For Vikings Fans, Patience Is Necessary
Aug 16, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer (L) talks to quarterback
Teddy Bridgewater(5) prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota Vikings fans know as well as anyone that patience is required in order to find success. While the franchise has been largely successful over the course of its history, it still is missing one thing: A Super Bowl victory. I’m sure many of you have experienced your heartbreak losses with the rest of us, and times where they came up just short. However, I firmly believe that these heartbreaking losses and typical anguish is slowly drifting away.
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First of all, the Vikings have obtained a franchise quarterback who, at the age of 22, looks the part of a quarterback that has been in the league for quite some time. While the sample size is small, Teddy Bridgewater has given a glimpse of hope in what has been a difficult last 5 years for the franchise. While Bridgewater may not have the strongest arm, biggest hands, or biggest legs, none of that really seemed to matter in his rookie year. Bridgewater showed us time and time again that he had the poise to remain concentrated, the accuracy to complete tough passes, and the legs to extend plays. Furthermore, Bridgewater exemplified the work ethic and leadership that a coach drools over. These attributes are only beginning to show Bridgewater’s potential, and if he keeps improving he could soon be one of the top quarterbacks in this league.
While that may not be next year or the year after, I believe the time will soon come where the Vikings will be in the playoffs year in and year out and competing for a Super Bowl. Recent history has shown that many teams can win a Super Bowl without having a phenomenal defense. Rather, having a phenomenal quarterback can win you a Super Bowl alone. Based off this idea, the Vikings might be in good position for a title in the years to come with Bridgewater at the helm. But the thing is, the Vikings don’t just have a franchise quarterback in the making. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. They also have a star running back in Adrian Peterson, provided that he returns to the team.
When the Vikings hired Head Coach Mike Zimmer, few knew what type of impact he would make. After a little research and a couple YouTube videos of him yelling at his players, I found that this is exactly what we wanted after the soft-spoken Leslie Frazier had been fired. While I had massive respect for Leslie Frazier, I always felt he was a better man than he was a coach. With Zimmer, we got a guy who was not only a good person, but a fantastic teacher and coach. That rings true in Zimmer’s first year as head coach as he has made drastic improvements with the defense, coached up some struggling players, and greatly improved player’s individual growth.
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In my opinion, Zimmer has this defense looking like a top 5 defense for years to come. With the talents of Griffen, Barr, Rhodes, Smith and other main contributors, the Vikings look to be a force on defense especially with year-by-year improvement. It may take some time, but the more these guys get used to the defensive system, sets, and technique they will be able to work together better and improve greatly.
While there are some pieces that need to be added (wide receiver, linebacker, and left guard to be exact) even after the recent addition of Mike Wallace, the Vikings look to be a very competitive team this year and the years following that. With Free Agency upon us and the Mock Draft season officially under way, we can only hope that they can bring in some valuable pieces that will only make their future brighter. For now though, as it stands at this very moment, the Vikings have a developing franchise quarterback, a young and developing defense, and a Head Coach who aims to help these guys not only grow, but win.