REGULAR SEASON WEEK ONE MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT ST. LOUIS RAMS EDWARD JONES DOME • 9/7/14 REGULAR SEASON WEEK ONE - MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT ST. LOUIS RAMS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2014 - EDWARD JONES DOME - NOON - FOX 2014 VIKINGS SCHEDULE (0-0) GAME SUMMARY REGULAR SEASON After finishing the 2014 preseason with a perfect 4-0 record, the Date Opponent Time (CT) TV Minnesota Vikings kick off the regular season on the road against the St. Louis 9/7 (Sun.) at St. Louis Noon FOX Rams. The game is scheduled for a noon start at the Edward Jones Dome. 9/14 (Sun.) NEW ENGLAND Noon CBS The Week One matchup marks the first time the Vikings and Rams have played 9/21 (Sun.) at New Orleans Noon FOX on Kickoff Weekend. In the last contest with the Rams in 2012, RB Adrian Peter- 9/28 (Sun.) ATLANTA 3:25 p.m. FOX son ran for 212 yards, including a career-high-tying 82-yard TD during his MVP season. Peterson 10/2 (Thurs.) at Green Bay 7:25 p.m. CBS/NFLN and the Vikings won the game 36-22. Overall, the Vikings hold a 24-16-2 record against the Rams 10/12 (Sun.) DETROIT Noon* FOX dating back to their days in Los Angeles. 10/19 (Sun.) at Buffalo Noon* FOX Vikings Offensive Coordinator Norv Turner coached defensive backs at Southern Cali- 10/26 (Sun.) at Tampa Bay Noon* FOX fornia while Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher played DB for the Trojans during the 1980 season. 11/2 (Sun.) WASHINGTON Noon* FOX The Rams, who named former Viking Shaun Hill their starting QB, finished the 2013 11/9 (Sun.) BYE WEEK season with a 7-9 record. 11/16 (Sun.) at Chicago Noon* FOX 11/23 (Sun.) GREEN BAY Noon* FOX 11/30 (Sun.) CAROLINA Noon* FOX BROADCAST COVERAGE 12/7 (Sun.) NEW YORK JETS Noon* CBS NATIONAL TELEVISION: FOX 12/14 (Sun.) at Detroit Noon* FOX Play-by-Play: Dick Stockton Analyst: Kirk Morrison 12/21 (Sun.) at Miami Noon* FOX Sideline Reporter: Kristina Pink 12/28 (Sun.) CHICAGO Noon* FOX *Game time subject to change/flexible scheduling LOCAL RADIO: KFAN-FM 100.3/KTCN-AM 1130 All regular season games will be radio broadcast on KFAN/ Play-by-Play: Paul Allen Analyst: Pete Bercich KTCN (FM 100.3) Sideline Reporter: Greg Coleman Pre-Game Show: Mike Mussman – 10: 00 a.m. CT KFAN and KTCN serve as the flagship stations for the 72-station, 5-state Vikings Radio Network. WEEKLY MEDIA SCHEDULE Monday, September 1 10:55 a.m. – Practice (Filming at beginning of practice) 12:30 p.m.-1:15 p.m. – Zimmer Press Conference/Open Locker Room NORSEMAN NOTABLES Tuesday, September 2 • The Minnesota Vikings hold a 29-23-1 record in opening day games all-time. No Media Access – Players Day Off Wednesday, September 3 • RB Adrian Peterson holds team opening day records with 180 rushing yards and 3 rushing 11:15 a.m.-12:00 p.m. – Zimmer Press Conference/Open Locker Room TDs set against Cleveland on September 13, 2009. Peterson also tied the opening day club 12:50 p.m. – Practice (Filming at beginning of practice) record with a 78-yard TD run last year against Detroit. Thursday, September 4 • Peterson needs 170 net yards to tie WR Cris Carter (12,410) for the most combined net 11:15 a.m.-12:00 p.m. – Edwards/Turner Press Conferences/Open Locker Room yards in a career for a Viking. Peterson also needs 2 TDs to tie Randy Moss (93) for the 2nd 12:50 p.m. – Practice (Filming at beginning of practice) most TDs in Vikings history. Cris Carter leads the franchise with 110 TDs. Friday, September 5 • In the 2012 opener vs. Jacksonville, Blair Walsh set the team record for FGs made (4) in an 10:50 a.m. – Practice (Filming at beginning of practice) opening game. Walsh also had the longest FG made (55) by a Viking during a season opener. 12:30 p.m.-1:15 p.m. – Zimmer Press Conference/Open Locker Room • The Vikings have scored a TD in 51 consecutive games, 1 game away from a tie for 3rd Saturday, September 6 all-time in team history. No Media Access • WR/KR Cordarrelle Patterson’s 1,393 kickoff return yards in 2013 were the most in Vikings Sunday, September 7 history and 2nd in the NFL last year. His 109-yard kickoff return TD against Green Bay on 12:00 p.m. – Minnesota Vikings at St. Louis Rams on FOX 10/27/13 is the longest kickoff return in NFL history. Monday, September 8 • Entering Week 1 Patterson has scored a TD in 5 consecutive games. 6 consecutive games TBD – Open Locker Room would rank him 6th all-time in team history. 3:00 p.m. – Zimmer Press Conference • Vikings QB Matt Cassel appeared in 9 games in 2013, including all 5 wins, starting 6 games. *Practice open to media at the beginning Cassel connected on the 4 longest pass plays for the Vikings in 2013 (79t, 70t, 57t & 51). Reminder - No blogging or tweeting from practice field or during practice time • CB/PR Marcus Sherels set a team record and ranked 2nd in the NFL with a 15.2 punt return average on 22 returns in 2013. • LS Cullen Loeffler will play his 156th game as a Viking in Week 1 againts St. Louis, tying LB STAT OF THE WEEK Jeff Siemon for 25th in club history. In the last contest against the Rams (12/16/12), also at the • As a team during the 2014 preseason, the Vikings ranked 1st in the NFL in QB rating (104.0) Edward Jones Dome, K Blair Walsh tied an NFL record for and giveaways (1) and ranked 2nd in points allowed (12.3), interceptions (5) and turnover most 50+ yard FGs in a game with 3 (50, 53 & 51). margin (+5). * Statistical assistance throughout the Vikings weekly release is provided by Stats, Inc. & the NFL HEAD COACH MIKE ZIMMER MIKE ZIMMER NFL Head Coach: 1st Year coaching profession at Missouri where he served as an assistant from 1979-80. Overall NFL Experience: 21st Year Zimmer played QB and later LB at Illinois State, earning a degree in physical Coaching Experience: 36th Year education. He has 3 children, son Adam and daughters Corri and Marki. Adam Overall NFL Record: 0-0 Regular Season: 0-0 is coaching the Vikings LBs after having spent time with Kansas City, New Or- Postseason: 0-0 leans and Cincinnati as an assistant LBs and DBs coach. The father-son duo has Record with MIN: 0-0 both earned Super Bowl titles with Adam’s coming following the 2009 season when the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV over Indianapolis. Coaching is a fam- Mike Zimmer was hired as the 9th Head Coach ily tradition with the Zimmers as Mike’s father, Bill, earned Illinois Hall of Fame in Vikings history on January 15, 2014. A veteran honors as a prep football and wrestling coach. Zimmer played football, base- defensive coordinator, Zimmer enters his 21st ball and wrestled at Lockport Township High School in suburban Chicago. Both season on an NFL sideline, the past 14 working Bill and Mike Zimmer have been inducted into the Lockport Hall of Fame and as defensive coordinator for Cincinnati (2008-13), Bill is also in the Bradley University (Peoria, IL) Hall of Fame. Atlanta (2007) and Dallas (2000-06). Vikki Zimmer, Mike’s wife of 27 years, passed away in Cincinnati on October Zimmer has been a part of 11 playoff teams in his NFL tenure and teams that 8, 2009. The Pro Football Writers of America recognized Zimmer overcoming have won 7 Division titles. He coached the Cowboys DBs when the team won the tragedy and the Bengals #4 ranked defense playing a key role in winning Super Bowl XXX over Pittsburgh after the 1995 season. Since 2009, Zimmer’s then AFC North title by voting him the winner of the Halas Award for the sea- Bengals defenses ranked in the NFL’s top 10 in total defense 4 times, climbing son, an annual award presented to the individual in the NFL that overcame the to #3 in 2013. Since 2011, the Bengals ranked #2 in the NFL with 139 sacks (46.3 most adversity to succeed. per season) and have allowed 18.8 points per game, ranking #4 in the NFL in Zimmer’s Background points allowed. The 2013 Bengals posted 20 INTs, the 5th-best mark in the NFL. Player Zimmer’s arrival in Cincinnati for the 2008 season signaled a franchise turn- 1974-76 ..............Illinois State (QB/LB) around on the defensive side of the ball. The Bengals notched top-10 defensive Coach rankings in 2009, ’11, ’12 and ’13 after only cracking the NFL’s top 10 once in 18 1979 ....................Missouri (Assistant Coach) seasons prior to Zimmer joining the team. During his tenure, Zimmer coached 1981-82 ..............Weber State (Assistant Coach Geno Atkins as he became one of the top DTs in the NFL, earning consensus 1983-88 ..............Weber State (Defensive Coordinator) All-Pro honors in 2012 and Pro Bowl berths in 2011 and 2012. In 2013, LB Von- 1989-93 ..............Washington State (Defensive Coordinator) taze Burfict continued his rise from an undrafted rookie free agent in 2012 to 1994-1999 .........Dallas Cowboys (Assistant Coach) a Pro Bowler in 2013. Atkins became the 1st Bengals defensive lineman since 2000-06 ..............Dallas Cowboys (Defensive Coordinator) Tim Krumrie in 1988 to earn a Pro Bowl trip and Burfict was the 1st Bengals LB 2007 ....................Atlanta Falcons (Defensive Coordinator) to be honored since Jim LeClair in 1976.