DAILY CLIPS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2020

LOCAL NEWS: Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Pioneer Press

Vikings have only two safeties on roster but Mike Zimmer says he will have a ‘plan’ By Chris Tomasson https://www.twincities.com/2020/09/07/vikings-have-only-two-safeties-on-roster-but-mike-zimmer-says-he-will-have- a-plan/

Mark Wilf doesn’t know if players will kneel during anthem but makes note of Vikings’ support for social justice By Chris Tomasson https://www.twincities.com/2020/09/07/mark-wilf-doesnt-know-if-players-will-kneel-during-anthem-but-makes-note-of- vikings-support-for-social-justice/

Vikings’ Dan Chisena could have a fan in ex-NFL special-teams ace Steve Tasker By Chris Tomasson https://www.twincities.com/2020/09/07/vikings-dan-chisena-could-have-a-fan-in-ex-nfl-special-teams-ace-steve- tasker/

Vikings complete with LB Hardy Nickerson, DT Albert Huggins By Chris Tomasson https://www.twincities.com/2020/09/07/vikings-complete-practice-squad-with-lb-hardy-nickerson-dt-albert-huggins/

Star Tribune

Remembering the first training camps as the Vikings turn 60 By Patrick Reusse https://www.startribune.com/remembering-the-first-training-camps-as-the-vikings-turn-60/572343782/

Silence won't be golden in NFL stadiums this fall By Chip Scoggins https://www.startribune.com/scoggins-silence-won-t-be-golden-in-nfl-stadiums-this-fall/572343992/

Dan Chisena's speed and versatility win him a spot on Vikings' roster By Andrew Krammer and Mark Craig https://www.startribune.com/chisena-s-speed-and-versatility-win-him-spot-on-vikings-roster/572341812/

Wilf happy with Vikings' body of work under Zimmer and Spielman By Ben Goessling https://www.startribune.com/wilf-happy-with-vikings-body-of-work-under-zimmer-and-spielman/572341142/

A look back at Vikings home openers at the start of decades By Jeff Day https://www.startribune.com/a-look-at-six-decades-of-vikings-home-openers/572342982/

The Athletic

As the roster gets re-tooled, Super Bowl remains the focus for Vikings owners By Chad Graff https://theathletic.com/2049770/2020/09/07/vikings-super-bowl-rebuild-mark-wilf-mike-zimmer/

SKOR North

Three NFC North topics: Unsettled at QB in Chicago; an unsettled QB in Green Bay; a familiar face in DetroitBy Judd Zulgad https://www.skornorth.com/2020/09/three-nfc-north-topics-unsettled-at-qb-in-chicago-an-unsettled-qb-in-green-bay-a- familiar-face-in-detroit/

A wild ride: Projection has Vikings getting off to a great start but then fans had better buckle up By Judd Zulgad https://www.skornorth.com/2020/09/a-wild-ride-projection-has-vikings-getting-off-to-a-great-start-but-then-fans-had- better-buckle-up/

Purple Insider

The Vikings are well equipped to run (and stop) the NFL's most dangerous route By Matthew Coller https://purpleinsider.substack.com/p/the-vikings-are-well-equipped-to

NATIONAL NEWS: Tuesday, September 8, 2020

ESPN

Minnesota Vikings' $1 million social justice push kicks off By Courtney Cronin https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29835375/vikes-1-million-social-justice-push-kicks-off

Minnesota Vikings 2020 season preview: Can retooled defense be elite again? By Courtney Cronin https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29801284/minnesota-vikings-2020-season-preview-retooled-defense-elite-again

Associated Press

Vikings choose rookie Chisena for speed on special teams By Dave Campbell https://apnews.com/09af1a6211e6b9eb3fb2653c2f9ed545

Maven Media

Analysis of the Vikings' First Unofficial Depth Chart of 2020 By Will Ragatz https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/analysis-vikings-first-unofficial-depth-chart-2020-packers

Vikings Add Chase McLaughlin, Albert Huggins to Practice Squad By Will Ragatz https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/vikings-add-chase-mclaughlin-albert-huggins-practice-squad

MULTIMEDIA NEWS: Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Wilf Hopes Vikings can have Fans this Year By KARE http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=61458f8e-785b-4ba2-ac7f-edadb8b3c46e

The Wilfs Happy with Vikings Management By KMSP http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=8bf35e6f-15dd-403a-a073-7cad4ee6b7e9

It’s Vikings Game Week By KSTP http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=c9ac9bde-661f-445b-abfb-8c604f0bf364

Packer Week is Here By WCCO http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=001c88ca-fbcf-46d4-98a3-53107658b945

VIKINGS ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK NEWS: Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Vikings Release 1st Unofficial Depth Chart of 2020 Season By Eric Smith https://www.vikings.com/news/2020-depth-chart-nfl-players

After Beating Odds, Chisena Ready for Special Opportunity By Lindsey Young https://www.vikings.com/news/dan-chisena-2020-nfl-season-53-man-roster

Presser Points: Zimmer Explains Tough Roster Decisions, Safety Depth By Eric Smith https://www.vikings.com/news/mike-zimmer-explains-tough-roster-decisions-safety-depth

Lunchbreak: 53 Roster Takeaways by The Athletic Includes Notes on 7 WRs By Lindsey Young https://www.vikings.com/news/lunchbreak-53-roster-takeaways-by-the-athletic-includes-notes-on-7-wrs

Mark Wilf Outlines 2020 Vikings Goals Reiterates Confidence in Spielman, Zimmer & Cousins By Lindsey Young https://www.vikings.com/news/mark-wilf-outlines-2020-goals-reiterates-confidence-in-spielman-zimmer-c

Monday Morning Mailbag: Reaction to Vikings 53-Man Roster & Looking Ahead to the Packers By Eric Smith https://www.vikings.com/news/53-man-roster-reaction-vikings-looking-ahead-packers

PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 9/8/20

Vikings have only two safeties on roster but Mike Zimmer says he will have a ‘plan’

By Chris Tomasson

Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris each had 10 games last season of playing every defensive snap. They’re counting on it happening again.

The Vikings have two star safeties in Smith, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, and Harris, the NFL’s top-rated player at the position in 2019 by Pro Football Focus. After that, the cupboard is bare when it comes to safeties.

After the Vikings cut the roster to 53 players Saturday, just two safeties were left on it. They did add rookie safety on Sunday to the practice squad, and he could be called up for this Sunday’s opener against Green Bay at U.S. Bank Stadium.

“It is kind of funny to see that on the roster right now,’’ Smith said Monday about him and Harris being the only safeties on it. “I’m sure we’ll have a plan in place. We plan to play ever snap for the whole season anyway. That’s what you try to do, so there’s no added pressure. It’s the normal pressure.’’

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer shrugged off having any concern about lack of depth at safety.

“We’ll have a plan moving forward,’’ he said.

Zimmer wouldn’t give specifics. But he did say that some cornerbacks also could play safety if needed.

“That’s a possibility,’’ Zimmer said. “We’ve done it in the past with some guys. … The roster is still flexible, though. … I would anticipate some (roster moves).’’

The Vikings could add a safety. Last month, they worked out veterans George Iloka and Jahleel Addae and both remain free agents. Iloka played with the Vikings in 2018.

If Smith and Harris do play every snap Sunday, the Vikings might not have anything to worry about at safety. But cornerback could be another story going against Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The Vikings don’t have a cornerback on the roster older than 23. Expected to get the great bulk of the snaps will be Mike Hughes and Holton Hill, both third-year men, and rookies and .

On the first depth chart of the season, which came out Monday, Hughes and Hill were listed as the starters on the outside. When the Vikings go to a nickel defense, they could put Gladney at the slot or insert Dantzler on the outside and move Hughes to the slot.

Zimmer and Smith have been offering plenty of advice to the young corners. Zimmer said they’ve been shown some plays in which Rodgers has ”made some unbelievable, incredible throws.’’ Smith has mentioned the mobility of Rodgers.

“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 Vikings kept six cornerbacks on the roster, so there are plenty of guys for Zimmer to utilize. Also making it were second-year man Kris Boyd and rookie .

The Vikings also have plenty of defensive linemen (11) and wide receivers (seven) on the roster. However, two of the receivers, K.J. Osborn and Dan Chisena, were kept for special-teams purposes.

“I think we had some good receivers and some of the offensive linemen, those areas were tough,’’ Zimmer said of making cuts.

Alexander Hollins was the most notable receiver waived and guard Aviante Collins and center Brett Jones were surprise cuts on the offensive line. All three were signed to the practice squad, and could be candidates to see game action.

Due to new rules because of the coronavirus pandemic, a player can be called up to the roster up to two times this season and returned to the practice squad without going through waivers.

“It goes give you some flexibility, and I think it’s a good,’’ Zimmer said.

How much it might help at safety remains to be seen. The Vikings cut three safeties Saturday and only Mettelus, a sixth-round pick from Michigan, was signed to the practice squad.

Steven Parker did not get a spot and Myles Dorn, waived with an injury designation, was put on injured reserve. Practice-squad cornerback Nate Meadors also can play safety. PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 9/8/20

Mark Wilf doesn’t know if players will kneel during anthem but makes note of Vikings’ support for social justice

By Chris Tomasson

The Vikings have not had a player kneel during the national anthem since then-San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick became the first to do so in the NFL in 2016. It remains to be seen if that will change Sunday.

Vikings president Mark Wilf was asked during a conference call Monday if the Vikings are taking any specific stance on what players might do related to social justice before the opener against Green Bay at U.S. Bank Stadium. Wilf said he doesn’t know if any players will kneel but indicated there would be tolerance from the front office when it comes to social-justice issues.

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

The Vikings will play their first game since the death of George Floyd on May 25 while in the custody of Minneapolis police. After a scrimmage on Aug. 28, five days following the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wis., the Vikings had three players speak to the media about social-justice issues.

“We’ve worked for years now, with our players and with our coaches, to use the platform of the Vikings to make positive change in our society,’’ Wilf said. “This is not something that just happened given the horrible events of the past few months. This is something we’ve been working with for many, many years.’’

The Vikings are working now on a number of issues, including voter registration. Wilf said the Vikings offered the use of U.S. Bank Stadium as a polling place to the Minnesota Secretary of State but “the polling places had already been set for this cycle.”

Also Monday, Wilf reiterated how badly the Vikings want to win their first Super Bowl.

“Our expectations are always to win a Super Bowl championship,’’ he said. “That never changes. … Our goal is to get to the playoffs, achieve sustained success and keep knocking at the door, and eventually that door will come down.’’

Wilf reiterated his belief in general manager Rick Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer being the right pieces to get that done. Both had one year left on their contracts before receiving three-year extensions shortly after the start of training camp.

“It’s been a crazy time (with the coronavirus pandemic), but there was never any question in our mind,’’ Wilf said about getting the deals done.

The Vikings will not have any fans at their first two games due to the pandemic. Wilf said the team is continuing to work with government officials about a goal to “get fans back in the stadium” while having “safety and health in mind.’’

DOZIER TAKES OVER For the first time in his seven-year NFL career, is on track to be a regular starter.

Dozier will open the season as the starting left guard. In his previous six seasons, he started just 11 of the 54 games he played.

“I’ve had a great training camp,’’ said Dozier, who started four Minnesota games last season due to injuries. “It felt good. I’ve been battling with different guys but it’s felt good to have an opportunity to go out there and say that I’m capable of doing this.’’

BRIEFLY Star defensive end hasn’t practiced since Aug. 14 due to an undisclosed injury. Asked if he will practice this week and play against the Packers, Zimmer said, “Yeah, I expect so. We’ll just have to see.” There were no surprises on Minnesota’s first depth chart of the season. As expected, is listed as a starting wide receiver over rookie and rookie receiver K.J. Osborn as the first-team punt and kickoff returner. A source said receiver Alexander Hollins was dismayed at being cut but plans to use that as motivation while on the practice squad. “I think Hollins did a nice job,’’ Zimmer said. “I think he’s improved. Just because he’s not on the 53 now doesn’t mean he’s not going to play.’’

PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 9/8/20

Vikings’ Dan Chisena could have a fan in ex-NFL special-teams ace Steve Tasker

By Chris Tomasson

Steve Tasker doesn’t know much about Dan Chisena, but he soon hopes to learn plenty.

The speedy Chisena, listed as a wide receiver, made the Vikings’ roster primarily because of his ability on special teams. He has conjured up memories of Tasker, a special-teams ace who made seven Pro Bowls while playing in the NFL from 1985-97.

“I wish him the best,’’ Tasker said Monday. “I will take note of him. I always take note of guys that flash on special teams week in and week out. It’s fun to watch.’’

Meanwhile, Chisena might take note of Tasker, who made all his Pro Bowls while playing for the Buffalo Bills from 1986-97. Tasker also was listed as a wide receiver but caught just 51 passes in 13 NFL seasons.

“I’ve heard the name before,’’ said Chisena, an undrafted rookie from Penn State. “Not super familiar. But sounds like a great guy to cut up some film on.’’

Tasker played in four Super Bowls for the Bills, and provided them with a unique dimension with his ability to cover punts and kickoffs. That’s primarily what the Vikings are looking for out of Chisena.

“We feel like he’s got a chance to be a premier special-teams player,’’ said Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer. “So, hopefully he can get 20, 25 plays a game.’’

It is rare for an NFL team to keep a player on the roster for special-teams purposes who isn’t a kicker, punter, long snapper or returner. But Tasker said it’s something that makes sense.

“That’s good for him,’’ Tasker said. “It’s hard to make a roster as a rookie as a special-teams guy without being a skill guy.’’

With the Vikings wanting to take advantage of Chisena’s speed of 4.28 seconds in the 40-yard dash, he said he’s practicing as the gunner on the punt team. He was thrilled when he found out Saturday he had made the 53-man roster.

“I was blessed enough that coaches believed in me to make the 53, and now just get to work,’’ Chisena said. “Special teams is something that even back in college was really important to me and something I took a lot of pride in. I just tried to bring that here and take the same approach. I love it. It’s a big phase of the game and you can make an impact there.’’

Chisena ran track for much of his Penn State career before joining the football team for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. He was the only one of 12 undrafted free agents signed by the Vikings last April to make the 53-man roster.

For three practices last week, the Vikings actually moved Chisena to defensive back before was returned to wide receiver. For those practices, he was listed as a safety but Zimmer said he played cornerback.

“The more you can do, number of spots on game day, things like that,’’ Zimmer said of the maneuver.

So when was the last time Chisena had played defense?

“I think it was middle school,’’ he said. “So, it was a little different.’’

For now, it doesn’t matter much what Chisena’s listed position is since he’s expected to be a key contributor on special teams. But Tasker would love to see him also develop as a position player.

“There were a lot of years where I never even saw the field at all on offense,’’ Tasker said. “But I hope (Chisena) sets his sights higher than me.’’ PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 9/8/20

Vikings complete practice squad with LB Hardy Nickerson, DT Albert Huggins

By Chris Tomasson

The Vikings’ practice squad is complete.

The Vikings filled out the 16-man squad by agreeing to deals Monday with linebacker Hardy Nickerson and defensive tackle Albert Huggins.

The Vikings waived Nickerson on Sunday to make room for linebacker , an Eden Prairie native picked up off waivers from the New York Giants. Nickerson cleared waivers Monday.

“It was pretty disappointing (being waived), but it’s the nature of the business,” said Nickerson, entering his fourth NFL season. “I’m just happy to have an opportunity still here and just hopefully work towards getting back up to the 53.”

Huggins, who got into four games as a rookie last season with Philadelphia, worked out with the Vikings on Monday and agreed to a deal. He went undrafted in 2019 out of Clemson.

The Vikings announced Sunday that 13 players had been signed to the squad and source said that kicker Chase McLaughlin would be the 14th. McLaughlin was in the Twin Cities on Monday to finalize his deal.

PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 9/8/20

Remembering the first training camps as the Vikings turn 60

By Patrick Reusse

Minicamps were a concept a couple of decades in the future. Any football player that mentioned “OTA,” teammates would have figured his family was buying an appliance from Sears “on time.”

Getting ready for an NFL season in 1961 was based 100% on what took place in training camp. The 60th Vikings team was forced into an abbreviated camp by the coronavirus this year, but the expansion Vikings started practices in Bemidji on July 8 and did not pack up everything and bus the 240 miles back to the Twin Cities until Sept. 1.

The first five camps for the Vikings were held in Bemidji from 1961 to ’65, and the time frame was similar each year, with brief departures for exhibitions.

“We needed a long training camp — maybe not seven weeks, but long — because we had to get in shape,” said Jerry Reichow, a Vikings receiver from 1961 to ’64, and a super scout in various forms for the next 55 years. “We didn’t work out that much in offseason, because we were actually working. With the money we made in football, most of us had other jobs.”

A large percentage of tales from the five late summers in Bemidji revolve around coach Norm Van Brocklin — occasionally brilliant, more often tyrannical, abrasive when sober, worse when full of whiskey at Jack’s, located a few miles away in Wilton and the Dutchman’s main hangout.

Van Brocklin quarterbacked Philadelphia to an NFL title and was league MVP in 1960, then quit before his 35th birthday to become the Vikings coach and had autocratic personnel powers.

Reichow was a receiver for Van Brocklin with the 1960 Eagles. He wasn’t acquired by the Vikings until the week before the regular season opener and thus missed the first camp in Bemidji.

“I was there for the next one in 1962,” Reichow said. “It was brutal … the worst I ever was involved with, or that I’ve watched. Norm always believed in hitting for two hours in two practices daily, but that year was different.

“If you weren’t tough enough, leave … that seemed to be Norm’s attitude … and we had guys packing up and getting a ride out of Bemidji with frequency.”

JOHN CROFT, RPA - MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE Vikings fullback Bill Brown is tackled during a scrimmage in Bemidji during training camp in 1963. Jim Marshall, the ironman of the Vikings, came in from Cleveland in the last week before the 1961 opener. So, it was also 1962 when he received a first taste of a Van Brocklin training camp.

Reichow said Marshall “was our leader,” a quality also recognized by Van Brocklin.

“One year, at the start of camp, Norm gave me a list of players to ‘keep out of trouble,’ ” Marshall said. “I kept ’em out of trouble by doing my best to make sure nothing got back to Norm.”

Marshall laughed slightly during a Sunday conversation and said: “Van Brocklin would try to trick players into doing the wrong thing, so he could make it tougher for us in practice the next day.

“One day, Dutch called me in, gave me $250 and said, ‘Everybody’s been working hard; why don’t you take ’em out, buy the beer, have a good time?’ The Duchess was our place, and you could buy a lot of beer there for $250 in the early ’60s.

“Everybody got back by curfew, but full of alcohol. At 6:30 the next morning, Norm came walking down the hall, beating on a tin pan, saying, ‘Get up, you so-and-sos.’

“Quick breakfast, got us out of the field, had a bunch of baseball bats. You had to put your nose on that bat, spin around 10 times, then run 120 yards. And if you fell, you had to roll the rest of the way. Lots of people heaving, then rolling in it.”

Yet, through the Dutchman’s attempt to create Hades, the Vikings of yore recall fondly the welcome they always received in their summer home of Bemidji.

“They did a lot for us, including fish fries with endless, just-caught walleye,” Marshall said. “Fantastic.”

Of course, there were also the mosquitoes, when practicing down there by Lake Bemidji.

“They looked more like humming birds when they came swooping in,” Marshall said.

JOHN CROFT With Lake Bemidji in the background, Ed Leahy caught a pass during training camp in 1961. John Vinje, a retiree still appearing four days a week on the first tee at Bemidji Country Club, worked for equipment manager Stubby Eason starting as a 15-year-old. Eventually, he was in charge of newcomers serving as ball boys and equipment helpers.

“I had Greg Gagne one summer,” Vinje said. “He wanted to get out at night and see what temptations Bemidji had to offer for a teenager. I had to remind Greg frequently we had a curfew.”

Vinje recalled himself being the king of Bemidji’s teen world for a few hours one night, courtesy of Van Brocklin.

“We had a scrimmage in the main stadium and the ball was misplaced at the line of scrimmage,” Vinje said. “Norm didn’t like anything that he saw that afternoon and gave me a profane chewing out.

“Then, he told me to come up to his room after I got back to the dorm. I thought I was getting fired. No. Norm gave me a $20 bill, the keys to his Bonneville convertible — white with red interior — and said, ‘Be careful and get back by curfew.’ I was a hero that night, driving up and down what we called ‘The Loop.’ ”

Gerry Douglas, a young coach in the area, was taking summer classes toward a Master’s degree. He watched afternoon practices and got to know various players, including Tommy Mason, the NFL’s No. 1 draft choice for 1961 with the Vikings.

“A few of us were in the room, and Mason was on the phone; he said, ‘Why don’t you talk to this guy?’ and handed the phone to me,” Douglas said last week. “It was Ann-Margret. I was talking to Ann-Margret!

“After the call ended, Mason said, ‘She likes me.’ ”

The actress would have had to meet Mason at the Duchess, since the players were banned from Jack’s, the popular steakhouse. It was off-limits because Van Brocklin and his coaches drank there.

Which was just as well, since a notorious example of a liquored-up Van Brocklin took place at Jack’s on Aug. 3, 1963 (reviewed fully by the Bemidji Pioneer in 2011):

First, the Dutchman got into a verbal altercation with Bob Nelson, a former Bemidji State player, after the coach had been talking up Nelson’s wife, and then got into a physical altercation with Jim Klobuchar, the feisty Vikings beat reporter for the Minneapolis Tribune.

“That was oil and water, right there … Norm and Klobuchar,” Reichow said. “Klobby had a great way of placing an opinion in his articles that would greatly irritate Van Brocklin. I always kind of enjoyed that.”

Bemidji, too. Enjoyable, when the coach wasn’t scheming to get you to roll around in teammates’ spew. PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 9/8/20

Silence won't be golden in NFL stadiums this fall

By Chip Scoggins

Mike Zimmer didn’t give his standard public service announcement, the one in which he implores fans to be loud and rowdy Sunday to make life difficult on the opposing offense.

In non-pandemic years, Zimmer’s message gets displayed on the gigantic videoboard as the Vikings defense takes the field and the place goes bonkers. Scratch that ploy.

U.S. Bank Stadium will be fan-free at Sunday’s opener, so Aaron Rodgers and the offense won’t have to contend with Skol chants and silent counts.

The NFL is providing teams with pre-recorded crowd noise that must be set at 70 decibels, which is basically the equivalent a vacuum cleaner. If Vikings games previously sounded like a rock concert, now they will sound like a Kenmore.

“There is a heightened sense of adrenaline before those key downs when the crowd turns up the intensity. You can feel the offensive players’ sense of anxiety as they try to hear all the communication.” Ben Leber, former Vikings linebacker Is there even a such thing as home-field advantage this season?

“I’ll definitely miss the crowd noise, the Skol chant, everything that we do as the Vikings,” safety Harrison Smith said.

It’s going to be weird. Even weirder than the lack of crowd noise during MLB games, golf, tennis or any sporting event hosted inside a bubble.

No sport relies on fan noise to provide a competitive advantage as much as football. Home fans take delight in making it so obscenely loud that opponents cannot hear their quarterback’s calls. The 12th man isn’t just some cutesy term devoid of meaning. Crowd noise can impact games.

The loudest sporting event I’ve ever experienced was the 2009 NFC Championship Game at New Orleans. The Superdome noise was so powerful that my head felt like someone pounded a bass drum next to my ears for three consecutive hours.

The Vikings have long maintained a decisive home-field advantage, whether in the Metrodome or U.S. Bank Stadium, which ranks as one of the NFL’s loudest stadiums. The ringing in my head after games usually takes until the next morning to dissipate.

Decibel readings at Vikings home games routinely hit 115 on critical third-down situations. The spontaneous roar on Stefon Diggs’ miracle touchdown in the playoff game sounded like a Blue Angels jet taking off in your backyard.

Deafening noise has an undeniable effect. We’ve all seen quarterbacks look flustered as they frantically call for the ball to be snapped before the play clock expires. The Metrodome produced some of the highest number of false start penalties in the NFL for opponents.

“From a defensive standpoint, the home crowd noise was a huge advantage,” former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber said in a text message. “There is a heightened sense of adrenaline before those key downs when the crowd turns up the intensity. You can feel the offensive players’ sense of anxiety as they try to hear all the communication.”

Hearing calls won’t be a problem now, which Leber believes might create a unique perspective for road teams.

“I do think smart quarterbacks are going to pick up on defensive audibles much more often, as these calls are usually one-word orders,” he said. “And because the defensive linemen talk about which stunt/twist they want to run, the offensive line may start to hear those calls as well.”

Jared Allen used to feast on left tackles who had to operate by silent count in the Metrodome noise. His pass rush was like a 5-yard dash in which one runner gets a split-second head start.

“As a defensive line, it’s going to stink because when the offensive line has to look in at the ball [to see the snap] it gives you an advantage on the get off,” Allen texted Monday. “Now that won’t be happening.”

That works both ways, of course. The Vikings schedule takes them to two of the loudest venues in the NFL — Seattle and New Orleans. But their offense will catch a break with CenturyLink Field empty in Week 5 and the Superdome unlikely to be near capacity on Christmas.

Only a handful of teams are planning to allow fans at the start of the season, though at much reduced capacity. The Vikings are hopeful to have a percentage of fans in the building at some point.

A Vikings-Packers game unplugged will be odd. Rodgers won’t need to cup his hands over his helmet in order to hear play calls from the sideline. A silent count won’t be necessary. Piped-in noise will be more background ambiance than disruptive.

I’ll miss the postgame headache. PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 9/8/20

Dan Chisena's speed and versatility win him a spot on Vikings' roster

By Andrew Krammer and Mark Craig

When was the last time Dan Chisena — the talented but raw former Penn State track runner who was the only undrafted rookie to make the Vikings’ initial 53-man roster — played defense before his three-day experiment in training camp?

“I think it was middle school,” Chisena said Monday via videoconference. “So, it was a little different.”

Days before last weekend’s roster cuts, Vikings coaches told Chisena, who played 14 games as a receiver after rejoining Penn State’s football team, he’d be switching to safety. But because of the communication responsibilities at safety, they moved him to corner for three practices.

That idea was quickly shelved, and the Vikings instead made Chisena the seventh receiver on the active roster last weekend.

What the Vikings know is Chisena’s speed helped make him a standout special teams player in limited college experience, and changing positions was a matter of seeing what else he could do with the roster spot.

“We feel like he’s got a chance to be a premier special teams player,” coach Mike Zimmer said. “So, hopefully he can get 20-25 plays a game.”

Chisena has been working as a gunner on coverage teams, where there is an opening after some special teams contributors left in free agency. Chisena, a Downingtown, Pa., native, first walked on as a Penn State football player in 2015 and only switched to track because that’s where he got a scholarship (and NCAA rules prohibited from playing both).

Outrunning the competition is his game.

“You just kind of get to play with your hair on fire and scream down there and try to contain the returner,” Chisena said of playing gunner. “I really enjoy that role.”

Week 1 starter at last

The Vikings’ new-look offensive line, with Pat Elflein moved to right guard and Dakota Dozier as the new left guard, is “starting to settle in,” Zimmer said, as Sunday’s opener against the Packers approaches.

Dozier, before now a career backup with 11 spot starts, will be a Week 1 starter for the first time in his seventh NFL season. In his only start at left guard last year for the Vikings, he helped rush for a career-high 154 yards at Green Bay in Week 2.

He’s “playing with much more power,” said Zimmer, which Dozier credited to the most unusual of offseasons.

“This offseason was totally different for everybody, but I had the opportunity to really focus my body and take care of my nutrition,” he said. “Focus on training more. Had an opportunity to train here at a local gym, and really felt it benefited my body. I think that’s shown on the field.”

‘Just normal pressure’

Safety Harrison Smith said it’s “kind of funny” to look at a roster with no backup safeties, but Zimmer is expecting more roster shuffling this week before the first game.

“We plan to play every snap for the whole season, anyway,” Smith said. “That’s what you try to do. So, there’s no added pressure. It’s just normal pressure.”

The Vikings do have second-year safety Nate Meadors and rookie Josh Metellus on the practice squad, and rules for the 2020 season allow them to be promoted twice for nonconsecutive game days without having to be signed to the active roster.

“Technically, you can have more guys active on the gameday roster,” Zimmer said. “It does give you some flexibility and I think it’s a good thing.”

‘A chance to play’

The Vikings’ strategy at quarterback has been altered by the coronavirus pandemic, Zimmer confirmed. The team is keeping four passers in the fold, with and Sean Mannion on the active roster and and as emergency options on the practice squad.

“It’s hard to get an evaluation with the quarterbacks when they haven’t really played any games,” Zimmer said. “They showed us some good things in practice. We like Browning a lot. So, I think it’s another chance to keep an extra guy if something did happen with the virus, you’ve got a chance to play the game.” PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 9/8/20

Wilf happy with Vikings' body of work under Zimmer and Spielman

By Ben Goessling

Speaking to reporters for the first time since the Vikings gave three-year contract extensions to general manager Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer at the beginning of training camp, co-owner Mark Wilf cited the pair’s “body of work” as a chief reason ownership chose to extend their contracts for the third time since 2014.

The Vikings are 57-38-1 since Spielman led the search to hire Zimmer in 2014, posting the NFL’s seventh-best win percentage (. 598) in that time. Mike Tice, Brad Childress and Leslie Frazier combined for a 69-74-1 mark (19th-best in the league with a .483 win percentage) during the Wilfs’ first nine seasons of ownership.

Minnesota won two division titles with Childress and claimed a wild-card berth with Frazier, going 1-3 in the playoffs under both men. The Zimmer/Spielman pairing has also produced two division titles and a wild-card berth, to go with a 2-3 playoff record.

The Vikings haven’t won fewer than seven games under Zimmer and have posted a losing record only once, after the final four years under Childress and Frazier produced seasons of six, three and five wins (along with a 10-win season in 2012).

While playoff success factored into the decision, Wilf said, “I’m not going to get into a litmus test: ‘If you win this game, then that happens.’ It’s a body of work, it’s a team composite of how we’ve done as a whole.

“If you look over the Coach Zimmer years and Rick Spielman years, there’s been a definite uptick in terms of continued success, continued knocking on the door. And I think players around the league and coaches around the league recognize that, and that’s kind of how we go about it.”

With Zimmer and Spielman headed into contract years in 2020 and rumors swirling about the coach’s future in the run-up to the team’s wild-card playoff game in New Orleans, Wilf issued a statement two days before the game, saying the team had “every intent” of keeping the coach and GM together for the foreseeable future.

Zimmer said in July that negotiations on a new deal between new chief operating officer Andrew Miller and Zimmer’s agent Marvin Demoff took longer than he expected.

Wilf pointed to the coronavirus outbreak, and the resulting economic downfall, as reasons for the delay in getting contracts done, but said “there was never any question in our mind” about doing the deals.

“We’re very confident in our football organization, even though we had the challenges we’ve all had [with COVID-19]. We’re no different as a club and as a business,” Wilf said. “We got the job done on that front, and we’re very excited about the future of the Vikings.”

The Wilfs head into their 16th season as Vikings owners this fall; the team has reached the NFC Championship Game twice in that time, but enters its 60th season still looking for its first Super Bowl trip since after the 1976 season.

“You have to balance the fact that you want to have stability in an organization, you want to make sure that the systems are in place, the comfort level is in place, but everybody knows you’re only judged by your wins and losses,” Wilf said. “That’s a fine line we judge every day, like I said. We took a look in this offseason, and I said early on in the offseason, we feel really good about the football organization we have in place, that they can get the job done. Right now that’s where we’re at.

“Again, as ownership you balance those things, but to be knee-jerk and to be too impulsive — our goal is to get to the playoffs, achieve sustained success and keep knocking at the door, and eventually that door will come down. I think we’ve proven over these past few years that our football success has improved, but again, we know what our ultimate goal is. But you can’t get to that goal unless you’re consistently strong, consistently in the playoffs, consistently winning divisions, and those are our goals to leap off and eventually get to the championship.”

Wilf said U.S. Bank Stadium was offered to the Secretary of State’s office as a polling place for the 2020 election, but locations had already been determined by that point.

After a summer of unrest in Minneapolis over George Floyd’s killing in police custody and in Wisconsin over Jacob Blake’s shooting by police, Wilf said he was unsure if any Vikings players would kneel during the national anthem on Sunday. But he added, “We’ve been consistent in supporting our players’ right to peacefully bring awareness to issues that are important to them.” He also pointed to the work the team’s social justice committee has done over the past three years.

“This is not something that just happened given the horrible events of the past few months,” he said. “This is something we’ve been working with for many, many years, and we are going to continue to do.”

PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 9/8/20

A look back at Vikings home openers at the start of decades

By Jeff Day

The Vikings begin their 60th season Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium against the Packers. Here is how they have started the previous six decades at home:

1961: The Vikings’ first home opener took place at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington on Sept. 17, 1961. The team had lost all of its preseason games, but that didn’t matter as the Vikings crushed the Bears 37-13 behind rookie quarterback Fran Tarkenton’s four touchdown passes.

Star Tribune staff writer Robert T. Smith took his 9-year-old son Timothy to the first professional football game in Minnesota. When asked if he knew what Vikings were, Timothy told his father, “They’re those guys who came from Norway and were always fighting a lot. They worshiped some false god named Odin or somethin’.” The Vikings finished 3-11 in their inaugural season.

How’d the decade go?

Record: 52-67-7, .440 • Playoff record: 2-2 • Super Bowl appearances: 1

1970: One of the most anticipated home openers in Vikings history was Sept. 20, 1970, against the Kansas City Chiefs — a rematch of the previous season’s Super Bowl, which Kansas City had won 23-7 just eight months prior. This game was personal for a lot of the Vikings players and coaches, and it showed in a 27-10 victory.

Bud Grant told Sid Hartman after the game, “They’ve been shoving it down our throats for eight months. What can you say when you get beat? It’s sour grapes then. But today we proved that the defense of the 1960s can beat the offense of the 1970s.”

The Vikings finished the 1970 season 12-2, one of the best teams in franchise history, but lost 17-14 to the 49ers at home in the first round of the playoffs.

How’d the decade go?

Record: 99-41-2, .704 • Playoff record: 7-8 • Super Bowl appearances: 3

1980: The Vikings’ home opener against the Atlanta Falcons in 1980 was as up-and-down as the decade was for the franchise. They took a 21-6 lead before falling behind 23-21 and eventually winning 24-23 on a last-second field goal by Rick Danmeier. Tommy Kramer threw a career-high 395 yards and broke that mark in Week 15 when he threw for 456 yards against the Browns. The Vikings got into the playoffs at 9-7 under Bud Grant, but lost in the divisional round at Philadelphia.

How’d the decade go?

Record: 77-75 (. 507) • Playoffs: 4-5 • Super Bowl appearances: 0

1990: A decade later and Kramer was still playing, only this time for the Saints, whom the Vikings trounced 32-3 at the Metrodome to move to 1-1 on the season and win their 13th straight home opener. Kramer was the backup for New Orleans while Wade Wilson was the Vikings starter. Tribune columnist Dan Barreiro said it was bizarre to see not only Kramer, but Vikings backup Rich Gannon, get more support from the home crowd than Wilson.

“My confidence is fine,” Wilson told reporters after the game. “I’m sick and tired of hearing about my confidence. My confidence isn’t building or diminishing.”

Gannon took over as starter in Week 4. The Vikings finished 6-10 and missed the playoffs for the first time in three years.

How’d the decade go?

Record: 95-65, .594 • Playoff record: 3-8 • Super Bowl appearances: 0

2000: A new decade brought a new quarterback as coach Dennis Green rebuilt the team around 1999 first-round draft pick Daunte Culpepper. In his first start, a come-from-behind 30-27 win over the Bears on Sept. 3, Culpepper set a franchise record with three rushing TDs, all in the second half.

Columnist Patrick Reusse wrote that he had watched a unique quarterback in football history: “Daunte Culpepper made his debut as the Vikings’ starting quarterback Sunday and he demonstrated what all quarterbacks might look like in the future. The distant future. For now, Culpepper is one of a kind.”

The Vikings finished 11-5 as Culpepper led the NFC with 33 touchdown passes. But the lasting memory from this season for most Vikings fans is a 41-0 loss in the NFC Championship Game to the New York Giants.

How’d the decade go?

Record: 84-76, .525 • Playoff record: 3-4 • Super Bowl appearances: 0

2010: Coming off one of the most heartbreaking losses in Vikings history, the 2009 NFC Championship Game against the Saints, the team brought everyone back, including quarterback Brett Favre, for an encore. Their home opening 14-10 loss to the Dolphins featured three Favre and dropped them to 0-2.

“He’s a free-wheeler,” coach Brad Childress told Tribune staff writer Judd Zulgad. “Typically he’s shooting it, and you want him to keep shooting it.”

Favre finished his final NFL season with 11 touchdowns against 19 interceptions as the Vikings went 6-10.

How’d the decade go?

81-77-2, .513 • Playoff record: 2-4 • Super Bowl appearances: 0

PUBLICATION: The Athletic DATE: 9/8/20

As the roster gets re-tooled, Super Bowl remains the focus for Vikings owners

By Chad Graff

Mark Wilf paused at what was laid before him on a Labor Day morning chat with reporters. He’s talked since he purchased the Vikings of bringing a Super Bowl to Minnesota. He’s noted dozens of times before, and again on Monday that “our expectations are always to win a Super Bowl championship. That never changes.”

So the question was re-phrased. Everyone knows the goal. But how patient are the Wilfs going to be as the team seeks that ambitious target?

It had already been an interesting offseason where that theme was paramount. The Vikings were blown out by the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs in a contest that showed they weren’t among the league’s elite. They watched most of the defensive stalwarts that they thought opened a Super Bowl window depart in free agency. Then the team didn’t extend the contracts of Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman until the end of July, waiting long enough that Zimmer grew frustrated by the slow-moving talks. It seemed ownership, too, was grappling with the question.

How patient can you be when results, while mostly positive, also show that you’re not on the precipice of the ultimate goal?

“That’s a good question,” Wilf finally said with a smile.

He talked about wanting to avoid being too knee-jerk or too impulsive. He feels it’s important to take a step back after the emotional season and let things settle. Sure, it was easy to be disappointed by the way last season ended in San Francisco. But he felt the Vikings gave themselves a chance. Those close to the Wilfs have long said they envision building the Vikings the way the Pittsburgh Steelers have. They don’t want to change coaches often. And they want to consistently be in the playoff mix.

“You have to balance the fact that you want to have stability in an organization, you want to make sure that the systems are in place, the comfort level is in place, but everybody knows you’re only judged by your wins and losses,” Wilf said. “That’s a fine line we judge every day. We took a look this offseason, and we feel really good about the football organization we have in place, that they can get the job done.

“Right now, that’s where we’re at. Again, as ownership you balance those things, but (you don’t want) to be knee-jerk and to be too impulsive — our goal is to get to the playoffs, achieve sustained success, and keep knocking at the door, and eventually, that door will come down.”

Whether that plan brings Minnesota its first Super Bowl remains to be seen. But it’s also a clear admission that the Vikings are — and will continue — avoiding a rebuild. They lost six defensive starters, but the mandate from the top (and one Zimmer agrees with) is that they aren’t going to tank to re-stock the cupboards.

The modern path most teams follow in chasing a Super Bowl is to build a decent roster at the important positions (left tackle, cornerback, wide receiver, pass rusher), then nab a top-10 pick and hope you hit on a first-round quarterback who can deliver success while still on his cheap rookie contract.

But the Vikings are going about this a different way. They signed an expensive quarterback in free agency, then extended Kirk Cousins after his first two years in Minnesota. Wilf has heard the criticism about Cousins. But he also feels that Cousins improved a year ago and answered the biggest questions surrounding his game.

“Certainly from my seat and our seat as ownership, the step he took last year, some big wins during the season, the playoff win, and just on and off the field, he’s a real pro — someone I think our fans can feel really good that he’s in the quarterback position, that leadership position,” Wilf said. “Just couldn’t be prouder.”

Vikings under Mike Zimmer, since 2015 Vikings 50-29-1 1,841 1,505 336 NFL rank T-5th 14th 2nd 5th Of course, seeking a Super Bowl isn’t the lone task of ownership this year, which also looks to navigate a full season amid a global pandemic. The Wilfs have gained influence around the league in recent years and have had discussions with fellow owners about what protocols they expect as questions swirl surrounding whether fans will be allowed at games.

The Vikings have already said fans won’t be allowed at the first two home games of the season, but Wilf seemed optimistic that fans may be welcomed later in the season even though the state of Minnesota doesn’t currently allow indoor gatherings of more than 250 people.

“We have a real thorough, comprehensive plan to get fans back in the stadium,” Wilf said. “That’s important for us to try to do that. We’re working with all the government officials — state and local — to try to make that happen. As we announced, initially there will not be fans, but we know that’s not just important for our team, but for our fans. But we want to do everything with safety and health in mind. That’s what we’re guided by, that’s the reality we’re in, and that’s how we’ll go about it. But we do have a plan in place, and that is our goal, to get fans back into the stadium.”

First and foremost, though, is the product on the field. Wilf didn’t expand on his expectations for this season beyond stating his usual line about wanting a Super Bowl.

How they’ll try to achieve that goal became clearer Monday. Wilf wants the Vikings in the playoffs each year even if it’s in a wild card position. And then, the thinking goes, anything can happen.

“You can’t get to that goal unless you’re consistently strong, consistently in the playoffs, consistently winning divisions,” Wilf said. “Those are our goals to leap off and eventually get to the championship.” PUBLICATION: SKOR North DATE: 9/8/20

Three NFC North topics: Unsettled at QB in Chicago; an unsettled QB in Green Bay; a familiar face in Detroit

By Judd Zulgad

The Vikings will open the regular season on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium and then won’t play another NFC North rival until Nov. 1 when they travel to Lambeau Field. That means the Vikings will play five divisional games in the final 10 weeks of the season.

Much will change between now and then but here is one thought on each of the Vikings’ three division foes.

CHICAGO

The Vikings will face the Bears in Weeks 10 and 15, with the first meeting being a Monday night game at Soldier Field. The question is who will be the Bears quarterback by that point? And, honestly, with the way the Vikings play at Soldier Field will it even matter? (The Bears have won eight of the past 10 meetings at Soldier Field.)

Mitchell Trubisky, who did not have his fifth-year option picked up by the Bears, beat out Nick Foles for the job in training camp after Chicago acquired Foles from Jacksonville for a draft pick in March. The second-overall pick in the 2017 draft, Trubisky has been an enormous disappointment and his presence is a constant reminder that the Bears passed on Patrick Mahomes (10th pick by Kansas City) and (12th pick by Houston).

So when Foles was acquired it seemed like he would have the advantage in the quarterback competition. The question is whether the Bears really believe Trubisky can grab the spot long term, or if they are just giving him one final chance in order to try to save face before turning to Foles. If the latter is true, it won’t be surprising if Foles is the starter by the time the Bears play host to the Vikings.

DETROIT

Adrian Peterson is back in the NFC North after bouncing from New Orleans to Arizona to Washington following 10 seasons as a Viking. Peterson always will be remembered as a Viking — he’s the leading rusher in franchise history — and he will one day go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame based on what he did in purple.

But the 35-year-old Peterson’s continued pursuit of the all-time NFL rushing title — he is fifth on the list with 14,216 yards — means he won’t retire until no team and will take him and the Lions are the latest club to welcome him to their roster. Darrell Bevell, who was Peterson’s offensive coordinator when he arrived in Minnesota, now holds the same job in Detroit.

Peterson signed on Monday and you can bet he already has circled Nov. 8 and Jan. 3 on his calendar. Those are the dates on which the Lions will play the Vikings, the first being at U.S. Bank Stadium and the second being the regular- season finale in Detroit.

It’s no sure thing that Peterson will last the entire season on the Lions’ roster — the Saints traded him after four games in 2017 and he only lasted six games with Arizona. But if Peterson is still with the Lions for both games against Minnesota, there is no question he will be out to prove something to his former coach, Mike Zimmer, and the Vikings’ defense.

Unfortunately for Peterson, at this point in his career that desire might not make a difference.

GREEN BAY

This might be the most interesting thing to watch in the division based on what happened during the offseason. Aaron Rodgers is in no immediate jeopardy of losing his job to first-round pick Jordan Love. In fact, Tim Boyle will remain the Packers’ No. 2 quarterback to open the season. But Rodgers isn’t going to be thrilled that the Packers and coach Matt LaFleur drafted his successor with the 26th pick, when they could have addressed a big-time need at wide receiver.

Rodgers now knows how Brett Favre felt when Green Bay grabbed Rodgers with the 24th pick in the 2005 draft. The difference was that Rodgers had to sit behind Favre until finally getting his chance to take over in 2008. It’s highly unlikely the Packers are going to do that again, considering one of the most important things about drafting a quarterback is giving him plenty of time to play while he’s on his rookie contract. That creates room for teams to make all types of moves under the salary cap and can either end up looking either genius or idiotic, depending on how the young quarterback peforms.

So when is the 36-year-old Rodgers going to be done in Green Bay? Let’s just say the clock is ticking and Rodgers knows that. Short term that could be bad news for a team like the Vikings, considering Rodgers will be looking to show that he still has his fastball. Of course, potential friction between Rodgers and LaFleur would not be a bad thing for Minnesota, or any other NFC North foe. And if the Packers do move on from Rodgers to Love sooner rather than later, it could mean a run of greatness that began in 1992 with Favre, and continues to this day, finally will be coming to an end. PUBLICATION: SKOR North DATE: 9/8/20

A wild ride: Projection has Vikings getting off to a great start but then fans had better buckle up

By Judd Zulgad

The Vikings will get off to a fantastic start this season, go through a rocky stretch and finish the regular season on a winning streak to capture the NFC North title. That’s how ESPN forecasts things in the one of the 20,000 simulations it ran of the entire NFL schedule with its Football Power Index projection system.

The author of the piece for ESPN.com, Seth Walder, explains that a lot goes into the projections, including expected starting quarterback, past performance, returning starters and projected win totals. That then provides a strength rating for all 32 teams that help to predict outcomes for the entire schedule. In this case, ESPN took one of those simulations and played out the result across every game for 2020.

The simulation for the Vikings has them beating Green Bay, 16-8, in their opener at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday and following with victories over Indianapolis, Tennessee, Houston and Seattle. That means the Vikings would win three of their first five games on the road, including winning at Seattle. The Vikings have lost six in a row to the Seahawks and have not won in Seattle since 2006. Minnesota has dropped its past four games at CenturyLink Field.

The Vikings also will score 142 points in those five games as Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook, and others will be more than making up for the loss of wide receiver Stefon Diggs. At least for a while.

Unfortunately for the Vikings, that hot start will be followed by a stretch in which they lose three in a row and four of five games. Their first defeat of the season will be an upset loss to Atlanta (17-3) at U.S. Bank Stadium. Following the bye week, the Vikings will lose 27-24 at Lambeau Field and 31-24 against Detroit in downtown Minneapolis. The Week 8 loss to Green Bay will put the Vikings and Packers at 5-2 and the Lions at 4-3.

The Vikings will break their skid with a rare victory in Chicago by winning 26-23. That’s a big deal because it’s the Vikings’ only scheduled Monday night appearance of the season and quarterback Kirk Cousins enters 2020 with a career record of 0-9 on Monday Night Football.

The Vikings, however, will then return home and get blown out by Dallas, 45-12, and be sitting at 6-4. What will have turned into a roller-coaster ride of a year won’t be done as the Vikings beat Teddy Bridgewater and the Carolina Panthers, 16-6, in Week 12 but then get upset by the Jacksonville Jaguars, 37-24, the next week at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Considering that Mike Zimmer’s teams have had some clunkers against AFC teams at home since the Vikings moved into U.S. Bank Stadium, this scenario seems pretty realistic.

This leaves the Vikings at 7-5 with four games left in the season and fighting for the NFC North title. Tom Brady and the Buccaneers will make life tougher for the Vikings with a 29-23 victory in Week 14, but this is where the Vikings bounce back.

A 17-6 win over Chicago at home will be followed by a 27-10 victory at New Orleans on Christmas Day and finally a 48-25 revenge win against the Lions in Week 17 at Ford Field. The ESPN projection actually believes the Lions will take the NFC North lead in Week 14 by beating Green Bay, but Dalvin Cook will rush for 72 yards in Minnesota’s win over the Bears and the Vikings will clinch the division in New Orleans.

The Vikings 10-6 record will put them ahead of Detroit (7-8-1), Chicago (7-9) and Green Bay (7-9). Minnesota will play host to Tampa Bay in the wild card round. So will they be too much for Brady? Nope. The projection has the Vikings’ season ending with a 10-9 loss to the Buccaneers. No Minneapolis Miracle this time, but certainly plenty of drama given the ups-and-downs that are forecast.

PUBLICATION: Purple Insider 9/8/20

The Vikings are well equipped to run (and stop) the NFL's most dangerous route

By Matthew Coller

Around the NFL, the Minnesota Vikings do not often get mentioned in the conversation for most forward-thinking team on offense.

Their reputation for having an antiquated scheme comes largely from head coach Mike Zimmer’s commitment to the run game in a league that has been steadily increasing in pass volume and efficiency. In 2018, Zimmer’s appreciation for the ground game came under scrutiny when he made public comments about the offense’s lack of rushing success. He eventually fired offensive coordinator John DeFilippo and turned things over to up-and-comer Kevin Stefanski. With the first-time OC operating the Gary Kubiak scheme (with Kubiak on the staff), the Vikings had the third highest rate of run plays at just over 50%.

But the Vikings run-pass ration doesn’t exactly confirm that they are behind the times.

The Vikings run a similar offensive scheme to the San Francisco 49ers (who were second in rush rate). When the Vikings use a fullback, it’s 1990s football. When the 49ers use one, it’s the creative genius of Kyle Shanahan.

Former offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur put it this way:

"I was telling our guys, having been up there for two years and coached with Zim, I know their mindset. I know how they function," Shurmur said. "This is an old-school team. They have a progressive mindset, certainly, but they're old school.”

That’s probably the most accurate characterization of the Vikings’ offense. While it isn’t cutting edge on everything — they run too often on second-and-10 and should use more motion — some of the Vikings’ old school concepts have shown to have a high rate of success by the modern data.

Perhaps the best example is their use of deep crossing routes.

It’s a route combination that has been around forever but its usage against modern defenses is highly effective.

Pro Football Focus’s Seth Galina wrote about crossing routes earlier this offseason (and joined the Purple Insider podcast to discuss the increase in crossers). This chart from his article shows the steady jump in usage in crossers league wide:

*(Graphic via PFF)

Galina explained that they are a response to the league shifting to cover-1 defenses (one deep safety) to copycat the dominant Seattle Seahawks teams of the early-to-mid 2010s.

Mike Zimmer explained during a Zoom conference call during training camp.

“When there's single-high safety, guys are having to run all the way across the formation or linebackers are going to have to get depth,” Zimmer said. “It creates problems for the defense.”

Galina wrote that 76% of all deep crossing routes are thrown against single-high safety defenses.

The versatility of crossing routes is valuable. Offenses have what they call “man beaters” and “zone beaters,” which are designed specifically to attack certain coverages. Crossers can beat both.

“If it's man coverage, you're running away from them a long way away, so that can create a problem,” Zimmer said. “If it's zone coverage you've got to make sure -- because typically when you've got an over route you've also got some kind of deep post with it so you're going to have to…be able to pass all those zones and make sure you can get a defender underneath the first over route.”

Here is an example used by the 49ers against the Vikings in the NFC Divisional playoff game. We see the Vikings in a single-high safety coverage and the 49ers run a play-action, which brings linebacker Anthony Barr up toward the line of scrimmage. He has to stop and “robot” around, identify the route combination and get depth in order to challenge the throw.

Barr plays this perfectly and the 49ers still complete the pass for a big gain. As an aside, the Vikings have argued for years that Barr’s value is understated by Pro Football Focus and traditional numbers like sacks and interceptions because of plays like this. It takes quick processing and intelligence to read the route and unique athleticism to chase it down.

Notice only two receivers go out for a pattern on the play. Co-defensive coordinator Adam Zimmer said extra blockers make it particularly difficult to pressure the quarterback despite the extra time needed from snap to throw.

“They’re blocking up with seven or eight offensive linemen and tight ends and running backs, so the quarterback has a lot of time to throw and the receivers have a lot of time to run on safeties and corners,” Adam said. “Having the linebackers be able to bust out and get underneath some of those routes is critical in today’s game.”

He added that plays like deep crossers influence the type of linebackers the Vikings target in the draft.

“We were talking during the draft about what we want in an linebacker – we want athletic linebackers who can run, because there’s no two-down Mike linebacker anymore where you’re just running down to the A-gap and you’re taking on a fullback all the time,” Adam said.

Per Galina’s article, the Vikings pair deep crossers with play-action 83% of the time. This is another modern angle as the NFL has gone to a vast increase in play-action, discovering that quarterbacks simply perform better with the benefit of a play-fake. Kirk Cousins had a 129.2 rating when using play-action last season.

Here’s an example from Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons in which the play-action gives Cousins time to set his feet and deliver a perfectly accurate pass to Stefon Diggs running the crosser. The Falcons’ linebacker gets depth, just as Barr did, but still can’t get there in time with a good throw.

Here’s what the play looks like on paper.

One thing to notice is that the Vikings give a run blocking look. All the linemen block as if it’s a run to the right and tight end Kyle Rudolph comes under the formation to seal off the backside. Atlanta’s linebackers are confused from the play-fake and then scramble to find who’s going out on a pattern.

The non-crossing receiver (Adam Thielen in the clip above) almost always runs something deep to clear out for the deep cross. That pattern is usually game-planned specifically toward that week’s opponent.

For example, in Week 2 the Vikings sent Stefon Diggs on a deep post with Thielen running underneath. When the safety played ’s crosser, Cousins went over the top for a touchdown.

This play also included an underneath route by Thielen that gives Cousins an option if the Packers switched up the coverage at the last second. The running back and tight end both stay in to block, giving Cousins places to throw at all three levels and seven blockers.

“[Crossing routes] put a lot of pressure on not just the guys deep but the guys underneath to kind of get underneath some of those routes and lift the ball a little bit so it's not necessarily in a dead area,” Anthony Harris said. “There's a ton of different aspects and different wrinkles that offenses try to put in there each year or week to week to try to keep the defense on its toes, so that's something that as a defensive player you have to be aware of.”

While the Vikings were highly successful on crossing routes, they weren’t perfect. Cousins tried to hit on the same exact read against Green Bay in Week 16 and threw an .

Part of the miscue was on the throw, which is supposed to stay toward the left hash, and the other part was the Packers’ cornerback recognized what was coming after seeing the safety play the underneath route.

“There’s a lot of technique that goes into it,” Galina said. “There’s all these sharks in the middle of the field and landmines you have to go around. Underneath this guy, above this guy but at the end of the day you need to get across the field.”

Receiver Bisi Johnson said a key part of the technique can be disguising breaks off the line.

“The biggest thing is just selling the run,” Johnson said. “You want to keep your routes disguised, so it’s always setting it up off something else we do in our offense, whether that’s run blocking or another route we run a similar way. That’s definitely the hardest part. I feel like I see some of these young guys and they want to get open and get open. But in order to get open, you really have to sell different parts of our offense. That’s the hardest part.”

It gives you an idea of how much goes on within a single play.

But Gary Kubiak has a way of being able to explain things in the very digestible terms.

“Giving people with ability and speed a chance to run and run away from people,” Kubiak said. “Trying to create mismatches, from that standpoint, I think has kind of always been part of the game.”

So while one of the key concepts of the Vikings’ offense is old school and doesn’t seem to have any secret recipes from the offensive coordinator, the team’s usage of deep crossers keeps them ahead of defensive advancements.

Kubiak probably doesn’t care whether the league thinks it’s modern as long as it works.

*Bobby Peters contributed to this article with his offensive expertise. His books breaking down offenses around the NFL are an invaluable resource*

PUBLICATION: ESPN DATE: 9/8/20

Minnesota Vikings' $1 million social justice push kicks off

By Courtney Cronin

EAGAN, Minn. -- Three months after Minnesota Vikings ownership pledged $5 million for social justice causes throughout the United States in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, the team's social justice committee will announce on Tuesday nearly $1 million to go toward the launch and expansion of multiple initiatives throughout the Twin Cities.

The Vikings created the George Floyd Legacy Scholarship with a $125,000 endowment to benefit Black graduating seniors in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Mimi Kol-Balfour, the inaugural recipient, was awarded the scholarship last week in a meeting with Vikings co-owner/team president Mark Wilf, general manager Rick Spielman and members of the social justice committee. Kol-Balfour, a graduate of Southwest High School in Minneapolis, begins online classes at Barnard College on Tuesday and will explore a blended economics/political science degree with a minor in African studies.

"We want to have an impact and some hope that we're on the road towards a better future," Wilf said. "What better way could you have it than giving a scholarship to someone? We need our young people. They're going to be part of developing a better future and education is always the key; to turn what happened to George Floyd and all the other tragedies towards a positive where we can support the education of young people."

Kol-Balfour submitted an essay detailing a plan to fight injustices in her community where she discussed her research on the discrepancies of marginalized groups. Her primary area of focus was on voter ethics and the micro- issues that impact voter participation and access.

That's a cause being championed by the Vikings' social justice committee. Together with the Minnesota Secretary of State's office and Rock the Vote, the Vikings are using their platform to encourage fan voter registration (with a separate goal of having 100% of the organization registered to vote in the November election), are donating $20,000 in personal protective equipment for local polling workers and have launched a PSA campaign called "Be The Change," focused on voter education.

"It's not necessarily to persuade anyone to vote a certain way, it's just to be active in your community," linebacker said. "This is a small step we can all take to take action and sometimes we just give up that right. It's important that we understand that we've got to be involved in the process, especially if we're going to make a change, it's important that we take action in the process and things that we can get done in order for us to have an opinion on things."

The Vikings also offered U.S. Bank Stadium to the Secretary of State's office as a polling location for the November election, but local polling places had already been set for this cycle, according to Wilf.

Running back is a front-facing figure in the Vikings' campaign. Using his personal experiences, Mattison puts a focus on local elections and seeing change in one's direct community.

"I was at a point in my life where I felt that my vote, my voice didn't really matter or didn't make as much of a difference," Mattison said. "I think it's important for us to stress the issue and let people know that change starts with you and we all have to be able to open ourselves up to accept that our voices do matter, our opinions and our votes do matter.

"We want to directly impact something that's right here, next door, in the backyard rather than looking at something that's a big, big picture. We know that the bigger picture has smaller details. We're just trying to be a part of being the change in those details."

Other areas of focus for the social justice committee's funds are expanding statewide educational curriculum on racism and Black history and law enforcement and criminal justice reform.

The Vikings will further their commitment to AllSquare, a local nonprofit that invests in professional development of formerly incarcerated individuals; host a series of conversations with Minnesota high school athletic programs to address issues of race and injustice; continue their involvement with the Hennepin and Ramsey County Juvenile Detention Centers with weekly virtual meetings; and focus efforts into the integration of Black history into mainstream U.S. history and courses devoted to the African American experience.

"I think a lot of times our history just starts at slavery or starts at Jim Crow and it's very dark," running back said. "The African American history is very dark up until the '60s if we're being honest. But there's definitely crevasses of life that shine bright between the emancipation up until now that aren't typically taught in the curriculum in our standard education here in America that I think are important lessons."

Minnesota has partnered with Everfi for the past four years, a digital curriculum on African American history, and implemented a statewide mandate that all employees must enroll in the 306 Black History curriculum to understand African American history and its role in systemic racism. In 2020, the Vikings will expand the curriculum from 12 to 24 Minnesota schools and reach thousands of students.

The team will also continue its partnership with Project Success, a Minneapolis-based organization focused on helping kids develop life skills, support and confidence so they are more successful and engaged during high school and more prepared for life after graduation.

Minnesota partnered with Project Success in 2019 to take 50 students of color from Minneapolis to Washington, D.C., for a special experience that included a visit to the National Museum of African American History & Culture. The trip will be conducted virtually this fall. PUBLICATION: ESPN DATE: 9/8/20

Minnesota Vikings 2020 season preview: Can retooled defense be elite again?

By Courtney Cronin

The Minnesota Vikings are ranked No. 13 in ESPN's Football Power Index ahead of the 2020 NFL season. With no preseason games this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, Week 1 is the first time we'll see new acquisitions and rookies for every team.

Here's everything you need to know about the Vikings heading into the season, from the big question to answer and the toughest stretch on their schedule to a bold prediction and potential breakout fantasy football stars.

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Full schedule | Roster | Depth chart

The big question: Is the Vikings' defense back? Minnesota still had a host of stars on the defensive side of the ball, despite losing nine players, including five starters, in free agency. Then the Vikings added defensive end Yannick Ngakoue via trade with the Jaguars to boost their pass rush, which underwent major changes this offseason. Now a unit with the likes of Harrison Smith, Anthony Harris, Eric Kendricks, Anthony Barr and Danielle Hunter is back to elite status. Those stars will be relied on to bring along a young group of cornerbacks and elevate the play around them. Ngakoue joins a Vikings defense that ranked top-10 in defensive efficiency each of the past five seasons. Can this unit be a top-10 defense yet again, despite a reboot at several positions? -- Courtney Cronin

How the pandemic has affected the Vikings 2020 NFL Season Preview

• One-stop shop: Guides for every team » • Simulating all 269 games: Projections » • The NFL's 40 most compelling people » • NFL Rank: The top 100 players » More NFL coverage »

Minnesota lost its biggest free-agent acquisition when nose tackle Michael Pierce opted out of the 2020 season because of respiratory concerns. The Vikings also didn't have time for the anticipated "wide-open" competition at both interior spots on the offensive line. They instead decided to move Pat Elflein to right guard and had Dakota Dozier and Aviante Collins battle for the left guard spot. Even though Minnesota drafted 15 rookies, the majority might not have an opportunity to contribute right away (such as second-round OL ) because of the team's need to prioritize getting veterans up to speed first. -- Cronin

Football Power Index projections for the Vikings Overall ranking: 13 Offensive ranking: 11 Defensive ranking: 11 Special-teams ranking: 26

Total wins: 8.6 NFC North title chances: 38.2% Chances to make playoffs: 54.5% Super Bowl chances: 2.1% 2021 draft pick: No. 21

Inside the Vikings' schedule FPI's strength of schedule rank: 24

Toughest stretch: All three of Minnesota's prime-time games happen away from U.S. Bank Stadium (Seattle, Chicago, New Orleans), but the Vikings' hardest stretch comes at the beginning of the season. Zimmer's young cornerbacks won't have much time to ease into the first five weeks, when the defense will run into Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers, Deshaun Watson, Ryan Tannehill and Russell Wilson. Four of the Vikings' first five opponents went to the playoffs in 2019.

Over or under 8.6 wins? Over. The NFC North is up for grabs one season after 10 wins separated first and last place in the division. The Vikings are banking on offensive continuity led by Dalvin Cook, a dominant run game and all the weapons (Adam Thielen, Justin Jefferson, Kyle Rudolph, Irv Smith Jr.) around quarterback Kirk Cousins. If the defense is further along than expected for a unit with this much turnover, the Vikings could surpass the over by two or three games on the way to back-to-back trips to the postseason. -- Cronin

Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson figures to make an impact as a rookie, but how soon can the team count on him? Hannah Foslien/Getty Images Bold prediction for 2020: Justin Jefferson will have as close to a Randy Moss-level rookie season as any receiver has had. A scorching-hot prediction would have Jefferson surpassing Moss' 69 receptions for 1,317 yards and 17 touchdowns as a rookie in 1998. But given how often the Vikings execute two-receiver sets and that Jefferson is behind Bisi Johnson as the No. 2 receiver, it's likely that he'll gradually come along before being worked into the game plan regularly. By midseason, the former LSU star will hover around the 35-catch mark. By season's end, he'll cross the 1,000-yard threshold and cement himself with one of the best rookie receiver seasons in recent memory. -- Cronin

Breakout fantasy star: Justin Jefferson, WR Minnesota traded No. 2 WR Stefon Diggs during the offseason and used the compensation to select his de facto replacement, Jefferson, in the first round of April's draft. The LSU product is a near lock for a sizable role as a rookie, with the likes of Bisi Johnson and Tajae Sharpe his top competition for snaps behind Adam Thielen. Minnesota's run- heavy offense might limit his upside, but an every-down role would be enough to put Jefferson in the weekly flex discussion. -- Mike Clay

ADP for the top players:

Create or join a league today >> Cheat Sheet Central >> Dalvin Cook, RB: 5.7

Adam Thielen, WR: 30.1

Alexander Mattison, RB: 136.0

Justin Jefferson, WR: 142.5

Defense: 149.7

Kirk Cousins, QB: 164.4

Kyle Rudolph, TE: 167.8

The view from Vegas Super Bowl odds: 28-1 (opened 30-1) Over/under: 9 Playoff odds: Yes -125, No +105

The Vikings went 10-6 (9-7 ATS) in 2019, beating their projected win total by one game. Nine games went over the total for Minnesota, which beat the Saints in overtime in the wild-card round and fell to the 49ers in the divisional round. -- ESPN Chalk staff

Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill as of Sept. 1.

Where the Vikings landed in NFL Rank No. 41: Dalvin Cook, RB

No. 55: Danielle Hunter, DE

No. 62: Harrison Smith, S

No. 68: Yannick Ngakoue, DE

No. 80: Adam Thielen, WR

No. 82: Kirk Cousins, QB

No. 96: Eric Kendricks, LB

Speed reads before Week 1 Cronin: Jefferson has look of a star, but he might have to wait

Cronin: What to expect from Cousins, Vikings' offense with Kubiak calling plays

McShay: Jefferson among rookies with star potential

Fowler: Chances Vikings, other teams return to playoffs in 2020

Fowler: Two Vikings linemen among most underrated players, say NFL execs

PUBLICATION: Associated Press DATE: 9/8/20

Vikings choose rookie Chisena for speed on special teams

By Dave Campbell

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Dan Chisena was the only undrafted rookie the Minnesota Vikings kept on their initial active roster for the regular season.

The former Penn State track star was simply too fast to let slip away.

The Vikings have six other wide receivers in front of Chisena on their depth chart, so he’s unlikely to see much if any time with the offense this year. There’s no guarantee how long he’ll stay with the team, either, particularly in this pandemic-altered season.

The 6-foot-3, 202-pound Chisena was deemed worthy of a spot for now, though, because of the impact he can make on special teams coverage units with his speed, toughness and instinct.

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“I just tried to embrace that and put as much into that as I was into offense,” said Chisena, who even spent a few days last week practicing at cornerback so the coaches could gauge his potential there in the attempt to find a place for him on the roster.

“We feel like he’s got a chance to be a premier special teams player,” coach Mike Zimmer said. “So hopefully he can get 20 or 25 plays a game.”

Chisena came to Penn State with the plan to be a two-sport athlete, but the NCAA doesn’t allow football participation as a walk-on while also receiving a scholarship in another sport. So he hung up the helmet for two years to focus on track and help his family financially.

He missed football too much, though, having started in the sport in third grade. His parents unhesitatingly agreed to help pay for school after giving up his scholarship, a decision to return to his first love for the 2018 and 2019 seasons triggered in part by a junior-year injury in track.

Chisena was clocked in the 40-yard dash at 4.32 seconds during the pre-draft preparation process, a not insignificant reason why the Vikings signed him this spring.

“God opens up some amazing doors,” Chisena said on Monday in a video conference with reporters.

One reason why Chisena was given a look as a defensive back was a lack of depth at safety, but Zimmer downplayed that on Monday and said more roster shuffling this week was likely in advance of the season opener on Sunday against Green Bay. He also noted that a safety on the practice squad could be promoted for the game, or that a cornerback could play there in a pinch, like Terence Newman did for the Vikings a few years ago.

The Vikings claimed linebacker Ryan Connelly off waivers from the New York Giants, who drafted the native of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and product of Wisconsin in the fifth round in 2019. They began the week with three empty spots on their practice squad.

Connelly started three games for the Giants last year before a season-ending knee injury. He had 20 tackles, one sack and two interceptions in four games.

PUBLICATION: Maven Media DATE: 9/8/20

Analysis of the Vikings' First Unofficial Depth Chart of 2020

By Will Ragatz

The Vikings have released their first unofficial depth chart of the 2020 season ahead of a huge divisional matchup against the Packers on Sunday.

If you've been following my articles throughout training camp, there shouldn't be anything here that comes as much of a surprise. Let's run through the team's depth chart, and I'll give my thoughts and observations at the end.

Quarterback

Starter: Kirk Cousins

Backup: Sean Mannion

Running back

Starter: Dalvin Cook

Backup: Alexander Mattison

Third-string: Ameer Abdullah

Other: Mike Boone

Fullback

Starter: C.J. Ham

Wide receiver

Starters: Adam Thielen, Bisi Johnson

Backups: Justin Jefferson, Tajae Sharpe

Third-string: Chad Beebe, Dan Chisena

Other: K.J. Osborn

Tight end

Starter: Kyle Rudolph

Backup: Irv Smith Jr.

Third-string:

Offensive line

Starters (left to right): Riley Reiff, Dakota Dozier, , Pat Elflein, Brian O'Neill

Backups (left to right, no backup center): , Ezra Cleveland, ,

Defensive end

Starters: Danielle Hunter (LE), Yannick Ngakoue (RE)

Backups: (LE), Ifeadi Odenigbo (RE)

Third-string: Eddie Yarbrough (LE), D.J. Wonnum (RE)

Defensive tackle

Starters: Shamar Stephen (NT), Jaleel Johnson (3T)

Backups: (NT), Hercules Mata'afa (3T)

Third-string: James Lynch (3T)

Linebacker

Starters: Anthony Barr (SLB), Eric Kendricks (MLB), Eric Wilson (WLB)

Backups: (MLB), Ryan Connelly (WLB)

Safety

Starters: Harrison Smith (SS), Anthony Harris (FS)

Backups: None

Cornerback

Starters: Mike Hughes (LCB), Holton Hill (RCB)

Backups: Cameron Dantzler (LCB), Jeff Gladney (RCB)

Third-string: Harrison Hand (LCB), Kris Boyd (RCB)

Special teams

Kicker: Dan Bailey

Punter/Holder:

Long snapper: Austin Cutting

Kick returner starter: K.J. Osborn

Kick returner backup: Ameer Abdullah

Punt returner starter: K.J. Osborn

Punt returner backups: Chad Beebe, Mike Hughes

Offensive Takeaways Abdullah being listed above Boone as the No. 3 running back is interesting to me because I thought Boone had a much better camp. But we saw last year that if Cook and Mattison stay healthy, Abdullah is the one who will receive a few snaps on passing downs as the third option. If one of Cook or Mattison go down, I bet it would once again be Boone, not Abdullah, who would take the lion's share of that player's carries. People who haven't followed the team during training camp might be surprised to see Bisi Johnson listed as the starting WR2 over Jefferson, but that was entirely expected. Johnson had a fantastic camp and refused to give up that job. The question becomes whether or not he holds onto it all season. Jefferson should be in line for most of the snaps when the team goes to three-receiver sets. Rudolph is listed as the starting tight end, but I'd expect him and Smith to split playing time pretty evenly. Plus, there will be plenty of times when Ham isn't on the field and both tight ends are out there. I've been saying for a while that I think Smith will be playing more than Rudolph by mid-season, though the veteran will remain an important weapon in the red zone. No surprises on the offensive line. The team doesn't currently have a backup center on the 53-man roster, but Brett Jones could easily be called up from the practice squad if something happens to Bradbury. The big question here is whether or not Cleveland and Samia will get chances at guard if Dozier and Elflein struggle, and how long it would take for that to happen.

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Defensive Takeaways While Holmes is listed as the backup at left defensive end, I'd expect Odenigbo to step into that role if Hunter can't play on Sunday. Hopefully, we won't have to find out. Mike Zimmer said on Monday that he thinks Hunter will be ready to play. “Yeah, I expect so," he said. "We’ll just have to see.” Similarly, if Jaleel Johnson were to miss time at the three-technique spot, I think Watts would step up for the early- down work instead of Mata'afa. It'll be interesting to see what Zimmer and Andre Patterson do with the rotation at defensive tackle. Will it be Watts and Mata'afa on passing downs, or could Odenigbo and/or Holmes do some interior rushing? One of the obvious surprises from the initial 53-man roster announced on Saturday was the lack of any backup safeties. I wonder if we'll see the team make a move to add a safety this week, or if they might wait until after Week 1 so they don't have to guarantee a veteran's salary. Perhaps Josh Metellus or Nate Meadors will be one of the two extra players activated for this weekend's game (teams can have 55 players on the active roster this year, with 48 actually active for a specific game). Wilson is listed as a starter, but he's not going to play as much as the team's No. 3 cornerback. Especially against a team like the Packers, the Vikings are going to be in nickel defense a lot. I think that third corner will be Dantzler, not Gladney, with Hughes moving into the slot and Hill/Dantzler as the two boundary corners.

Special teams takeaway It's official: Osborn will be returning kickoff and punts in his first NFL game. Let's see if he can break off a highlight play in his debut. PUBLICATION: Maven Media DATE: 9/8/20

Vikings Add Chase McLaughlin, Albert Huggins to Practice Squad

By Will Ragatz

The Vikings announced that 13 players had been signed to their practice squad on Sunday, with all of them being guys who had spent training camp in Minnesota and were cut by the team on Saturday. Another player was added Monday in linebacker Hardy Nickerson Jr., who was waived to make room for Ryan Connelly.

In addition to that group of 14, the team has also brought in two players from outside the organization to round out the practice squad: kicker Chase McLaughlin and defensive tackle Albert Huggins.

McLaughlin joining the Vikings' practice squad was first reported by Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal on Sunday. During three years as the kicker at Illinois, he made 44 of 59 field goals – including 20 of 25 as a senior – and went 79 for 79 on extra points. He made five kicks of 50-plus yards. McLaughlin went undrafted in 2019 and spent time with five different NFL teams during his rookie season.

After going undrafted, McLaughlin was initially signed by the Bills. He was waived during roster cuts and then spent a week or so on the Vikings' practice squad. McLaughlin was an injury replacement for the Chargers, 49ers, and Colts during the season. In total, he went 18 for 23 on field goals (5 for 10 in the 40-49 range but 3 for 3 from 50 yards or more). He didn't miss an extra point.

McLaughlin remained with the Colts in training camp this year, but was waived on Saturday. The Vikings' familiarity with him led them to pick him up as their backup kicker. He'll be on the practice squad and will be ready in case anything happens to Dan Bailey.

The newest addition to the Vikings' practice squad is Huggins, according to KSTP's Darren Wolfson.

Huggins was a top-100 recruit in the class of 2015 who chose Clemson over Alabama, Georgia, and other powerhouse programs. However, he never became more than a rotational player for the Tigers, backing up at nose tackle for several years. Huggins finished his college career with 69 tackles, 13 TFLs, 7.5 sacks, and an interception.

Like McLaughlin, he has bounced around like crazy since his NFL career began. Huggins was originally a UDFA pickup by the Texans and began the year on their practice squad. Then he was picked up by the Eagles and appeared in four regular season games, playing 44 defensive snaps. Then a stint with the Patriots that last less than a week in December 2019.

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Huggins then went back to the Eagles, which is where he began training camp this year. After being waived, he made a second stint with the Texans in camp. Then he was with the Lions for the first week of September. Now he's in Minnesota, which is his seventh different stint with an NFL team in the last 16 months.

The Vikings must be hoping that defensive line coaches Andre Patterson and Imarjaye Albury can get more out of Huggins than any of his past teams did. He clearly has some projectable talent, or else he wouldn't keep getting a new job in the NFL. The 6'3", 305-pounder just has to put it together. He's a very strong guy, having done 35 bench press reps at the 2019 combine, and could be an interesting backup nose tackle in the best-case scenario.

It's notable that the Vikings brought Huggins in for the practice squad instead of keeping UDFA rookie David Moa, who they got a long look at in camp.

All 16 practice squad spots are currently filled. PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 9/8/20

Vikings Release 1st Unofficial Depth Chart of 2020 Season

By Eric Smith

EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings have released their first unofficial depth chart of the 2020 season.

Minnesota opens Week 1 with a home game against Green Bay, in the 120th overall meeting between the division rivals.

For reference, the Vikings offense is listed in "21 personnel" with two backs (a running back and fullback) and a tight end. That leaves two spots at receiver, along with a quarterback and the offensive line.

The Vikings defense, meanwhile, features starters in a base 4-3 scheme, which includes four linemen, three linebackers, two cornerbacks and two safeties.

Vikings 2020 Roster in Photos View photos of the Vikings 53-man roster as of September 6, 2020.

Here's a look at the Vikings unofficial starters ahead of Week 1:

OFFENSE (26 players listed as they appear on the unofficial depth chart)

Quarterback

Starter: Kirk Cousins

Backup: Sean Mannion

Running back

Starter: Dalvin Cook

Backups: Alexander Mattison, Ameer Abdullah, Mike Boone

Fullback

Starter: C.J. Ham

Wide receiver

Starters: Adam Thielen and Bisi Johnson

Backups: Justin Jefferson, Tajaé Sharpe, Chad Beebe, Dan Chisena and K.J. Osborn

Tight end

Starter: Kyle Rudolph

Backups: Irv Smith, Jr. and Tyler Conklin

Offensive line

Starters: Riley Reiff, Dakota Dozier, Garrett Bradbury, Pat Elflein and Brian O'Neill

Backups: Rashod Hill, Ezra Cleveland, Dru Samia and Oli Udoh

Roster notes: All 11 listed starters were on the Vikings in 2019. Dozier won the starting left guard job in camp, beating out Aviante Collins, who is on the practice squad. Minnesota has five offensive starters who have made at least one Pro Bowl in their careers: Cousins, Cook, Ham, Thielen and Rudolph. Johnson is the starter at wide receiver opposite Thielen, but Jefferson is expected to be a contributor as a first-round rookie.

DEFENSE (24 players listed as they appear on the unofficial depth chart)

Defensive end

Starters: Danielle Hunter and Yannick Ngakoue

Backups: Ifeadi Odenigbo, Jalyn Holmes, Eddie Yarbrough and D.J. Wonnum

Defensive tackle

Starters: Shamar Stephen and Jaleel Johnson

Backups: Armon Watts, Hercules Mata'afa and James Lynch

Linebacker

Starters: Anthony Barr (SLB), Eric Kendricks (MLB) and Eric Wilson (WLB)

Backups: Troy Dye and Ryan Connelly

Cornerback

Starters: Mike Hughes and Holton Hill

Backups: Jeff Gladney, Cameron Dantzler, Kris Boyd and Harrison Hand

Safety

Starters: Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris

Roster notes: The Vikings defense will begin the 2020 season with a mix of established veterans and exciting fresh faces. Hunter, Stephen, Barr, Kendricks, Smith and Harris have all played at least five seasons for Mike Zimmer. Ngakoue is among the newest Vikings, but he is a former Pro Bowl selection with 37.5 career sacks and 14 total forced . The cornerbacks are young — none are over the age of 23 — but offer plenty of potential. Zimmer said Monday the Vikings could add safety depth behind the league's top duo of Smith and Harris.

SPECIAL TEAMS (3 players)

Kicker

Dan Bailey

Punter/holder

Britton Colquitt

Long snapper

Austin Cutting

Kick returner

Starter: K.J. Osborn

Backup: Abdullah

Punt returner

Starter: K.J. Osborn

Backups: Beebe and Hughes

Roster notes: Minnesota's trio of specialists are all back from a season ago, when they formed one of the smoothest kicking operations in the league. Bailey ended the regular season and playoffs with 22 straight successful field goals. Colquitt had a gross average of 45.2 yards on 59 punts with no touchbacks and set the Vikings single-season record for net average at 42.6. Cutting was efficient and reliable as a rookie. Osborn, a fifth-round rookie, is listed as both the kick and punt returner after a strong camp. He returned 16 punts for 255 yards (15.9 average) and 10 kickoffs for 201 yards (20.1 average) in his senior season at Miami. PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 9/8/20

After Beating Odds, Chisena Ready for Special Opportunity

By Lindsey Young

EAGAN, Minn. – In college, Dan Chisena made a difficult decision and received full encouragement from his parents, Dave and Jody.

So when Chisena made the Vikings 53-man roster after Saturday's reductions, sharing the news with his parents was that much more rewarding.

"They were really happy. They support me so much and love me so much, and I'm super thankful for them," Chisena said.

The 23-year-old initially joined the Vikings as an undrafted free agent – and a speedy one, at that.

Starting one's NFL career as an undrafted free agent is a steep hill to climb out of the gate. But combine that with a COVID-19 pandemic that drastically altered the offseason program and canceled all preseason games? It's fair to say the odds were stacked against Chisena.

But then again, this isn't the first time Chisena made an impression as the underdog.

Chisena joined Penn State's football team as a walk-on freshman and redshirted that 2015 season. He soon was forced to choose between track and football, though, when the Nittany Lions offered him a track scholarship – which would be nullified if he played both sports.

Vikings 2020 Roster in Photos View photos of the Vikings 53-man roster as of September 6, 2020.

Chisena stepped away from football and ran track for two seasons. But he couldn't shake how much he missed the gridiron.

So in 2018, he approached Penn State Head Coach James Franklin about re-joining the team and was "welcomed back with open arms." By donning a football jersey again, though, Chisena effectively walked away from his scholarship.

His parents never questioned that decision.

"They were the ones who initially sacrificed for me to walk-on in the first place," Chisena said. "And then I had a track scholarship, and talking to them about wanting to play football again … it wasn't even a second thought for them. They just wanted me to chase my dream and go after it."

Chisena's time in Minnesota thus far has been brief but already a bit of a roller coaster. After joining the Vikings as a receiver and spending the majority of the offseason there, coaches asked Chisena to switch positions – and jersey numbers – and try his hand at defensive back.

The last time he played defense?

"Probably middle school," he laughed.

"They initially told me they were going to move me to safety. But then I ended up practicing at corner for those three days because safeties make a lot of calls and stuff and they just wanted to get me out there and let me play," he explained.

Zimmer on The Current 53-Man Roster and Expected Changes Moving Forward, Plan at Safety, Early Look At Green Bay, More As noted above, the experiment was short-lived.

It did, however, demonstrate to the Vikings coaching staff that Chisena is ready and willing to contribute in whatever way possible.

Chisena is one of seven receivers currently on Minnesota's roster, and it's clear that his main role will be on special teams, which he is leaning into whole-heartedly.

"Special teams is something that even back in college was really important to me and something I took a lot of pride in," he said. "I just tried to bring that here and take the same approach. I love it. It's a big phase of the game, and you can make an impact there. So I just tried to embrace that and put as much into that as I was into offense."

Chisena isn't a returner, but he'll be able to use his speed as a gunner on punt team, a role he also played at Penn State.

"I've felt comfortable with it in the past, and I'm just trying to use the techniques [Special Teams Coordinator Marwan Maalouf] has been teaching me," Chisena said. "It's a position where you just kind of get to play with your hair on fire, scream down there and try to contain the returner.

"I've really enjoyed that role, and if I end up playing it this weekend and moving forward, I'll embrace it and try to do that for the team," he added.

Reflecting back over his first NFL training camp, Chisena said it was a "fun" experience he didn't take for granted. With the Vikings set to open their season against the Packers Sunday, he hopes to make the most of the chance he's been given.

"I was super appreciative just to have the opportunity. My mentality was just to take it one day at a time and do everything to the best of my ability, work hard," Chisena said. "Whatever was out of my control, 'Don't worry about that.' Just focus on what my job was.

"Saturday came around, and I was blessed enough that the coaches believed in me to make the 53," he added.

PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 9/8/20

Presser Points: Zimmer Explains Tough Roster Decisions, Safety Depth

By Eric Smith

EAGAN, Minn. – It's the first Monday of the 2020 regular season, and the Vikings currently have 53 players on their roster.

But Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer said that group might be tweaked as the week rolls along.

"I would anticipate some, yeah," Zimmer said when asked about making any additional roster moves.

The Vikings will open the 2020 season Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium against the Packers. Kickoff is at noon (CT).

Minnesota trimmed its roster over the weekend to get to 53 players and then made an additional move Sunday by adding linebacker Ryan Connelly, who is a native of Eden Prairie.

Zimmer expanded on the roster moves, saying the toughest choices were at wide receiver and the offensive line. Minnesota kept nine offensive linemen, along with seven wide receivers, the most on its initial 53-man roster since Zimmer arrived in 2014.

"I think we had some good receivers and some of the offensive linemen, those areas were tough," Zimmer said. "Probably those two positions specifically."

Zimmer was later asked about wide receiver Alexander Hollins, who is one of 13 players on the practice squad.

"Yeah, I think Hollins did a nice job. I think he's improved," Zimmer said. "Just because he's not on the 53 now doesn't mean he's not going to play."

Practice squad maximums were initially set to expand to 12 players from 10 under the Collective Bargaining Agreement reached between the NFL and NFL Players Association in March. That limit was increased to 16 in an effort to add depth within a team's organization in case players test positive before games.

Zimmer noted that the expanded size and tweaked regulations will help the Vikings in 2020.

"I do think it helps. Technically, you can have four guys active on the game-day roster," Zimmer said. "You can only do it twice for each player. It does give you some flexibility and I think it's a good thing."

Vikings 2020 Roster in Photos View photos of the Vikings 53-man roster as of September 6, 2020.

Here are four other topics Zimmer discussed Monday:

1. Depth at safety

The Vikings have just two safeties listed on the 53-man roster. And while those two players are Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris, Zimmer said the Vikings could add to that position going forward.

"We'll have a plan moving forward," Zimmer said.

He also noted that some cornerbacks on the roster could slide over and play safety if needed. In recent years, former Viking Terence Newman filled that role.

"That's a possibility. We've done it in the past with some guys. Terence Newman's done it," Zimmer said. "When I was in Cincinnati, we had another player do it. That's part of it. The roster is still flexible, though. We'll move things around."

2020 Season Predictions: Vikings Record, NFC North Champion, Super Bowl Participants and More 2. Impact of no fans

The Vikings recently announced they will not have fans for their first two home games in September against the Packers and Titans, respectively.

Zimmer said that while the team will miss the energy and excitement from the 66,000-plus at U.S. Bank Stadium, it will be up to players and coaches to still find a way to get the job done on Sunday.

"Well, I do think not having our fans there is hard. All these other teams that don't have fans there, it'll be hard for them, too," Zimmer said. "We are one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL, so it adds to how we've played at home because of them.

"At the end of the day, it's going to be strange, it's going to be odd. But we have to go out — you know, it's like going out for a practice [with no fans]," Zimmer added. "You've got to go out and do your best, perform your best and execute the best."

2020 Schedule in Photos View photos of the Vikings 2020 schedule in photos including all opponents for the regular season.

3. An update on the defensive ends

The Vikings might boast the league's top duo at defensive end, as Minnesota features a pair of Pro Bowlers in Danielle Hunter and Yannick Ngakoue.

Zimmer provided an update on each of them Monday, beginning with Hunter, who missed almost the entirety of training camp.

"Yeah, I expect so. We'll just have to see," Zimmer said when asked if Hunter will practice and play this week against Green Bay.

Hunter has recorded 5.5 career sacks against the Packers.

Ngakoue, meanwhile, has been a Viking for a week after coming over in a trade with the Jaguars.

Zimmer said the 25-year-old with 37.5 career sacks is doing all he can to get ready for his first game in Purple.

"He's been very, very receptive," Zimmer said. "He's been staying long at night trying to catch up on all the different calls and defensive plays and things like that. He's been really good."

Vikings Roster Reaction and Analysis: Ben Leber 4. Advice for young corners vs. Rodgers

The opposing quarterback in Sunday's game has 174 career starts, going 113-60-1 in those contests. He has also thrown for 46,964 yards with 364 touchdowns and 84 interceptions, and has a Super Bowl title to go along with a pair of NFL MVP awards and eight Pro Bowls.

Yeah, Aaron Rodgers is legit.

Minnesota's cornerbacks will have their hands full Sunday, as a talented but inexperienced group takes the field.

The Vikings have six cornerbacks on the roster in Mike Hughes, Holton Hill, Jeff Gladney, Cameron Dantzler, Kris Boyd and Harrison Hand.

That group has 44 combined starts and three combined interceptions, and every player is 23 years old or younger. Gladney, Dantzler and Hand are rookies.

Zimmer was asked what advice he would offer that group against a future Hall of Famer.

"Well, we've showed them a few plays where he's made some unbelievable, incredible throws," Zimmer said. "If you're not tight on this guy, you're looking to make a tackle as opposed to getting the ball out." PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 9/8/20

Lunchbreak: 53 Roster Takeaways by The Athletic Includes Notes on 7 WRs

By Lindsey Young

The Vikings regular-season roster is – mostly – set with under a week to go until their season opener against the Packers Sunday.

Chad Graff of The Athletic reviewed each player on Minnesota's 53-man roster, rolling out 53 takeaways.

Graff offered thoughts on each of the seven wide receivers currently on the Vikings roster, starting with Adam Thielen. Graff wrote:

For the first time since he became a starter, Thielen doesn't have Stefon Diggs opposite him. How does it change things now that he's the for-sure go-to guy? The bet here is that he bounces back from an injury-riddled season with around 1,200 receiving yards.

Graff wrote that Bisi Johnson took "another big step" during training camp and that first-round pick Justin Jefferson made "highlight-worthy" grabs in his first NFL practices. He noted that fifth-round pick K.J. Osborn will likely primarily contribute on special teams but "did enough" as a receiver to solidify a spot on the roster.

[Chad Beebe's] issue has never been creating space. It's rather remarkable, actually, how easily he's able to shake free from defenders and find an opening, especially on third down. But until he shows that he can limit his drops and stay healthy for a full season, there will be questions.

Graff said that Dan Chisena, who made the team as an undrafted free agent and may be the speediest guy on the roster, "clearly made a big impression in a short period" of time.

And former Titans receiver Tajaé Sharpe is looking to capitalize on a "fresh start" in Minnesota.

Below are additional takeaways Graff offered for various Vikings:

T Oli Udoh

The seventh-round pick from a year ago has had a rather quick and impressive rise. The Vikings kept him off the practice squad a year ago for fear that they may lose him to another team, then watched him play well enough with the second-team offense in camp that they didn't need to move Ezra Cleveland to tackle. He's still No. 4 on the offensive tackle depth chart, but there's reason to have optimism about his trajectory.

DE Yannick Ngakoue

The newest acquisition doesn't have long to learn the system. But he excels at one thing — rushing the passer. Even if the Vikings have traditionally asked their ends to play the run well, too, they can just turn Ngakoue loose, especially on third down. It'll be fun to see what Zimmer does to really take advantage of Ngakoue's skills.

LB Troy Dye

It seemed a bit of a surprising pick in April when the Vikings selected the Oregon product in the fourth round. But it looks like a prudent selection now for a team without much depth there. Dye got ample work in training camp, perhaps more than any other rookie thanks to a roster with few linebackers, and showcased an ability to play well in coverage.

CB Cam Dantzler

No defensive player stood out as much in training camp as Dantzler. He made several big plays and had a stretch of practices that made him the talk of the team. He's not as consistent as you'd like, but that's typical of a rookie. It seems he has a very bright future that likely includes a role this season.

2020 Season Predictions: Vikings Record, NFC North Champion, Super Bowl Participants and More Roster cut takeaways include Vikings safeties group

On Saturday, all NFL teams reduced their rosters to 53 players.

The Vikings announced their initial roster moves, and then on Sunday they added linebacker Ryan Connelly and waived Hardy Nickerson.

Worth noting on the Vikings roster is that, as it stands now, Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris are the team's only safeties. It's almost certain that Minnesota will add to the group in the near future, but to say that depth is a current concern would be an understatement.

In his "32 takeaways" after roster cut-downs, CBS Sports' R.J. White highlighted the Vikings safeties, saying that "health is critical" for the position group. White wrote:

The Vikings decided not to keep anyone behind their starting pair of safeties, with 2020 sixth-round pick Josh Metellus, UDFA Myles Dorn and Steven Parker among the team's cuts on Saturday. That means Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris, who are both excellent players, are going to be playing as many snaps as they can handle. Receiver Dan Chisena has also spent a little time at the safety position in camp, so he could help in a pinch, but we should expect Minnesota to find a more suitable backup plan for Smith and Harris before game day.

In roster moves announced Sunday, Dorn was added to the Injured Reserve list, and Metellus was signed to the Vikings practice squad. PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 9/8/20

Mark Wilf Outlines 2020 Vikings Goals Reiterates Confidence in Spielman, Zimmer & Cousins

By Lindsey Young

EAGAN, Minn. – The landscape and logistics of the 2020 NFL season have changed, but the Vikings expectations have not.

Vikings Owner/President Mark Wilf addressed members of the media via video conference Monday morning and was asked about his outlook for the 2020 campaign. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic creating a number of hurdles, including a drastically altered offseason program and Minnesota opening its season with no fans at U.S. Bank Stadium, Wilf emphasized that the team's goals remain the same.

"Our expectations are always to win a Super Bowl championship – that never changes," Wilf said. "We know as ownership and as stewards of a great franchise, and we know what our fans want, and I know that's how [Head Coach Mike Zimmer] and [General Manager] Rick Spielman and the entire football organization are striving for every day.

"[We're] really excited about the moves we made in free agency and the draft," he continued, "[and] this week we're just focusing on a really challenging team, the Green Bay Packers, and opening our season at home with a victory, hopefully."

Wilf was later asked about his level of patience in the quest for a Lombardi Trophy.

He noted that it's something ownership is constantly weighing but that they've been pleased overall with the team's progress in the Zimmer era (2014-present).

"You have to balance the fact that you want to have stability in an organization, you want to make sure that the systems are in place, the comfort level is in place, but everybody knows you're only judged by your wins and losses," Wilf said. "That's a fine line we judge every day. We took a look in this offseason, and I said early on in the offseason, we feel really good about the football organization we have in place, that they can get the job done. Right now that's where we're at.

"As ownership you balance those things, but to be knee-jerk and to be too impulsive – our goal is to get to the playoffs, achieve sustained success and keep knocking at the door, and eventually that door will come down," Wilf added. "I think we've proven over these past few years that our football success has improved, but again, we know what our ultimate goal is. But you can't get to that goal unless you're consistently strong, consistently in the playoffs, consistently winning divisions, and those are our goals to leap off and eventually get to the championship."

The confidence that the Wilf family has in the Vikings leadership was reflected this offseason when Zimmer and Spielman signed multiyear extensions.

Wilf stated that he, along with Owner/Chairman Zygi Wilf, felt confident in the decision to continue backing the Spielman-Zimmer team.

"Coach Zimmer and Rick have done an outstanding job bringing in the right kind of players, working well together and getting the best team possible on the field," Wilf said. "As our ownership, we just felt it was important for the fans and for the team, that we had that stability going forward. We feel very strongly, that with this leadership, we can get the job done."

Asked why the extensions were inked farther into the offseason than in previous years, Wilf pointed to the strange circumstances of 2020 but reiterated his faith in the duo.

"It's been a crazy time, but there was never any question in our mind, as I said back then," he said. "We continued to work through it, it was productive and those are just normal business course of things.

"Like I said, we're very confident in our football organization, even though we had challenges we've all had," Wilf added. "We're no different as a club and as a business. We got the job done on that front, and we're very excited about the future of the Vikings."

Wilf also spoke to the extension of Kirk Cousins that will keep the quarterback in Purple through 2022.

The ownership group takes seriously what Spielman and the coaches say about the players, Wilf noted, adding that Cousins is a "critical" part of the Vikings roster.

"He's a leader in our locker room, and his play has really demonstrated warranting that kind of move," Wilf said. "On all fronts, we were very supportive."

He pointed to Cousins' 2019 campaign that included a comeback win against Denver, Sunday Night Football victory at Dallas and of course the stunning Wild Card upset of the Saints on the road.

"Last year we saw him step up and take steps in an already successful career," Wilf said. "Our coaches and personnel folks have that confidence in him, and we do as well. That really made all the sense to go forward that way."

PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 9/8/20

After Beating Odds, Chisena Ready for Special Opportunity

By Eric Smith

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Vikings Roster Reaction and Analysis: Pete Bercich What are your thoughts on the roster and also Week 1 against GB? I can't believe the season is here already.

— Jim Jenkins in Mankato, Minnesota

Jim starts us off with a pair of hot topics, but we'll begin with his question about the Vikings 53-man roster as it stands now.

Offensively, there is lots of continuity because 21 of the 26 players on that side of the all are back from a season ago. That includes big names such as Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, Kyle Rudolph and Brian O'Neill, but also players who were here in 2019 who are expected to have a larger role in 2019. A few names that come to mind for that latter group include Dakota Dozier, Bisi Johnson and Irv Smith, Jr.

Defensively, there are a handful of new faces — hello, Yannick Ngakoue! — but the core remains the same, especially at linebacker and safety. The cornerbacks are young, yes, but the group of Mike Hughes, Holton Hill, Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler looked more than capable in camp.

It's expected that the roster will have its usual ebb and flows throughout the season, mostly due to injuries. But it also helps that the practice squad can have a max of 16 players, and there are plenty of familiar faces there, too.

Vikings 2020 Roster in Photos View photos of the Vikings 53-man roster as of September 6, 2020.

Overall, I like how the team looks as it stands today — and Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer does, too. All of the sudden, Week 1 of the 2020 season is upon us.

As for Sunday's game against Green Bay, I expect the same heated and intense rivalry that we've seen in the previous 119 Border Battles. The atmosphere will certainly be different with no fans, but players on both sides will be fired up by kickoff.

It's only Week 1, but both teams also know the importance of this game, as the Vikings and Packers have combined for 14 of the 18 NFC North titles since the NFL was realigned in 2002.

Start 1-0 and you're already in a good spot to open the season, including a win over your bitter rival.

Yannick Ngakoue's First Vikings Practice View photos of Vikings DE Yannick Ngakoue who had his first practice with the team on Sept. 3.

I feel like signing Yannick gives the Vikings coaches, namely Mike Zimmer, more time to work with the corners now. Shouldn't have to worry as much about the line now. What say you?

— Troy in Lakeville

You make a good point, Troy. In theory, the addition of Ngakoue should boost the overall defense and could allow Zimmer to focus more on the young cornerback group.

And there's reason to believe he'll be focused on the secondary, which might include checking in with defensive backs coach Daronte Jones and advisor Dom Capers for their input on how the youngsters are progressing.

But I think he'll stay up to tabs on the defensive line, too. He is close with Vikings Co-Defensive Coordinator Andre Patterson, who is also the defensive line coach. Patterson will certainly have his guys ready to play Sunday, but Zimmer will want to see how Ngakoue — and others — are doing as the season gets underway.

Ngakoue on Looking Up To Randle and Doleman, Rushing Alongside Hunter, Vikings-Packers Rivalry, and More Obviously, Kirk Cousins has the starting QB position locked up. But how much competition was there been for QB2 between Sean Mannion, Jake Browning, and Nate Stanley?

— Jude Ogden in Menomonie, Wisconsin

Thanks for the email, Jude, and for the support in Stanley's hometown in that certain state you live in. (Sorry, it's Packers Week around here).

It's hard to argue with experience at the position. The Vikings went with Mannion as the backup to Cousins, but brought back Stanley and Browning to the practice squad. That tells me they like the potential those two showed in camp, even if they didn't make the 53-man roster. All the quarterbacks showed flashes in camp, but for Browning and Stanley, it's about continuing to progress.

Keeping two quarterbacks on a larger practice squad also gives the Vikings depth in case something happens to either Cousins or Mannion in 2020.

Now Everson Griffen is gone and we have his replacement, what about the leadership Everson meant to the team?

— Michael Murphy

This question actually came up a few weeks ago, and I thought Vikings Co-Defensive Coordinator Adam Zimmer had a great answer:

"I think it's a collective thing. I think Eric Kendricks provides that a lot – he's quite vocal with the way he attacks the game because he loves to play. I love watching him come out of the tunnel every Sunday because he runs out there like he's running out to recess like a kid. So, I think he's one of the guys. Obviously, [Harrison Smith is] a little quieter, but he can get intense and fiery, too. I think that's just a collective thing as a unit, and we'll have a lot of guys that do that."

There is no doubt that Griffen was the vocal leader of the Vikings in recent years, and that he poured his heart and soul into the team on the field. But now that he's in Dallas, his voice will have to be replaced by a few people, much like Adam Zimmer said.

And for what it's worth, we know Cousins can give a pregame speech with the best of them.

Whatever happened to Aviante Collins staring at left guard and Dakota Dozier starting at right guard? They're bigger, and don't get pushed around on the pass rush like Pat Elflein does.

— Duane Miller

The duo of Collins and Dozier as the starting guards never materialized in camp, as Elflein moved to the right side and was inked in as the starter for all of camp.

Teammates and coaches say he feels more comfortable there, so let's hope for a strong season from Elflein after he had an up-and-down year in 2019.

Dozier, meanwhile, won the starting left guard job over Collins in camp. Dozier is a veteran who has a history with Vikings offensive line coach Rick Dennison and has built the trust of the coaching staff and his teammates. (Although Collins did not make the 53-man roster, he is on the Vikings practice squad.)

It's worth noting that the presumed starting five up front — Riley Reiff, Dozier, Garrett Bradbury, Elflein and O'Neill — played three games together in 2019, with Elflein at left guard and Dozier at right guard.