Vikings Are Ready To Tackle The Rams
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – After a slew of camps, mini camp, training camp, winter park camp, the Minnesota Vikings are finally about to play a regular season football game when they take on the St. Louis Rams Sunday.
"I am definitely excited. It's the beginning of something new. From day one guys have been excited about it, learning and just a good team that takes steps forward in all areas. Not just practice and learning the system, but being involved with guys and the coaches around the locker room and the whole set up. It's going to be exciting to get out there as one unit and play together, really get the season started," Adrian Peterson said.
Get ready for Peterson and Patterson to take the field.
Patterson, who is in his second season, is ready to be a big play maker and a political in his praise of the offense.
"You just can't plan for 84. We got 28 back this week," Patterson said. "We got Greg Jennings, J-Wright, Adam, Rodney, Kyle. You know we got all these threats."
They have a quarterback who is a veteran, although he might also be fragile. But he assures WCCO he is confident and ready.
"I just feel very confident about where we're at as a team. I think, like I said, we had a tremendous pre-season, which obviously pre-season doesn't mean much when once these games are finally starting it doesn't mean anything that you went 4 and 0 in the pre-season. But at the same time it gets you going the right direction," Cassel said.
His counterpart on the Rams is a near mirror image.
The Vikings will deal with Sean Hill, a former Viking who became a starter through injury and who garners respect because he's a survivor.
"He's a guy who's got a lot of knowledge about the game. Knows where to put the football. Knows what he's seeing by the defense. So, he's a guy that's tough to trick. And then they have some playmakers as well that he can get the ball to quick," Harrison Smith said.
The beginning of the season will also see a first year coach for the Vikings, who's decisions will count now.
Zimmer hopes what he saw in the 4-and-0 pre-season is an indicator for what is to come.
"The only I have to judge, I know the scores up there, but in the pre-season it's more about are we doing things right. Are we playing real hard? Are we playing smart? And I think to this point we've done that," coach Zimmer said.
And in Zimmer, the staff and the team is a belief that they have a chance this season because they will be ready for the Rams.
"We've got the best game plan and we got players that are gonna go out there and execute the calls. And that's all you can ask for," Everson Griffen said.