Jan 5, 2013; Green Bay, WI, USA; The Minnesota Vikings huddle during the NFC Wild Card playoff game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. The Packers won 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Here is a quick preview of the Minnesota Vikings with Dan Zinski of The Viking Age. I sent him over some questions to preview the season and here were his responses:
Which players on roster need to step up in order for the season to be successful?
Three answers: Christian Ponder, Christian Ponder and Christian Ponder. That’s the long and short of it. It’s all on Ponder. He takes the next step, the Vikings will have a viable offense. If he doesn’t take that step they are going to struggle. You can only ride Adrian Peterson so far. At some point the QB has to get it done. Consistently. I am still skeptical that Ponder can be the guy. But he has a chance to prove me wrong.
What position battles will you be paying attention to during training camp?
Linebacker is probably the most intriguing situation right now. They brought in Desmond Bishop to win the Mike job. They also have Erin Henderson in the mix. If somebody doesn’t step up and show they can play the middle, things could get messy. Right guard will also be interesting with the underwhelming Brandon Fusco being pushed by rookie Jeff Baca and veteran Seth Olsen. You also have a bit of a battle at nose tackle where Fred Evans is pushing starter Letroy Guion.
Which rookies on the team will make an immediate impact?
Snarky answer: punter Jeff Locke. When you have as shaky an offense as the Vikings, the punter will always be important. But my real answer is Xavier Rhodes. He will likely be a starter from day one and the Vikes are really banking on him having a big impact. They want to work some more aggressive press-man looks into their defense and for that they need physical corners who can play strong at the line. Rhodes fits the bill physically. Cordarrelle Patterson is a guy people really want to see make an impact right away but I think we’ll have to be patient with him.
Which player(s) on the roster is the most underrated?
A guy I love and have loved for a couple of years is Everson Griffen. Last year Griffen got to play more and he really showed what an impact he can have as a pass rusher. He is disruptive and has a nose for the football. I really think we’ll see him as a starter next season and this guy could be a 15-sack guy. Another guy I like is Fred Evans. He tends to be inconsistent but he also makes some big plays. The D-line is pretty stacked with talent right now.
Prediction for the season?
The Ponder factor makes it tough for me to really get a read. If he plays well there’s no reason this can’t be a 10-6 team. But if he doesn’t play well it could be a 6-10 team. Because I’m a wimp I’ll split the difference and predict 8-8. That would be a disappointment coming off a playoff run but at the same time we must remember that this is still technically a team in the middle of a rebuild. They sort of raised the bar prematurely with that 10-6 campaign last year. But like I said, if Ponder gets it done, 10-6 is possible again. I’m just not sure he can get it done.
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