The Ultimate Sports Blog's
2015-16 NFL Preview
2014-15 Record: 7-9
Last Playoff Win: 2009 Divisional vs. Dallas Cowboys
Last Playoff Appearance: 2012 Wild Card vs. Green Bay Packers
Last Super Bowl Win: None
Last Super Bowl Appearance: XI vs. Oakland Raiders (1976)
Head Coach:
Mike Zimmer (7-9 all-time in Miami, 0-0 in playoffs)
Offensive Coordinator: Norv Turner
Defensive Coordinator: George Edwards
2014-15 Team Leaders:
Passing Yards: Teddy Bridgewater (2,919 yards, 64.4% completions, 14 TD's, 12 INT's, 85.2 QB rating)
Rushing Yards: Matt Asiata (164 attempts, 570 yards, 9 TD's)
Receiving Yards: Greg Jennings (59 receptions, 742 yards, 6 TD's)
Tackles: Robert Blanton (106 tackles)
Interceptions: Harrison Smith (5 interceptions)
2014-15 Team Rankings:
Passing Offense: 28th in NFL
Rushing Offense: 14th in NFL
Points Per Game: 20th in NFL
Least Points Allowed Per Game: 11th in NFL
2014-15 Potential Starters:
Purpe - Elite Starter
Blue - Above Average Starter
Green - Average Starter
Orange - Below Average Starter
Grey - Rookie
Red - Disgusting, Awful, Horrible, E.J. Manuel
Offense:
QB: Teddy Bridgewater
RB: Adrian Peterson
WR: Charles Johnson
WR: Mike Wallace
TE: Kyle Rudolph
C: John Sullivan
OG: Joe Berger
OG: Brandon Fusco
OT: Matt Kalil
OT: Phil Loadholt
Defense:
DE: Brian Robison
DE: Everson Griffen
DT: Linval Joseph
DT: Shariff Floyd
LB: Eric Kendricks
LB: Chad Greenway
LB: Anthony Barr
CB: Terence Newman
CB: Xavier Rhodes
FS: Harrison Smith
SS: Antone Exum
2014-15 Schedule:
(September 14) vs. @ San Francisco 49ers
(September 20) vs. Detroit Lions
(September 27) vs. San Diego Chargers
(October 4) vs. @ Denver Broncos
(October 11) BYE WEEK
(October 18) vs. Kansas City Chiefs
(October 25) vs. @ Detroit Lions
(November 1) vs. @ Chicago Bears
(November 8) vs. St. Louis Rams
(November 15) vs. @ Oakland Raiders
(November 22) vs. Green Bay Packers
(November 29) vs. @ Atlanta Falcons
(December 6) vs. Seattle Seahawks
(December 10) vs. @ Arizona Cardinals
(December 20) vs. Chicago Bears
(December 27) vs. New York Giants
(January 3) vs. @ Green Bay Packers
Overlook: Something tells me I'm seriously underrating the Minnesota Vikings, but 6-10 is what I came up with I closely reviewed this year's team. Let me say before I get to far, that this record could also easily be swapped with a 10-6 record and a playoff appearance though because there is a lot to like with this Vikings team. First and foremost, it's no secret that I'm a Teddy Bridgewater guy. He was my favorite QB coming out of his class and so far, he looks like the best one. Will the guy turn into an elite NFL QB? Who really knows. What we do know though, Bridgewater played pretty good for a rookie and his future looks bright. His second-year in the league is going to be a big one for him and it should be telling of what the future holds for him.
One thing that's really going to help Bridgewater's development this year is the return of Adrian Peterson. Peterson is returning from a long absence that came after a suspension due to off-the-field behavior and something tells me he won't miss a beat and may be even better than before considering he just took an unwanted year off to recover from whatever injuries were bugging him. AP is going to have fresh legs and that will help the rest of the Vikings offense tremendously. As far as the rest of the offense goes though, it's all pretty mediocre. Mike Wallace is a decent wide receiver, but there's a reason he's bounced around the league the last few seasons. I expect Charles Johnson to surprise some people this season and have a big year in Minnesota. There's a lot of hype for him right now. The offensive line is fine, but they need to find a replacement for Matt Kalil or hope that he can return to the player he was when he first came into the league.
I really like Minnesota's defense, even though there are a few weak spots. The thing about this defense is, head coach Mike Zimmer is a defensive specialist and this team is loaded with young guys who are going to be future stars in this league. Shariff Floyd, Anthony Barr, Harrison Smith, Everson Griffen, Xavier Rhodes, and Eric Kendricks are all players who are either elite, could be elite, or at least someone to get really excited about. This Minnesota defense was already one of the best in the league last season and they should continue to improve this year under the guise of Zimmer and all those young studs. I'm buying a lot of stock in this defense because it has the potential to be really good for a long time.
So like I said in the beginning, I might be severely underrating the Minnesota Vikings because they actually look like a playoff team on paper. They have a solid QB, what appears to be a solid head coach, and what has the potential to be a championship caliber defense. The Vikings very well could be the team that I look back on at the end of this year and eat some serious crow on, but either way, I love what the future holds for these guys, especially if Bridgewater continues to develop and doesn't take a step back.
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