quarterback.

That’s true of Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes, who combine passing accuracy and quick feet.

That’s also true of Tom Brady, who can’t outrun a Roomba.

The NFL season began on Thursday night with Mahomes dueling with another exceptional young quarterback, Deshaun Watson.

The Sunday afternoon schedule will highlight a different kind of movement. Brady will start for Tampa Bay, for the first time playing a game for a team other than the Patriots, highlighting a rare season in which a handful of accomplished passers coming off productive seasons have changed teams.

Brady left New England, replacing the productive but erratic Jameis Winston. Teddy Bridge•water, after rehabilitating his knee as backup in New Orleans, replaced Cam Newton in Carolina.

Newton replaced Brady as the starter in New England. Philip Rivers left San Diego and will start for Indianapolis.

Old quarterbacks changing teams isn’t new. What’s intriguing about this offseason was that each of the veterans who became starters for new teams could, with health and luck, affect the balance of power in the NFL.

This isn’t Johnny Unitas wearing lightning bolts; this is more like Joe Montana moving to Kansas City or Brett Favre temping with the Vikings.

Brady’s departure could elevate Tampa Bay into a title contender. Newton’s mutual-admiration alliance with coach Bill Belichick could allow the Patriots to make the playoffs without Brady. And we might finally get an answer to the seemingly eternal question: Is Brady or Belichick more integral to the Patriots’ dynasty?

Bridgewater was a winning quarterback in Minnesota who would have beaten the Seahawks in his first playoff game if not for Wide Left, and who had convinced team leadership that he was poised to lead the team to great heights before suffering a catastrophic knee injury in August 2016. Newton is one of the great dual-threat quarterbacks in league history, and will challenge Belichick to devise an offense that highlights his skills and keeps him healthy. Rivers remains wildly productive yet erratic.

This group of quarterbacks highlights the NFL’s great divide. Some teams are scrambling to immediately upgrade the position; others chose a quarterback early in the draft and made him a starter within two seasons of his arrival. The latter group has made the most important position in American team sports also the most fascinating.

Quarterback play has never been better in the NFL, for a number of good and heartening reasons.

Before we get to trends and statistics, let me offer an image, that of Billy Kilmer in 1972. He quarterbacked Washington to the Super Bowl, losing to undefeated Miami. Kilmer was considered an inspirational leader and a folk hero. He also threw a pass that could be described as a wounded duck if you don’t mind angering PETA by insulting wounded ducks.

Where would Kilmer fit into the modern NFL? As a backup you never wanted to see play. He’d be the Sean Mannion of Nathan Petermans.

The biggest difference between college football and the NFL used to be offensive creativity. Most NFL teams ran so- called “pro set” offenses. Using a second tight end was considered the height of creativity. Colleges would adapt their offenses to the best quarterback and skill-position players they could find, even if the best quarterback was a pure runner.

The NFL belatedly adapted, and now many of the game’s best quarterbacks are accurate passers who can run.

There is no perfect statistic to measure quarterback play, but ESPN’s QBR (quarterback rating) is an attempt at a comprehensive evaluation. Last year, four of the first five QBs in the rating were Black quarterbacks with excellent mobility who, 20 or 30 years ago, might not have been drafted as quarterbacks, if at all. The top seven: Jackson, Mahomes, Drew Brees, Dak Prescott, Russell Wilson, Matthew Stafford and Watson.

Sunday, Vikings will start Kirk Cousins. The rising tide of talent at the position means that this season the Vikings will pay Cousins about $40 million to not be a top-10 quarterback. PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 9/11/20

Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman hopeful Danielle Hunter's stay on injured reserve is minimum three weeks

By Andrew Krammer

General Manager Rick Spielman is hopeful Danielle Hunter will only need the minimum stay on injured reserve — three weeks — to return from a reported neck injury that has sidelined him since Aug. 16.

Hunter, the 25-year-old star Vikings defensive end placed on IR this week, was working on a side field with strength coach Mark Uyeyama during the open portion of Thursday’s practice. He hadn’t moved much during sessions in front of reporters before jogging Thursday.

During an interview with SiriusXM radio, Spielman said the Vikings will have to “reassess” Hunter’s injury to know how soon he can actually return. Spielman has not spoken with local reporters since Aug. 3.

“We’re very optimistic,” the GM said. “We’ll see how it plays out — that Danielle hopefully will be able to be back after the three weeks. But we’ll reassess where we’re at with the injury and make a decision from there.”

Spielman added that the Aug. 30 trade to acquire ex-Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue came together “very quickly” with a renegotiated one-year, $12 million contract.

He did not answer whether the Ngakoue trade was expedited because of Hunter’s absence. Defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo, who had seven sacks playing in a part-time role last season, is expected to start in Hunter’s absence.

“We’ve never panicked around here and we never will,” co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson said Thursday via videoconference. “It’s not a big deal on my part. It’s not with the players. We just go play and expect the guy that’s going to go in there to play to give us his best effort.”

The earliest Hunter can return to practice is Monday, Sept. 28, which is the start of Week 4, and the earliest he can play is Oct. 4 in Houston. Hunter, who has appeared in 78 of 80 NFL regular-season games so far, is handling his first extended absence well, per Patterson.

“He’s the same old Danielle,” Patterson said. “Smile on his face, happy-go-lucky. He’s good.”

No active players were listed on the Vikings injury report Thursday.

Ngakoue’s sense of urgency

Ngakoue has been “better than I’ve ever dreamed,” said Patterson ahead of the defensive end’s fourth practice with the Vikings. Coaches have eased Ngakoue into practices with more reps every day, and Sunday’s opener against the Packers will test how much he’s picked up.

There is a “big difference,” according to Patterson, between the Jaguars and Vikings defenses.

“Not just the terminology being different,” Patterson said, “but how we ask our guys to play is so much different, too. I think that’s the part of him having a sense of urgency to put in the time and effort.”

Preseason balancing act

If the NFL were to permanently reduce the preseason, tight end Kyle Rudolph is one veteran player who sees the lost benefits — like fewer chances for younger guys and, frankly, more work for older guys. Without exhibitions, the Vikings had 17 practices in 22 days before roster cutdowns.

“You also have to be careful what you wish for,” Rudolph said. “The day of the preseason game you get warmed up and maybe take 10, 12, 16 snaps, so that’s essentially another day off, and then the day after the game is a day off.”

Packers get Turner back

Packers right tackle and Shoreview native Billy Turner (knee) returned to practice as a limited participant. Packers coach Matt LaFleur has said his team is in a “holding pattern” to see if Turner’s health would allow him to start Sunday vs. the Vikings.

Packers tight end Marcedes Lewis (rest) and linebacker Randy Ramsey (groin) did not practice Thursday; Turner, safety Raven Greene (quad) and defensive lineman Montravius Adams (toe) were limited; linebacker Oren Burks (groin) was a full participant. PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 9/11/20

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer lacks usual info about Packers going into Sunday's game

By Sid Hartman

How different is Week 1 going to be for the Vikings as they get ready to face the Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday?

Coach Mike Zimmer said the team has to prepare without any info on what new packages the Packers will use on offense or defense.

“We really haven’t been able to scout them. We kind of know each other. I think both teams kind of know each other, for the most part,” Zimmer said. “We don’t know maybe who they’re going to have, they lost some guys, so how are they going to deploy [new players]?”

But Zimmer said they are lucky to face Green Bay in Week 1 because of that familiarity and history.

“They have a really, really strong defensive front,” he said. “The two Smiths [outside linebackers Preston and Za’Darius Smith] are really good. [Nose tackle] Kenny Clark is really good. Their secondary is good. Offensively obviously everything goes through [quarterback Aaron] Rodgers but [running back] Aaron Jones is a tremendous back and [wide receiver] Davante Adams is a handful all the time. They’ve got a couple new guys in their offensive line, all teams have a little bit of that.

“It should be a great game. It’s a great test for us. They are well-coached, they do a lot of great things scheme-wise on both sides of the ball and it should be a really good game and hopefully we play great.”

When asked to compare where this team is going into Week 1 vs. Week 1 of last season, Zimmer said there’s no doubt there’s some additional uncertainty this year.

“I like this team,” he said. “I think there’s obviously some concerns being that we haven’t played any preseason games. You wonder how we’re going to tackle. You wonder how the officials are going to call the penalties. We have to make sure we’re clean with our hands. But as far as the talent and the personnel that we have, I feel good about that. It’s just some of these unknown factors that you don’t have with preseason games.”

Rodgers a good test

When asked what players he’s most excited to see in game action, Zimmer pointed to first-round draft pick Justin Jefferson at wide receiver and his young cornerbacks group that includes returning players such as Mike Hughes, Holton Hill and Kris Boyd, but also rookies Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler.

“Obviously Justin Jefferson, I am excited to see. I think he has a bunch of talent,” Zimmer said. “Really these young defensive backs, all of them. They have shown a lot of really good things. I think that it will be a good test for them going up against Rodgers this week.

“When we get out there on the field, it doesn’t seem like the game is too big for them. That will be fun to see how they go out there and compete against these really good players from Green Bay.”

Zimmer is not thrilled, however, that when the Vikings travel to Indianapolis next week for the Colts’ home opener, they will be allowed to have 2,500 fans in attendance.

“Well, I do think it’s a competitive disadvantage when you can have fans in,” he said. “… I have always told the team, ‘It doesn’t matter who we play or where we play, all that matters is how we play.’ That’s kind of the approach that we’re taking.”

Camp success

While training camp and the preseason were anything but normal because of the coronavirus pandemic, Zimmer gave a lot of praise to the team for handling the new protocols well. He also said the club couldn’t have done it without the guidance of head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman.

“Really, the players have done a great job and I have to give a lot of credit to Eric Sugarman, who has put a lot of this stuff together with the protocols and things like that,” Zimmer said. “But the players have bought in and we have been so far, so good as far as everybody getting on the same page with the testing and wearing the masks in the building and doing the one-way hallways and things like that.

“It is good to have smart players and players that care about one another and care about other people’s families and things like that. I think all of those things have been good so far.”

How did Zimmer handle the different training camp?

“Probably not as good as them,” he said. “I guess the football part has not been too bad, just protocols change so many times and you know, I like to look the players in the face when we’re meeting and ask them questions where it’s not just virtual. But you know as far as the football part, I think that has all been good.

“We have had good practices and the guys have been working very, very hard. I feel really good about the coaching staff and everything we have going on right here.”

Yes, and the Vikings made one of the best moves they could have made for this franchise when they extended Zimmer for three seasons through 2023.

“Well, I’m very appreciative of it,” he said. “I think it adds stability to our program here and the way that we’re trying to build things. I’m excited about it and I’m excited to hopefully be here for another four years.”

Offense improves

The Vikings offense took a lot of big steps forward last season as their 407 points were the most scored by a team under Zimmer and their 5,862 total yards ranked second during the Zimmer years.

Zimmer thought the offense that worked so well last season, with Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison rushing the ball and Kirk Cousins getting a lot of throwing time off play-action, should be even better this year under offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak.

“That part is really good. Dalvin adds so much to our offense with his explosiveness and the threat of him running the football. Then the play-actions obviously come off of that,” Zimmer said. “I think Gary has done a nice job of continuing to add to some of those things that both of those two guys do well, I think you’ll see that as we move forward here.”

And while things are going to be different this season, Zimmer said he has already seen some positives.

“I think the biggest thing with that is the world is so different now than it has been and when our players get the opportunity to go out on the practice field or go in the locker room together and they go out and practice, it’s like normal life again,” he said. “I think that really is a good thing for them. They get a chance to just joke around and talk about things that they have been talking about for the last few years. I think it is probably like that for every team.

“But we’re fortunate that we have some great guys here in the locker room that are really good. I think that is a good part of it.”

PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 9/11/20

Vikings remain coy about rookie K.J. Osborn’s role as return man

By Dane Mizutani

For all intents and purposes, it looks as if rookie receiver K.J. Osborn will start this season as the Vikings’ primary return man.

He took every rep returning kicks during the scrimmage at U.S. Bank Stadium a couple of weeks ago. He also appeared as the starter at both kick returner and punt returner on the unofficial depth chart released by the team this week.

Still, special teams coordinator Marwan Maalouf refuses to acknowledge him as the starter.

“If he gets the opportunity, I know he’s ready,” Maalouf said. “We’ve been putting a lot of pressure on him in practices and making sure there’s guys in his face.”

While the Vikings have other players on the roster who have handled returns in the past — like running back Ameer Abdullah and receiver Chad Beebe — the fact that Osborn made the team was probably a good indication that he’s going to be the primary return man.

There’s reason to believe Osborn could flourish in this role. In college, during his senior season at Miami, he averaged 20.1 yards across 10 kickoff returns and 15.9 yards across 16 punt returns.

What’s going to be the biggest difference for him at the next level?

“Just the speed of the game,” Maalouf said. “The coverage units are going to get there a lot faster in the NFL.”

He also referred to both of Green Bay’s specialist by name, emphasizing how kicker Mason Crosby and punter J.K. Scott can put stress on a return man.

“Those guys are very good at what they do,” Maalouf said. “I think the consistency of the specialists that he’s going to see is going to be a lot different in the NFL.”

HOMETOWN KID Eden Prairie native Ryan Connelly appears to be endearing himself to the hometown team fairly quickly. The Vikings claimed the 24-year-old linebacker off waivers Sunday after he was released by the New York Giants.

“I’ve really enjoyed working with Ryan so far,” co-defensive coordinator Adam Zimmer said. “He’s a really athletic kid that has a good long speed. He’s really instinctive and can read plays quickly. I watched his film with the Giants last season. He made a lot of plays with his instincts and awareness. I think he’s a good addition for us, and I’m happy we were able to go get him.”

RELATED ARTICLES Vikings still discussing plan for national anthem this weekend Who steps up for the Vikings with Danielle Hunter out? Vikings’ Kirk Cousins seeks to bounce back from shaky 2019 showings against Packers Vikings will lose home-field advantage vs. Packers with no fans at Sunday’s game The Loop Fantasy Football Report: Week 1 A fifth-round draft pick out of Wisconsin last year, Connelly started his NFL career on fire before suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament. He will start his tenure in the Twin Cities as a backup with the opportunity to earn more playing time as the season progresses.

O CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN After coach Mike Zimmer publicly named running back Dalvin Cook as a first-time captain this summer, the Vikings have announced the rest of the captains. They are safety Harrison Smith, also a first-time captain, as well as quarterback Kirk Cousins, tight end Kyle Rudolph, left tackle Riley Reiff and linebacker Anthony Barr.

BRIEFLY Every player except Danielle Hunter participated in practice on Thursday at TCO Performance Center in Eagan. Meanwhile, Hunter went through rehab work off to the side with strength and conditioning coach Mark Uyeyama . PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 9/11/20

Vikings still discussing plan for national anthem this weekend

By Dane Mizutani

While the Vikings likely will hold some sort of demonstration during the national anthem before Sunday’s season opener at U.S. Bank Stadium, they are still discussing as a team what exactly that will look like when they take the field against the Green Bay Packers.

The social justice committee met this week, according to linebacker Eric Kendricks, and while they have “a couple of things on the docket” ahead of this weekend, they are still ironing out the details.

“We will be developing that as we get to Sunday,” Kendricks said. “That conversation is alive.”

Whatever the Vikings decide to do, co-owner Mark Wilf said this week they will have the organization’s full support.

“We have been consistent as far as ownership and as an organization,’’ Wilf said. “We have been consistent in supporting our players’ right to peacefully bring awareness to issues that are important to them.”

As the general population has started to a stand against racism and social injustice since George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody in May, the Vikings have made it a point to remain at the forefront of the conversation.

They pledged $5 million to various social justice causes throughout the country a few months ago and announced an endowment for the George Floyd Legacy Scholarship with an establishing gift of $125,000. They named Minneapolis teen Meredith “Mimi” Kol-Balfour as the inaugural recipient of that scholarship this week.

RELATED ARTICLES Vikings remain coy about rookie K.J. Osborn’s role as return man Who steps up for the Vikings with Danielle Hunter out? Vikings’ Kirk Cousins seeks to bounce back from shaky 2019 showings against Packers Vikings will lose home-field advantage vs. Packers with no fans at Sunday’s game The Loop Fantasy Football Report: Week 1 Additionally, the Vikings notably hosted a Zoom call this offseason, featuring chief operating officer Andrew Miller, general manager Rick Spielman, co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson, as well as Kendricks, safety Anthony Harris and running back Ameer Abdullah. All talked about their experiences with racism and social injustice and vowed to evoke change.

That leads the Vikings to this weekend with a chance to make a statement on the field during the national anthem.

Will players kneel? Will they stay in the locker room during the anthem? Will they be locking arms like they did a few years ago?

“They are going to get together and form something that they all would like to do,” Patterson said. “I think that’s the good thing. We have a group that has proven to everyone that they’re in this wholeheartedly. They put in the time and effort and so I think they will come up with something that will be good for the whole football team.” PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 9/11/20

Who steps up for the Vikings with Danielle Hunter out?

By Dane Mizutani

If the Vikings are worried about the potential prolonged absence of star defensive end Danielle Hunter, they are doing a good job hiding their feelings.

Not only has head coach Mike Zimmer downplayed Hunter’s health situation over the past month, co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson was rather nonchalant Thursday when talking about Hunter being placed on injured reserve with what ESPN is reporting as a neck injury.

You would never know that one of the NFL’s best pass rushers is on the shelf for the foreseeable future. After all, just last season the 25-year-old Hunter became youngest player in NFL history to record 50 career sacks.

“We have never panicked around here and we never will,” Patterson said. “It’s not a big deal on my part. It’s not with the players. We just go play and expect the guy that’s going to go in there to play to give us his best effort and play to the best of his ability.”

Which raises the question: So, who steps up for the Vikings?

The obvious answer is the recently acquired Yannick Ngakoue. He arrived in the Twin Cities last week via a blockbuster trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars and has been full steam ahead in learning the new system.

“He’s been outstanding,” Patterson said. “He’s been better than I’ve ever dreamed. He’s come in early. He’s stayed late. He’s got a great hunger for knowledge and wanting to be good, and I’ve been very, very impressed with him.”

In hindsight, it makes sense that the Vikings were so aggressive in acquiring the 25-year-old Ngakoue last week. They likely had an inkling Hunter was headed for the injured reserve list, or at least a potentially prolonged absence, and someone like Ngakoue would provide much-needed insurance; he has 37 1/2 career sacks in the NFL.

While he has gotten comfortable lining up as stand-up defensive end the Jaguars, something he won’t be doing with the Vikings, he is more than capable of rushing the passer no matter how he’s asked to line up.

“That adjustment hasn’t been as difficult,” Patterson said. “Just him understanding how we align and how we play blocks and how we do those kinds of things.”

As much as the Vikings want Ngakoue ready to go for Sunday’s season opener against Green Bay at U.S. Bank Stadium, they have been careful about how much they put on his plate.

“As the days have gone on, I’ve ramped up more of his reps,” Patterson said. “We didn’t want to get him out there and get him a ton of reps early because he hadn’t done anything. I’ve kind of pushed him a little bit farther each day. We tried to be smart there to make sure we didn’t make a bad decision to have him at risk to get injured.”

All the while, Patterson is molding Ngakoue into the pass rusher he wants him to be.

“You know me,” Patterson said. “I’m changing him. That’s what I’m doing. That’s who I am. I’m not taking away who he is. Don’t get that wrong, OK? The things that are special to his game, we’re going to keep special to his game. Just the things that I see that can add a different element to his game, to make him so much more difficult to block, we’re going to work on those things.”

RELATED ARTICLES Vikings remain coy about rookie K.J. Osborn’s role as return man Vikings still discussing plan for national anthem this weekend Vikings’ Kirk Cousins seeks to bounce back from shaky 2019 showings against Packers Vikings will lose home-field advantage vs. Packers with no fans at Sunday’s game The Loop Fantasy Football Report: Week 1 Meanwhile, fellow defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo also will get a chance to shine in the coming weeks. He was slotted to be a starter before the Vikings traded for Ngakoue, and he has a chance to prove himself with Hunter out.

Not that Patterson expects him to play with a chip on shoulder.

“I think he’ll play like he always plays,” Patterson said. “He’s a football player. It’s part of business, and he’s going to go play hard and he’s going to go play physical and he’s going to go give us everything he’s got, like he’s always done. I don’t think there’s any more added juice to it because we added a new guy.”

And how is Hunter dealing with being injured for the first time in his career?

“He’s the same old Danielle,” Patterson said. “He’s got a smile on his face. Just happy go lucky. He’s good.” PUBLICATION: The Athletic DATE: 9/11/20

Ten bold (and not so bold) predictions for the 2020 Vikings season

By Chad Graff

The roster is set and the season opener is just days away. So after a strange offseason, let’s have some fun with 10 (hopefully) bold predictions for the 2020 Vikings season.

Dalvin Cook becomes the NFL’s rushing leader

What does it take to win the league’s rushing title in 2020? First off, it takes a team that gives you the opportunity. And the Vikings will give Cook that. Few teams will rely on the running game as much as the Vikings and few teams will do it with a feature back.

But Cook is the rare player who will get both the touches needed to lead the league and has the skill to do so. He began last season by eclipsing 110 yards on the ground in four of the first five games. Given another year in the system (and, importantly, another year in the system for the offensive line), Cook is in line for an even bigger season.

Of course, he’ll have to stay healthy. But he played in 14 games last season, alleviating some concern over his durability. And he’ll have to decide against holding out if his contract situation doesn’t get resolved. If he plays in all 16 contests, he’s got a legit shot to pace all running backs.

Yannick Ngakoue finishes with more sacks than Danielle Hunter

OK, so this one was a lot bolder when I predicted it before Hunter’s injury put him on injured reserve Wednesday. Now it seems like a fairly safe bet since Hunter will miss at least the first three games of the season.

But let’s instead look at the two main reasons why Ngakoue may be primed for a season with a sack total that could’ve surpassed even a healthy Hunter.

First, he’s motivated. He talked last week about this opportunity feeling like a breath of fresh air after being amid the Jaguars’ rebuild the past two years. He wants a lucrative, long-term deal in the offseason and a monster season (similar to what he did in 2017) will help get him that.

Second, he gets to play for arguably the best defensive line coach in the league in Andre Patterson and one of the top defensive coaches in Mike Zimmer. They’ll be able to scheme ways for Ngakoue to get pressure.

It’ll be hard to eclipse Hunter’s 14.5 sacks last season. But Ngakoue could get there.

Yannick Ngakoue Yannick Ngakoue (Reinhold Matay / USA Today) Bisi Johnson finishes with more receiving yards than Justin Jefferson

When the Vikings used their first draft pick, the one they netted by sending Stefon Diggs to Buffalo, on Jefferson, most penciled him in for the No. 2 job opposite Adam Thielen.

But Johnson had a great training camp and doesn’t appear ready to give away that job. The Vikings will still scheme ways to get Jefferson the ball and Gary Kubiak likes to put him in the slot, where he worked best in college.

But Kubiak also trusts Johnson after encouraging the Vikings to pick him in the seventh round of the 2019 draft. Johnson has come a long way since a year ago, and that could show early.

By the end of the season, Jefferson may leapfrog Johnson on the depth chart. But by then, it may be too late to earn more yards than him.

Adam Thielen bounces back with another 1,000-yard season

This is the first season Thielen won’t have his good friend Diggs across from him. There’s concern from some around the league that it will prohibit Thielen from having a big season since he’ll see more bracket coverage.

But Thielen is so good at creating space and has made some incredible contested catches that I’m predicting it won’t matter. After back-to-back seasons of at least 1,250 receiving yards, Thielen dipped to 418 yards a year ago while battling a nagging hamstring injury.

He’s healthy now. And while it was expected that he’d stand out at training camp, he made plays every day that re- assure he’s got another 1,000-yard season in him.

Adam Thielen (Chuck Cook / USA Today) The Vikings get swept by the Bears

Minnesota’s struggles at Soldier Field are well known. The Vikings are 2-10 in their last 12 trips to Chicago. They’ve lost their last four matchups against the Bears (though it’s worth noting that in Week 17 a year ago, the Vikings sat most starters).

So even though I think the Bears will finish last in the NFC North, I’ve got them sweeping the series against the Vikings.

The first matchup is a Monday Night game in Chicago in November. I don’t need to remind Vikings fans about struggles on that certain day of the week or of struggles in primetime or of struggles in Chicago. Recent history doesn’t bode well for the Vikings in Week 10.

Then the Vikings host the Bears Week 15 in what could be a trap game. It comes a week after the Vikings head to Tampa Bay to face Tom Brady and a week before they head to New Orleans for a Christmas Day game against the Saints. If they aren’t careful, they could let that one get away from them.

Garrett Bradbury takes a significant step forward

Bradbury’s rookie season didn’t inspire a ton of confidence. He had some stretches of decent football, but then he also had some where he was downright outmatched by anyone across the line from him.

Certainly, the Vikings expected a lot more from their 2019 first-round pick. They chose him in part because they thought he’d be ready to play right away. It wasn’t like Brian O’Neill or Ezra Cleveland, players they signaled might need some time.

But despite those issues last season, I think Bradbury will be able to take a step forward this season. He seemed to get worn out last season by a 16-game schedule (plus two more in the postseason), but with a year in the NFL under his belt, I think we’ll see more of the positive flashes from him.

Garrett Bradbury Garrett Bradbury (Brace Hemmelgarn / USA Today) Kirk Cousins won’t reach 4,000 passing yards

Here’s one of the stats that the Vikings touted when they signed Cousins — he was the only quarterback to throw for at least 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns in his first three seasons as a starter.

But the Vikings don’t ask Cousins to throw it as much as he did in Washington. He reached 4,298 yards when John DeFilippo was Minnesota’s offensive coordinator in Cousins’ first year here, but that’s part of the reason DeFilippo didn’t make it a full season. Cousins would have been close to 4,000 yards a year ago had he not sat out the Week 17 game. He finished with 3,603 yards.

This season, with Cook and the running game expected to do most of the heavy lifting, Cousins probably finishes just shy of 4,000 passing yards.

Cameron Dantzler gets more snaps than Jeff Gladney

Mike Hughes and Holton Hill are the team’s top two cornerbacks. But there’s been a great competition between rookies Dantzler and Gladney. I would guess that Gladney opens up as the starter in nickel defense, positioned in the slot with Hughes and Hill outside.

But in the event of an injury to Hughes or Hill, my guess is Zimmer might feel more comfortable with Dantzler on the outside. So this prediction is admittedly a bold one and one that may take extenuating circumstances to come true.

Still, I’d expect Zimmer to unveil a bit of a cornerback rotation early in the season. While he’s worked with these rookie corners the last few weeks, he hasn’t coached any of them in a game. And he’s notoriously quick to pull a corner from the game over a missed tackle or botched assignment. So I think we’ll see plenty of both rookies early.

Cameron Dantzler Cameron Dantzler (Jim Mone / AP) Irv Smith Jr. becomes the team’s No. 1 tight end

This isn’t a prediction simply because Kyle Rudolph has slowed and may primarily be utilized now in the red zone. Smith Jr. legitimately looks like the play-making tight end the Vikings hoped for when they used a second-round pick on him in 2019.

They knew that Smith Jr.’s rookie season could be a bit of a learning experience considering he was the youngest player drafted in the first two rounds and because he only played two seasons of college football. But they liked his potential.

While Smith Jr. showed a bit of that last season, I think he really takes a meaningful step forward this year. By the end of the season, I think it’s a safe bet that he’s one of the team’s four leading receivers.

The Vikings win the NFC North

Hunter’s injury certainly hurts. And it’s hard to expect that the Vikings will be as healthy as they were a year ago.

So while I still think the Vikings are a nine- or 10-win team, this pick is as much about the other teams in the NFC North as it is about the Vikings. I’m joining many in believing that the Packers are staring at a big regression from their 13-win season a year ago. Plus I think the Bears are headed nowhere with that offense, and the Lions, while improved, aren’t ready to compete for the division title.

I think the Vikings have the best coach in the division, and I think that will go a long way. PUBLICATION: SKOR North DATE: 9/11/20

Danielle Hunter’s injury creates opportunity; Yannick Ngakoue working overtime to learn Vikings’ system

By Judd Zulgad

Ifeadi Odenigbo spent much of training camp thinking he was in line to replace Everson Griffen as the Vikings’ starting right defensive end. Then the Vikings pulled off a surprise trade at the end of August to acquire Yannick Ngakoue from the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Odenigbo’s starting job suddenly was gone. The positive for the Vikings was that Odenigbo had shown he had the ability to thrive as a backup — he had seven sacks last season — and, in that role, could move inside on passing downs to provide pressure from a tackle position. Odenigbo’s likely disappointment at losing out on a starting job didn’t last long. Just over a week after the Ngakoue trade, the Vikings placed star left end Danielle Hunter on the injured reserve because of what was reported as a neck injury. He must miss at least three weeks.

The Vikings have a few options to replace Hunter, starting with the regular-season opener Sunday against Green Bay. The team’s updated depth chart has Jalyn Holmes as the starting left end with Eddie Yarbrough behind him and Odenigbo backing up Ngakoue at right end. Is that accurate? Perhaps. But, remember, the Vikings also said that Hunter was dealing with a “little tweak,” so taking their word for how guys are going to be used isn’t necessarily advised.

“I coach them all,” Vikings co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Andre Patterson said Thursday when asked about the preparation of the players behind Hunter. “You never know what’s going to happen … so that’s the reason why we coach them all. Regardless of whether it’s a d-lineman, a linebacker, a DB. That’s part of the NFL. You’re going to have guys that are going to miss games. So if you don’t coach them, that guy doesn’t get prepared to be ready to play and you can’t prepare them in one week. … They all get reps. We’re hard on them all the time for just that reason.”

Holmes, a fourth-round pick by the Vikings out of Ohio State in 2018, had been a defensive tackle in his first two seasons with Minnesota but lost about 23 pounds during the offseason after being told he would be moved to end. He played in 11 games over his first two seasons and had seven tackles and one sack. Holmes did play end for the Buckeyes, so the move puts him back in a familiar spot.

Yarbrough signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming in 2016 but was waived by Denver in September of that year. He landed with the Bills in 2017 and played in 31 games over two seasons, making 63 tackles with one sack and two pass breakups. Yarbrough was waived by the Bills a year ago and signed to their practice squad. The Vikings signed him off that unit last December.

Odenigbo, who was taken by the Vikings in the seventh round in 2017, had stops in Cleveland and Arizona before returning to Minnesota. He got into all 16 games last season and had 23 tackles, seven for a loss, 13 quarterback hits, forced a fumble and recovered two more, returning one for a touchdown.

None of the above three players are going to replace Hunter’s production — he has 14.5 sacks in each of the past two seasons — but at least one should get a chance to get regular snaps on Sunday and try to make life difficult for Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

“To me I don’t look at it as a challenge, you just go play,” Patterson said. “That’s part of football. Guys can’t play in games, we go play. That’s why you have other guys on your roster. You expect for them to step up and go play and get the job done. We’ve never panicked around here and we never will. It’s not a big deal on my part, it’s not with the players. We just go play and we expect the guy that’s going to go in there to play to give us his best effort and play to the best of his ability.”

The issue is whether that will be enough to contain Rodgers. The Packers have injury issues at right tackle, so the potential match-up with Hunter looked to be a huge advantage for the Vikings. Now, there appears to be no clear edge on that side. This isn’t good for the Vikings’ young cornerbacks, considering Rodgers figures to have more time to find open receivers.

Remember, Ngakoue also is only a week-plus into training camp and is new to the Vikings’ system so he should not be expected to be in mid-season form. Ngakoue had eight sacks in 15 games last season and reached the quarterback 37.5 times in 63 games and four seasons with Jacksonville.

“He’s been outstanding,” Patterson said of Ngakoue. “He’s been better than I’ve ever dreamed. He’s come in early, he’s stayed late. He’s got a great hunger for knowledge and wanting to be good. I’ve been very, very impressed with him. I’m excited that he’s here, even more after having these days to work with him, and he’s done an outstanding job.”

Patterson acknowledged there is good reason that Ngakoue has a desire to learn Minnesota’s system. “It’s a big difference in what we do and what they do in Jacksonville, and I think that’s the reason why he had so much of a sense of urgency to put in the time to try and learn (the defense here),” Patterson said. “Not just the terminology being different, but how we ask our guys to play is so much different, too. … In Jacksonville, he had his hand on the ground some, too, he wasn’t a stand up guy all the time, so that adjustment hasn’t been as difficult. It’s just him understanding how we align, how we play blocks and those kind of things.”

The Vikings have been careful not to rush Ngakoue along too quickly, given the fact he did not have a full camp, so it will be interesting to see how many snaps he plays on Sunday. As far as what Patterson has been doing in working with Ngakoue, the veteran coach said he won’t hesitate to make some changes in the veteran’s game.

“I’m changing him. That’s what I’m doing, that’s who I am,” Patterson said. “When I say that, I’m not taking away who he is, so don’t get that wrong. The things that are special to his game, we’re going to keep special to his game. But the things that I see that can add a different element to his game to make him so much more difficult to block, we’re going to work on those things. That’s one of the things that I’ve been very impressed with is that he’s eager to try to work those things and work really hard at it and not get frustrated if it doesn’t win right away. That’s one of the things that excites me about him so much.” PUBLICATION: Purple Insider 9/11/20

How will the Vikings deal with Danielle Hunter's absence?

By Matthew Coller

What will the Minnesota Vikings do with Danielle Hunter out of the lineup for (at least) the first three weeks of the 2020 season?

Well, we have no idea based on recent history. They simply have not faced this problem before at any point during his career as a starting left defensive end.

Andrew Krammer @Andrew_Krammer Remarkably, Hunter's neck injury, as reported by ESPN, will end the NFL's third-longest active games played streak by DEs. The 25 year old has been active for 78 of 80 NFL games, and 77 in a row, behind only Cameron Jordan (144) and Jerry Hughes (131). September 9th 2020

1 Retweet1 Like The Vikings’ potential options are likely limited to three players: Ifeadi Odenigbo, Jalyn Holmes and Eddie Yarbrough. How they decide to divide up Hunter’s snaps between the three D-ends will be one of the most interesting things to watch on Sunday.

Odenigbo spent the entire offseason expecting to start at right defensive end in place of Everson Griffen. When the Vikings traded for Yannick Ngakoue, it appeared to bump Odenigbo out of the starting lineup but he may get the call in place of Hunter.

However, Odenigbo played every snap of the training camp practices open to the media on the right side. He has barely played left D-end at all, lining up there only 18 times last season.

While he picked up 7.0 sacks last season, a lot of Odenigbo’s damage was done as a rotational rusher lining up all over the D-line, including at defensive tackle in obvious passing situations. He might be more dangerous in that role than trying to shoehorn him onto the left side. Odenigbo’s sack numbers were also better than his overall pass rushing success. He created pressures on 6.2% of snaps, which ranked 66th among players who played at least 20% of snaps (per PFF).

Holmes played in Hunter’s place during the entirety of camp and has a small sample of playing there in 2018. During Week 6 and 7, he spent 27 total snaps at left end and created two hurries and one sack.

Holmes dropped weight this year to prepare for the move back to defensive end from D-tackle but he still comes in on the larger side at around 280 pounds. We might see Holmes get the call on early downs to give the Vikings a better chance against the run and the others play on passing downs.

Yarbrough is a wild card. In 390 career pass rush snaps he has 23 pressures with just one sack. He did not see the field at all last season but emerged as an impressive pass rushing threat during training camp.

Earlier this offseason Yarbrough said that working with Andre Patterson has taken his game to another level. Generally speaking you might shrug that off but Patterson’s track record suggests it should be taken seriously.

“One of the things I've seen is his attention to detail,” Yarbrough said. “A lot of coaches around the league will preach it and just send it our there as just a word byte, but he actually preaches it and expects it and he drives it home every single day, so he's big on details and that's one of the things that I feel that coming here has helped my game grow.”

The other option is to add someone remaining on the free agent market. Ziggy Ansah and Jabaal Sheard are the most proven players still available. Pickups like those could come after Week 1 because of the rules on veteran guarantees.

Whoever plays in Hunter’s spot will have massive shoes to fill. Last season Hunter ranked second in the NFL in total pressures and fourth in pressure rate, creating a QB hurry, hit or sack on 9.7% of passing plays.

The Vikings’ one advantage is that Green Bay’s right tackle situation is still up in the air. Listed starting RT Billy Turner did not practice on Wednesday, making it unclear who will play in that position.

Still the onus to create pressure on Aaron Rodgers may come on the shoulders of Ngakoue and Mike Zimmer.

“We love having the disruption he brings,” Harrison Smith said of Ngakoue. “That’s what we’re about. We love having guys who can get after the quarterback... He’s one of those guys who can cause a lot of problems for offenses and quarterbacks. As a defensive back, we love that.”

Over the last three seasons, Ngakoue has created pressure rates of 6.5%, 8.1% and 9.5% so he is capable of being a game-wrecking defensive end and carrying the Vikings over the first several weeks of the year.

One option could be to move Ngakoue to left D-end to allow Odenigbo to play on the right side and to gain the matchup advantage over the Packers. Last year the former Jaguar lined up nearly 282 times on the left side out of 774 total plays (per PFF).

Zimmer’s blitzes have also been problematic for opposing quarterbacks for the entirety of his time in Minnesota. Last year non-defensive linemen created 57 pressures including seven sacks. The Vikings may have to find other sources to create havoc for opposing QBs.

However, blitzing like crazy isn’t always a great solution versus veteran quarterbacks and the Vikings see three of them in the first three weeks.

The bottom line is that replacing Hunter is downright impossible. The Vikings will have to have a group effort that sees multiple people — even someone like young defensive tackle Armon Watts or rookie DJ Wonnum — rise to the occasion in order to provide even remotely comparable QB pressure from past years. PUBLICATION: NFL.com DATE: 9/11/20

Dalvin Cook will be 'out there' against Packers despite no new deal

By Kevin Patra

Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook wants to get paid before the start of the 2020 season on Sunday. But the engine of the Vikes' offense won't hold-in if that doesn't come before kickoff against division rival Green Bay.

"If Coach Zim calls my name, I'll be out there," Cook said Wednesday, via the Minnesota Star Tribune.

The Vikings and Cook broke off contract talks in the middle of August as sides couldn't agree on compensation for the second-round pick who has not played a full 16-game slate in three years.

"I've never been a guy to look at this guy or look at that guy," Cook said. "Everybody is human. You go out and bust your tail and do what you've got to do and you expect a reward to come behind that. I just hope the Vikings and my agent come to an agreement of a deal that values me. Until then, I've just got to wait my turn."

The 25-year-old running back said he's still holding out hope of landing that new, big deal, but won't let that hinder his performance in 2020.

"It's just like if I value you as a person, I would treat you such as I value you," Cook said. "It's the same thing with me. I'm going to give 1,000% on the field, every time I walk in the building, every time I'm out in the community. It's kind of the same thing. Like I said, I just hope both sides come to an agreement so they can value Dalvin Cook on and off the field."

Christian McCaffrey sits atop the RB market making $16 million annually. Ezekiel Elliott is next at $15 million, followed by Le'Veon Bell ($13.1M) and David Johnson ($13M). Derrick Henry is at $12.5 million per year after reaching a long-term deal with Tennessee. And Joe Mixon recently signed a deal worth $12 million per year with Cincinnati.

With the Vikings' recent trade for Yannick Ngakoue, the team is up against the salary cap, which makes a Cook contract more difficult to get done soon -- unless the RB takes a deal that doesn't inflate his salary cap in 2020.

If sides can't reach a long-term deal, the Vikings could use the franchise tag on Cook to keep him in Minnesota at least one more year. PUBLICATION: Associated Press DATE: 9/11/20

For visit by Packers, Vikings present crowd-free, revamped D

By Dave Campbell

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The most consistent weapon the Minnesota Vikings have drawn against Aaron Rodgers since he became Green Bay’s quarterback has been a defense built around a relentless pass rush and revved up by a raucous home crowd.

The formula might need an adjustment this year.

“We’ve done a fantastic job of getting rowdy, and we’re not going to be able to replace that,” Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks said. “It is what it is, but as far as the whole thing with playing with no fans, I feel like we’ve already kind of known that going into the season, so we’ve been mentally preparing for that. We still have to get ready to play the game.”

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For the first time in the franchise’s 60 seasons, the Vikings had their opener scheduled at home against the rival Packers, an immediate opportunity to avenge their decisive defeat at U.S. Bank Stadium on Dec. 23, 2019, that clinched the NFC North for Green Bay.

The Vikings’ defense that has been dominant since head coach Mike Zimmer arrived in 2014 saw its effectiveness wane a bit last year and will have only five starters in the lineup on Sunday afternoon carried over from 2019. Five of the departed are on other teams, and end Danielle Hunter is injured and won’t face the Packers. There will be no crowd to draw from, either, only pre-recorded noise in a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The motivational part and the extra push by the fans and seeing everybody up there is not going to be there, so you’ve got to lean on your teammates and just be ready to play,” Vikings running back Dalvin Cook said.

Here are some other key angles to follow:

POOR PAIR

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins had a career-best season in 2019, but that was in spite of, not because of, his performances against the Packers. He threw three interceptions, half of his total for the year, and posted by far his two lowest passer ratings of the year: 52.9 and 58.8.

Green Bay’s ability to generate a pass rush without sending blitzers was a big reason for this. Za’Darius Smith had 3 1/2 sacks in the second matchup, the most by a Packers player in seven years, and was credited with six quarterback pressures.

“You’re just aware of where we came up short. You’re aware of how you need to be better. I think they did a great job defensively, and we’ve got to have a great plan, and then we have to go execute that plan,” Cousins said.

GETTING IT RIGHT

The absence of the two-time Pro Bowl pick Hunter will be a relief for the Packers, who have yet to declare their starting right tackle. Rick Wagner was signed as a free agent after being released by Detroit. Minnesota native Billy Turner has been the front-runner, but he’s battling a knee injury.

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“He’s doing everything in his power to come back, and if he’s available and ready to play, then we’ll have a decision to make,” coach Matt LaFleur said.

NO NEW CONTRACT, NO NEW PROBLEM

Cook has begun the final season of his rookie contract, with no guarantee of getting a new deal after negotiations with the Vikings reached a stalemate during training camp.

“If coach Zimmer calls my name, I’ll be out there,” said Cook, who missed the home game against the Packers last year because of a shoulder injury, but had 191 yards from scrimmage at Green Bay.

RIPE FOR THE PICKING?

Three of Minnesota’s six new starters in the nickel defense will be cornerbacks, with Mike Hughes, Holton Hill and either Jeff Gladney or Cameron Dantzler, both rookies. All six cornerbacks on the roster are 23 years old or younger.

Fortunately for the Vikings, safeties Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris still form one of the league’s best tandems. They’ll be important not only for their own play but also for their guidance of this inexperienced group.

“The first thing I would mention is that the play might be longer than you’re used to. Every play seems to last a little longer when you play Aaron Rodgers and the Packers,” Smith said. “Everybody has an internal clock to some degree of how long a play is, and normally it lasts a little longer, so you might get a little more fatigued. You can’t relax when you think a play’s over.”

THE TIME IS NOW

Rodgers is 6-6 in his career at Minnesota, less than three months from his 37th birthday and likely in the twilight of his time in Green Bay after quarterback Jordan Love was drafted in the first round.

“Where he left off, man, he had a nice, clear mind,” wide receiver Davante Adams said. “He seemed like he was kind of in a different space. Coming into this year, you see that magnified a little bit. I’m excited for the juice that he’s been bringing, the attitude he’s been bringing.” PUBLICATION: Maven Media DATE: 9/11/20

With No Danielle Hunter, the Spotlight is on Yannick Ngakoue in Week 1

By Will Ragatz

The Vikings will have to wait at least three weeks to see their recently-formed, all-world defensive end tandem on the field. Danielle Hunter was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday, meaning he won't be eligible to play until Week 4 at the earliest. Losing a player as dominant and productive as Hunter is a tough blow for the Vikings' defense, especially with a critically-important season opener against the Packers looming, but they're not going to make excuses.

"To me, I don’t look at it as a challenge," said co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson on Thursday. "You just go play. That’s part of football. Guys can’t play in games, we go play. That’s why you have other guys on your roster, you expect for them to step up and go play and get the job done. We’ve never panicked around here and we never will."

Although the Vikings may be down one star 25-year-old pass rusher, a trade conducted less than two weeks ago gave them another one to build around. The Vikings made a splash by acquiring 2017 Pro Bowler Yannick Ngakoue from the Jaguars two Sundays ago. One of five players with at least 35 sacks and ten forced fumbles over the past four seasons (37.5 and 14, to be exact), Ngakoue brings a game-changing presence to a Vikings defensive line that lost Everson Griffen this offseason.

He's had just about a week of practice time with his new team, but Ngakoue has already been better than the Vikings expected. He's picked up the team's defensive scheme quickly, in no small part due to his commitment to staying late after practice and studying the playbook. He has also been as advertised on the practice field with tools that include a lightning-quick first step and powerful hands.

"He’s been outstanding," Patterson said. "He’s been better than I’ve ever dreamed. He’s come in early, he stayed late, he’s got a great hunger for knowledge and wanting to be good, and I’ve been very, very impressed with him. I’m excited that he’s here even more after having these days to work with him."

For Ngakoue, these past couple weeks have been an all-out sprint to get ready for this upcoming Sunday. He hadn't reported to Jaguars training camp while awaiting a trade, so there was a level of physical rust he needed to shake off. After going through the COVID-19 testing protocols, Ngakoue was able to practice with his new teammates for the first time last Thursday, just ten days prior to the opener.

He remained in great shape all offseason, but the injury risk was there because he hadn't been playing football at all. Patterson and the Vikings have slowly ramped up Ngakoue's reps every day since that first practice. "Each day I’ve kind of pushed him a little bit farther," Patterson said.

Shaking off the rust has been a minor challenge compared to the transition of learning a new defense and a new role. The Vikings ask their defensive ends to do different things than what Ngakoue was doing with the Jaguars, so he's had to learn those new expectations over a short window of time.

"It’s a big difference in what we do and what they do in Jacksonville," Patterson said. "And I think that’s the reason why he had so much of a sense of urgency to put in the time to try to learn it. Because [it's] not just the terminology being different, but how we ask our guys to play is so much different, too. It’s just him understanding how we align, how we play blocks and those kinds of things."

One of the main reasons why the Vikings dealt two picks to the Jaguars to acquire Ngakoue was that they felt they could not only utilize what he already does well, but even add to his game a little bit. Patterson has relished the opportunity to work with his new toy and mold him into what he envisions him becoming.

"You know me, I'm changing him," Patterson said. "That's what I'm doing. That's who I am. When I say that, I'm not taking away who he is. Don't get that wrong, OK? The things that are special to his game, we're going to keep special to his game. But the things that I see that can add a different element to his game, to make him so much more difficult to block, we're going to work on those things. That's one of the things that I've been very impressed with, is that he's eager to try to work those things and work real hard at it and not get frustrated if it doesn't win right away."

When Ngakoue takes the field at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, he will have had just five official practices as a Viking. Despite all the extra time he's put in, it'll still be a work in progress as he applies new plays, calls, and techniques into a real game – and an important one, at that.

And yet, the spotlight is going to be on him. With no Hunter, Ngakoue is far and away the best and most dangerous player on Minnesota's defensive line. Defensive ends Ifeadi Odenigbo, Jalyn Holmes, and Eddie Yarbrough all figure to be part of the rotation, but none of them have anything resembling the skillset and track record of Ngakoue. Whether it's fair or not – and whether he lines up at right end against Packers All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari, at left end, or moves around – he's going to be expected to put pressure on Aaron Rodgers early and often.

If anyone can handle that type of responsibility with such little time to prepare, it's Ngakoue. The former third-round pick has always been known for his work ethic and ambition. He took a nearly $6 million pay cut to get out of Jacksonville and join the Vikings because, in his words, "money was never my drive coming into this business."

Ngakoue wanted a fresh start. He wanted to play for Mike Zimmer and Patterson, to play with Hunter and the other stars on this Vikings defense. He wants to be great.

"I see in the building, they have on the wall all the Hall of Famers before you get into the auditorium," Ngakoue said. "I just feel like that’s the biggest motivation if you really love this game and this sport. You look to your right, and you see the John Randles, the Randy Mosses, the Cris Carters – guys like that who brought it each and every Sunday. That’s my aspiration, to be a Hall of Famer, and I’m working and striving to do that each and every day.”

On Sunday, the Yannick Ngakoue era begins in Minnesota. PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 9/11/20

NFL Expert Picks: Split Opinions on Vikings-Packers in Week 1

By Eric Smith

The Vikings open their 60th NFL season Sunday, and will do so in historic fashion, as Week 1 marks the first time the Vikings have opened a season at home against the Packers in team history.

Kickoff is scheduled for noon (CT) for Border Battle No. 120 between the division rivals.

The Vikings were swept by the Packers in 2019 as Green Bay won the division. Minnesota is perfect in their past three season openers at home, getting wins over New Orleans, San Francisco and Atlanta.

Vikings-Packers Preview and Predictions | NFL Network Let's see who the experts are picking to win the game:

Vikings 23, Packers 20 — Gregg Rosenthal, NFL.com

The Packers have had a strong offensive line for so long that it's taken for granted. That may no longer be the case after Bryan Bulaga's departure — and a series of injuries — scrambled the right side. The Vikings pass rush will also be shorthanded without Danielle Hunter for at least the first three weeks of the season, but new arrival Yannick Ngakoue's speed should show up on the home turf Sunday. Minnesota's zone-running game should also match up well against a Packers defense that puts six defensive backs on the field more than any other team. This result wouldn't exact revenge for the Monday nighter that decided the NFC North late last season, but it would be a terrific way for the Vikings to establish themselves as the most balanced team in a balanced division.

Packers 28, Vikings 17 — Pete Prisco, CBS Sports

The Packers have had trouble at Minnesota, but they won there last year. This Vikings team isn't as good, which is why I think Aaron Rodgers will go in there and beat them again. The Packers will win a big, early-division game.

Vikings 20, Packers 17 — Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News

The Packers won the division with a strong first season with Matt LaFleur. The Vikings weren't far behind, as they also embraced a more quarterback-supportive approach with their running game and defense. Both ended up losing to the NFC Champion 49ers in the playoffs. The Packers didn't upgrade at wide receiver, and the Vikings traded Stefon Diggs. Minnesota should remember being swept by Green Bay last season. Even with considerable change, the Vikings are a bit tighter defensively than the Packers and will dig deep with ball control to take the early division lead.

Vikings 24, Packers 17 — Michael David Smith, Pro Football Talk

These look like the top two teams in the NFC North, and the Vikings look to me like they should have a slight edge as the division favorites this season.

Vikings 27, Packers 20 — Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk

Danielle Hunter isn't playing, but the Vikings have the firepower on both sides of the ball to hold serve at home* against a team that chose to take a step back in the offseason in the hopes of eventually taking a couple of steps forward.

Packers 24, Vikings 23 — Staff, Bleacher Report

In one of only a few acts of unanimity this week, the entire team of B/R correspondents is backing the Green Bay Packers on the road even though they're getting less than a field goal from an opponent that won a playoff game in 2019.

Why such little confidence in the Minnesota Vikings? Home-field advantage might not matter much, and a healthy Aaron Rodgers might be well-positioned to pick on a rebuilding Minnesota secondary.

Rodgers committed late-game heroics in back-to-back Week 1 victories against the Bears over the last two seasons. Now he'll go against a defense that remains talented but might need time to adapt to a new-look cornerback depth chart and a defensive front that swapped out Everson Griffen, Linval Joseph and Stephen Weatherly for Yannick Ngakoue.

There's a little more stability with the Packers, who also have the pass-rushing talent to exploit a perma-vulnerable Minnesota offensive line.

Through the Years: Vikings vs. Packers Look back at photos over the course of time featuring games between the Vikings and the Packers.

Pre-game win probabilities: Vikings 53% — FiveThirtyEight.com

4 of 8 experts pick the Vikings, CBS Sports

0 of 7 experts pick the Vikings, USA TODAY Sports

2 of 6 experts pick the Vikings, The MMQB

5 of 10 experts pick the Vikings, ESPN PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 9/11/20

Vikings Believe Team Approach Can Help Replace Hunter vs. Packers

By Eric Smith

EAGAN, Minn. — Plenty of focus will be on Minnesota's defensive ends group Sunday — both for who will and won't be on the field for the Week 1 opener.

Danielle Hunter will not, as the back-to-back Pro Bowler was placed on Injured Reserve on Wednesday. Per NFL rules, Hunter has to miss a minimum of three games. He can return as early as Week 4 against the Texans.

The Vikings will certainly miss his presence and his production. Hunter has posted consecutive seasons with 14.5 sacks, and became the youngest player to 50.0 career sacks in 2019.

The former third-round pick has also been durable, starting 48 straight games and appearing in 77 consecutive regular-season games. Hunter's starting streak is the third-longest current run by a defensive end but will end Sunday.

It's a gigantic loss, but Vikings Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach Andre Patterson will implement an all-hands-on-deck approach against the Packers.

"You just go play. To me, I don't look at it as a challenge. You just go play. That's part of football," Patterson said. "Guys can't play in games, we go play. That's why you have other guys on your roster, you expect for them to step up and go play and get the job done.

"We've never panicked around here and we never will. It's not a big deal on my part, it's not with the players," Patterson added. "We just go play and expect the guy that's going to go in there to play to give us his best effort and play to the best of his ability.

With Hunter now on IR, Minnesota still has five defensive ends ready to go on its roster in Yannick Ngakoue, Ifeadi Odenigbo, Jalyn Holmes, Eddie Yarbrough and rookie D.J. Wonnum.

Vikings-Packers Preview and Predictions | NFL Network

Ngakoue, of course, is a key figure, but also the newest member of that group, as he was acquired in a trade with Jacksonville last week.

While he has 37.5 sacks and 14 forced fumbles in his career, Patterson said he's been impressed by Ngakoue's work ethic since arriving in Minnesota.

"He's been outstanding. He's been better than I've ever dreamed," Patterson said. "He's come in early, he's stayed late, he's got a great hunger for knowledge and wanting to be good, and I've been very, very impressed with him.

"I'm excited that he's here even more after having these days to work with him. He's done an outstanding job," Patterson added.

Odenigbo, who could be in line for a starting role, had one of his 7.0 sacks on Aaron Rodgers in 2019.

Patterson expects Odenigbo to be his usual energetic self on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

"I think he'll play like he always plays. You know what I mean? He's a football player," Patterson said. "It's part of business, and he's going to go play hard and he's going to go play physical and he's going to go give us everything that he's got like he's always done.

"I don't think there's any more added juice to it because we added a new guy," Patterson added. "I think he's going to go play like he's always played and give us what he's always given us."

Holmes could also play meaningful snaps after moving back outside from defensive tackle in training camp.

So, too, could Yarbrough, who earned a spot on the 53-man roster with an impressive camp, or Wonnum, a fourth- round pick this spring out of South Carolina.

"He improved every day. He's done a great job of mastering the technique that we teach," Patterson said of Yarbrough. "He's a conscientious, hard-working kid. He's got some burst and some change-of-direction to him. You've just seen him improve every single day.

"He made it very difficult for us to release him," Patterson added. "And that's what a player should do who is trying to earn a spot on a team. And he did a great job with that in camp."

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When Sunday's game kicks off, the Vikings will be missing 54.5 career sacks from Hunter.

The five other defensive ends have a combined 46.5 career sacks, but they will be looked upon to answer the call Sunday against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.

And the standard, Patterson said, won't change.

"No, not really, because I coach them all," Patterson said of his defensive end group. "Because you never know what's going to happen. I mean, you just never know. That's the reason why we coach them all.

"Regardless of whether it's a d-lineman, a linebacker, a DB, we coach them all. Because that's part of the NFL. You're going to have guys that are going to miss games," Patterson added. "So, if you don't coach them, that guy doesn't get prepared to be ready to play, and you can't prepare him in one week. So that's the reason why we coach them all, they all get reps, we're hard on them all the time — for just that reason." PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 9/11/20

Kyle Rudolph Ready to Extend Starts Streak to 82

By Craig Peters

Rudy is ready.

Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph — the longest-tenured Viking on the 2020 squad — is set to open his 10th season in Minnesota and appear his 18th Border Battle against Green Bay.

Drafted in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft, Rudolph has posted impressive numbers, consistently producing despite a litany of changes — some of which have been planned and others improvised.

This offseason has been all about improvisation and preparing for real football without any preseason games.

"There's always a sense of excitement going into season openers and Week 1, and obviously that's exponentially higher this year with the circumstances and everything we've gone through over the past six to eight months," Rudolph said.

Despite the uncertainties, lack of an offseason program in the spring and truncated training camp, Rudolph said "personally I'm as prepared as I've ever been going into Game 1 even without, say, three preseason games."

He noted the game-like situations that Head Coach Mike Zimmer has created for the team that included scrimmaging for a full half at U.S. Bank Stadium last month. The experience allowed newcomers the opportunity to work on their game-day routine and exposed veterans to what the venue — one of the best home-field advantages in the NFL — will be like without fans.

2019 Season in Photos: Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph View the top photos of Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph from the 2019 season.

Rudolph has recorded 425 career receptions, 4,154 yards and 47 touchdowns, moving up the franchise leaderboard in all three categories. The catches and touchdowns rank fifth in Vikings history, and the yards are 10th.

Perhaps the most impressive and least likely number Rudolph stands to hit during Kickoff Weekend is his 82nd consecutive start, which will match his No. 82 jersey that he selected over 86 when he arrived in Minnesota after wearing No. 9 at Notre Dame.

"I wore 9 my entire life, so I didn't really have a number in the 80s that drew to me," Rudolph recently recalled. "I've always been a fan of Jason Witten. I knew he wore 82, and I felt like 82 was a little bit more of an athletic tight end number as opposed to 86. I went with the lower of the two numbers, and the rest is history."

Aside from equaling a number that Rudolph has worn well, the streak is significant and highly appreciated for multiple reasons.

"In order to play 82 games in a row, you have to have good luck," Rudolph said. "No matter how hard you work on the field, no matter how hard you work off the field, freak things happen throughout the course of games."

An uncontrollable play occurred at Dallas in 2013. Rudolph ended the play with a touchdown and a broken foot after Cowboys safety Barry Church missed a tackle and landed on Rudolph's foot.

Secondly, Rudolph credits his comprehensive plan of taking care of his body.

"I was banged up early in my career, kind of late in college and early in the NFL, battling some soft tissue injuries, thinking I was doing all of the right things to stay on the field, and I wasn't," Rudolph said. "I kind of changed the way I trained, changed the way I take care of my body. I've gotten myself into a routine in the offseason, but also from Monday to Saturday to be able to go and play every week.

"Thirdly, you have to be tough. You're never going to play 82 games completely healthy," Rudolph added. "You have to play through some things. It's just the nature of our game."

After missing seven games in 2014 while recovering from surgery on his hips, Rudolph worked his way back into the lineup. Unfortunately, he got caught in a pile at Detroit in December and missed Minnesota's game at Miami in Week 16. The following week, the best the Vikings could aim for was a 7-9 mark with a win over Chicago.

"They didn't shut me down and put me on IR, so I wanted to do everything I could to make sure I was ready to play on Sunday," Rudolph said. "I remember trying to battle that week and getting ready to go. It was a big win for us to end the year on a high note and go into the offseason with some momentum."

Minnesota prevailed that day, building momentum for an 11-5 mark in 2015 and NFC North crown in Head Coach Mike Zimmer's second season at the helm.

Much harder to foresee was the fact that Rudolph, who missed 15 games from 2013-14, was beginning a streak that continued for the next five seasons and 81 consecutive regular-season starts. It is the longest current continuous chain by an NFL tight end. Kansas City's Travis Kelce is entering 2020 ranked second (32 consecutive games), followed by Cincinnati's C.J. Uzomah (29).

Rudolph's run has exceeded Steve Jordan's mark of 52 by a Vikings tight end (Jordan missed one game in 1989 between streaks of 52 and 51 games), and the 10-year pro has tied linebacker Roy Winston for the 24th-longest consecutive starts streak by a Vikings player at any position.

The most substantial threat to Rudolph's streak occurred in Week 14 of the 2017 season at Carolina. He suffered a high-ankle sprain and began the next week in a walking boot.

Listed as "doubtful" to play against his hometown Cincinnati Bengals on the Friday injury report, Rudolph showed up at Winter Park the following day to run for Vikings Vice President of Sports Medicine Eric Sugarman and former coaches Pat Shurmur and Clancy Barone.

"I remember being in the training room at Winter Park [on Friday] and just begging 'Sugs' because we still had 48 hours before the game, and I hadn't done anything to that point to prove to them that I was going to be able to play," Rudolph recalled. "I just knew I still had 48 hours to try to get myself ready to play. … We had to win those last three games to potentially have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. It was a big stretch for us, and I thought that it was important that I was out on the field each week."

Rudolph displayed determination and his nose for the end zone, lobbying to go in for a particular play on the goal line that resulted in a 1-yard touchdown catch. He followed by hobbling his way through the "Ickey Shuffle" in homage to the former Bengals running back. kyle-rudolph-2560 "I had missed the last time we played the Bengals," Rudolph said. "I wouldn't get another chance to play the Bengals for another four years, so it was really important for me to get out there because it's my hometown team."

Rudolph also was persuasive in starting the 2019 regular-season finale on a day when Zimmer rested most starters to prepare for the playoffs. Zimmer allowed one snap and then pulled the tight end so he could join other starters on the sideline.

The decision by Zimmer paid off the following week when Minnesota upset New Orleans 26-20 in overtime. Rudolph went up the ladder to reel in a 4-yard touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins on third down and silence the Superdome.

Vikings All-Time Consecutive Starts

Kyle Rudolph holds the record for consecutive regular-season starts by a Vikings tight end, having surpassed streaks of 52 and 51 games by Steve Jordan by opening every game of the past five seasons and the 2014 season finale.

1. Jim Marshall, DE 270

2. Mick Tingelhoff, C 240

3. Tim Irwin, T 181

4. Randall McDaniel, G 170

5. Alan Page, DT 157

6. Ron Yary, T 150

7. Cris Carter, WR 144

T8. Paul Krause, S 142

T8. Jeff Siemon, LB 142

10. John Randle, DT 133

11. Carl Eller, DE 125

12. Chris Doleman, DE 111

13. Joey Browner, S 110

14. Gary Zimmerman, T 108

15. Tommy Hannon, S 103

16. Fred McNeill, LB 102

17. Jared Allen, DE 96

T18. Carl Lee, CB 94

T18. Randy Moss, WR 94

20. Chad Greenway, LB 90

T21. Bryant McKinnie, T 88

T21. Ahmad Rashad, WR 88

23. Kevin Williams, DT 83

T24. Kyle Rudolph, TE 81

T24. Roy Winston, LB 81 PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 9/11/20

Lunchbreak: Barnwell Outlines Paths to Super Bowl LV for Vikings & Others

By Eric Smith

The 2020 NFL season kicks off tonight, and optimism reigns supreme for all 32 teams as they begin their quest for a championship.

With the season opening with tonight's Texans-Chiefs matchup in Kansas City, ESPN.com's Bill Barnwell chose to look at how each organization could find itself in Tampa Bay for Super Bowl LV in February.

Before he dove into the teams, Barnwell explained the framework around his article.

In this exercise, we try to find a plausible scenario in which each and every NFL team could win a championship. Since teams can't win unless they get into the postseason, many of these write-ups detail how a team could exceed expectations and end up in an advantageous situation come January.

As for the Vikings, they ranked 13th on Barnwell's list of teams with the best chances to reach the Super Bowl. Minnesota was listed with a 53.8-percent chance to reach the postseason — the highest among all NFC North teams — plus a 1.9-percent chance to make it to the Super Bowl.

Barnwell laid out his case for the Vikings:

Vikings fans might argue that the rebuilt defense of 2020 could be an upgrade on the last run of Mike Zimmer's former core in 2019. Minnesota let longtime contributors Xavier Rhodes, Everson Griffen and Trae Waynes all leave this offseason, but Rhodes and Waynes didn't play well, and Griffen is now ably replaced in the lineup by trade acquisition Yannick Ngakoue. If rookie first-rounder Jeff Gladney can step onto the field and play like an NFL-caliber corner in September, the Vikings could actually be better on defense.

Offense seems a little more difficult after they traded away wide receiver Stefon Diggs, although they used a first- round pick on LSU star Justin Jefferson and should get a healthier season from Adam Thielen, who missed the better part of eight games a season ago. The best-case scenario for the Vikings is a healthy campaign from Dalvin Cook, who averaged 5.3 yards per carry and 102.9 rushing yards per game in the first half of 2019, only to fade badly, deal with injuries and average 3.3 yards per carry and 52 yards per game afterward. If the Packers decline, Minnesota is the best-positioned team to win the NFC North.

The Vikings went 10-6 and were a Wild Card team a season ago, winning a road playoff game against the Saints before losing in the Divisional Round to the 49ers.

Minnesota has won 50 total regular-season games in the past five seasons under Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer, a stretch that includes three total playoff appearances and a pair of NFC North titles in 2015 and 2017.

According to Barnwell, the Packers have the 17th-best chance to win it all. Minnesota and Green Bay meet Sunday in Week 1 at U.S. Bank Stadium. Chicago was listed 18th overall, while Detroit was 26th.

Kansas City, which won Super Bowl LIV, was the top team on Barnwell's list. The Chiefs have a 94-percent chance to make the playoffs and a 21.1-percent chance to win it all.

New Orleans was the top-ranked NFC team in Barnwell's piece. The Saints were at a 91.2-percent chance to make the playoffs and a 16.1-percent chance to win it all.

Rapoport: Vikings Don't Consider Hunter's Injury A Long-Term Issue, Could Be Back For Week 4 Harrison Smith launches annual Big Tackles campaign

Harrison Smith's versatility at safety allows him to line up all over the field.

That skill set will also continue to help support Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities, as Smith is once again supporting the organization with his annual Big Tackles campaign.

Smith announced the initiative earlier this week:

I'm thrilled to announce the return of my BIG TACKLES campaign, which supports area youth and Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities.

Together with your pledge, every tackle I make during the 2020 season provides financial support to help kids facing adversity reach their potential. Last year, we raised over $72,000 – and I'm expecting 2020 to be an even BIGGER year on and off the field!

Those looking to support Smith can go here to pledge money for each of Smith's tackles in 2020.

Smith made his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl in 2019, becoming the 13th player who has made five consecutive Pro Bowls while with the Vikings. PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 9/11/20

A Hand-Picked Division: Vikings Placement Beat the Odds

By Craig Peters

Believe it or not, the Border Battle between Minnesota and Green Bay nearly wasn't a divisional contest for the entirety of the past six decades.

In fact, the odds were overwhelmingly (80 to 20 percent) stacked against Minnesota joining the NFC Central as part of the NFL's merger with the American Football League for 1970.

Years of Vikings history — and the team's identity-shaping participation in the "Norse" or "Black and Blue" division — were impacted by a small piece of paper drawn from a flower vase by a woman from Nebraska.

Through the Years: Vikings vs. Packers Look back at photos over the course of time featuring games between the Vikings and the Packers.

After the NFL and American Football League agreed to a merger on June 8, 1966, to go into effect for the 1970 season, the NFL began the process of assigning 26 total teams across the NFC East, Central, West and AFC East, Central and West. The AFC was formed by adding the Colts, Steelers and Browns from the NFL to the 10 AFL teams, and division alignment was quickly resolved for that conference.

NFC teams, however, underwent considerable lobbying and disagreements that spilled into mid-January 1970. ap-3-2560 Al Messerschmidt/AP Joe Browne

According to Joe Browne, who worked in the NFL's PR department for 50 years, all teams desired divisions with large stadiums (for bigger gate receipts), at least one foe based in a warm-weather city and pushovers. Unable to please everyone, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle requested a chalkboard with five plans wheeled into the room (shown in the chart below).

Table inside Article 1970 REALIGNMENT NFC EAST NFC CENTRAL NFC WEST PLAN 1 NYG, WAS, PHI, MIN, ATL CHI, GB, DET, NO LAR, SF, DAL, STL PLAN 2 NYG, WAS, PHI, MIN DAL, NO, ATL, STL LAR, SF, CHI, GB, DET PLAN 3 NYG, WAS, PHI, DAL, STL CHI, GB, DET, MIN LAR, SF, ATL, NO PLAN 4 NYG, WAS, PHI, STL, MIN CHI, GB, DET, ATL LAR, SF, DAL, NO PLAN 5 NYG, WAS, PHI, DET, MIN CHI, GB, DAL, STL LAR, SF, ATL, NO

Five numbered pieces of paper were placed in an empty vase. Four of the five plans assigned the Vikings to the NFC East, but Rozelle's secretary, Thelma Elkjer, drew scenario No. 3, placing Minnesota in the NFC Central.

Browne, who wrote about the experience as a guest columnist for Peter King’s Football Morning in America, recalled to Vikings.com the atmosphere inside the meeting room at the NFL headquarters that day.

"If you try to picture the scene in the small conference room, you should think more along the lines of the way C- SPAN covers Congress than a Jennifer Lopez-Super Bowl halftime production," Browne said. "It was dramatic, but there were no bells and whistles attached."

Browne said the piece of paper pulled by Elkjer and the vase have "fallen away into the great football unknown … kind of like Sid Hartman's typewriter from the first Vikings game he covered back in '61." ap-2560 Ben Liebenberg/AP Joe Browne

He described Elkjer as an "independent, honest person who was very loyal to the league, and especially Pete Rozelle."

"She was born in Nebraska but moved later to Southern California. She gave up her life in Los Angeles to move east to New York when Rozelle was named commissioner," Browne said. "He was only 33 at the time, so she took a chance that things would work out for both of them in the new position. Fortunately, it did."

After assignment, Jim Finks, the Vikings General Manager from 1964-73, was quoted in the Minneapolis Tribune on Jan. 17, 1970: "We've always taken the position we wanted to stay with the same teams. Well, that's where we are, and we're happy. … Our only qualms are over the fact that we did not get a warm-weather city in with us. But the plusses outweigh the minuses."

The randomized selection of fate stemmed from an unyielding gridlock after teams "submitted more than 100 different combinations" of realignment proposals.

"If anything, clubs could be accused of 'over-thinking' the issues involved," Browne said. "Eventually, the combinations were reduced to nine 'semi-finalists' and five final combinations." ap-2-2560 Ray Howard/AP Pete Rozelle

When asked why Plan 3 wasn't automatically adopted because it would involve the fewest departures from the divisions used from 1967-70, Browne said the mindset of owners was that the 1970 realignment "would be in place for a long time."

"They had been told after the merger [agreement in 1966] that the divisions which were set for the late '60s would only be temporary and that they would have their chance to get nearly all they wanted before the 1970 season started," Browne said. "Heck, even in the nine 'semi-final' realignment plans, the Packers and Bears were not together in all nine proposals. Pete Rozelle was trying to please all the clubs and realized late in the process that was going to be impossible. Thus, he finally moved on to the 'Flower Vase Method.' "

Vikings Division Assignments

1961-66 NFL Western Conference: Baltimore Colts, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco

1967-69 NFL Central: Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota

1970-2001 NFC Central: Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota and Tampa Bay (1976-2001)

2002-Present NFC North: Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota

Entering their 60th season, the Vikings have never played without the Bears, Lions and Packers in their division.

Would the NFL be as special as it is today, would the heritage of the league's first 100 seasons be so rich without the divisional rivalries that developed from the 1970 realignment until the current structure was implemented in 2002?

Browne believes rivalries are based "largely by on-the-field competition instead of geographical proximity," and while he doesn't live in either Border Battle state, he does make a couple of good points.

"Some [rivalries] last for decades, while others exist for a short period of time," Browne said. "For example, I agree that the Packers-Vikings rivalry has been extremely intense, but a primary reason is that the series record during the last 60 years has been pretty tight."

The Vikings are 54-62-3 in 119 all-time matchups, including 1-1 in postseason games.

"If the series were 81-33, I am not sure it would be much of a rivalry despite the geographical proximity of the two fan bases," Browne said.

"Sometimes geography has little to do with a rivalry," he continued. "For example, there was not a more heated rivalry in the '70s than the Raiders and Steelers who represented cities (Oakland and Pittsburgh at the time) that were 2,500 miles apart. The rivalry was built on the field with great players, two legendary coaches in John Madden and Chuck Noll, and memorable playoff games. However, right now, it's not the first rivalry an average football fan would list as 'Most Intense.' "

Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer grew up immersed in the NFC Central. Now entering his seventh season at the helm of Minnesota, the Illinois native explained what it means to him to coach in the NFC North that has the same four original teams as its predecessor.

"I was a Bears fan growing up, and it was part of the '85 Bears, that defense they had," Zimmer said, "and being able to watch Fran Tarkenton and Bud Grant and Bart Starr and all of the great players, Barry Sanders in Detroit, and all of the great players they've had in this division.

"It's always an honor," Zimmer added. "It's an honor to be in the National Football League, it's an honor to work for the Vikings and for the fans that we have here and the ownership."

When Zimmer joined the Vikings, Minnesota had gone just 4-12-1 in its previous 17 games against Green Bay, a run from 2006-13 that included one playoff game. He wanted to restore a consistent balance between the teams and has, with the Vikings 5-6-1 in the past six seasons.

Zimmer also entered the NFL in 1994 as defensive backs coach of the Cowboys. He spent six seasons in that role and another seven as defensive coordinator, fully experiencing the rivalries of the current NFC East that still has four members from the 1970 alignment.

Browne noted the Dallas Cowboys, who entered the NFL at the same time as the Vikings and began play a season earlier in 1960, wanted to be in the NFC East "because they saw value in playing the big city teams such as New York and Philly twice a year."

The same "Plan 3" scenario that placed Minnesota in the Central was the only option that placed Dallas in the East.

Browne credited marketing efforts by Tex Schramm — the Cowboys first president who volunteered his team to play on Thanksgiving Day in 1966 for increased national exposure — and on-field success with helping Dallas increase its popularity.

The Cowboys have the highest playoff percentage in the NFL at 55.0 (33 appearances in 60 seasons) and the Vikings rank second at 50.8 (30 appearances in 59 seasons).

When King visited Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center in July, Vikings.com asked the national journalist about the impact of Elkjer drawing the plan she pulled from the vase.

"There's just something about [Cowboys Owner] Jerry Jones being in New York and Philly and Washington, it just seems like it's a little more right," King said. "Obviously, the Vikings, it's just so much better that it would be Bud Grant vs. George Halas, Bud Grant vs. Vince Lombardi.

"The Bud Grant-Vince Lombardi rivalry is one of the great ones ever," King continued. "The great thing is Bud Grant is still around to talk about it in year 51 of this alignment. I can't imagine the NFL without a Minnesota-Green Bay rivalry. I can't imagine it without a Green Bay-Chicago rivalry, without the Vikings and Bears, which is a great rivalry. Thelma Elkjer's magic fingers picked the right alignment. That's all I can say."