Quote of the Week: Vikings Force Chiefs to “Pick their Poison”
Austin Belisle
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On a day where Adrian Peterson rushed for just 60 yards, the Minnesota Vikings relied on their passing attack for a victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Although they hit a few speed bumps in the second half, Teddy Bridgewater and his wide receivers — especially Stefon Diggs — did just enough to hang on for an ugly win at TCF Bank Stadium on Sunday.
Early on, it was clear the Chiefs committed to stopping the run, holding Peterson to -1 yards rushing through the first quarter of play. The Vikings’ inability to move the ball on the ground forced Norv Turner to open the playbook and attack the Chiefs through the air. On Minnesota’s first drive, Bridgewater completed passes of 16 and 52 yards before tossing an interception in the red zone. It was an up-and-down day for Bridgewater, but when called upon, the second-year quarterback delivered to keep the Vikings ahead.
After the game, Adrian Peterson addressed the media and spoke to the versatility of the offense, which helped the Vikings move to 3-2 and gave the team sole possession of second place in the NFC North:
[quote_box_center]Yes, and that’s what it’s all about, forcing the team to pick their poison. You’re either going to stop the run or the pass, and they chose the run today. It opened it up for us in the passing game, and we were able to be productive and get some points on the board. You know, there’s a lot of things we didn’t do well that we wish we could have back, but it’s better to talk about those things with a W. We’ll clean things up and get ready for Detroit.[/quote_box_center]
The Vikings didn’t necessarily dish out lethal poison against the Chiefs, but the emergence of Stefon Diggs and surprisingly stout pass protection staved off a furious Chiefs comeback in the fourth quarter. Their performance as a whole will need to improve during a tough, two-game road stretch against the Lions and Bears, but for now, their ability to win matchups in the passing game has to be encouraging.
Veteran wide receiver Mike Wallace spoke to reporters next to his locker today and echoed Peterson’s assessment of the team. Like Peterson, Wallace was quiet on Sunday, hauling in just two catches for 23 yards on nine targets. That didn’t stop Bridgewater from putting together his most productive performance of the year in terms of passing yardage. He built on his 212-yard game against the Broncos in Week 4, throwing for 237 yards against a depleted Chiefs secondary.
"Our team is so deep, you just have to pick your poison of who you want to stop." – @Wallace17_daKid
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 19, 2015
Despite the yardage — and an explosive, seven-catch performance from Diggs — Bridgewater still threw two costly interceptions that kept the Chiefs in the game. He’s pressing far too often this season, and part of this may stem from Peterson’s struggles running out of the shotgun. As ESPN’s Ben Goessling noted early in the game, Peterson at one point had three carries for -12 yards out of the shotgun.
Moving forward, Norv Turner and the Vikings face a difficult decision — play to Bridgewater’s strengths and run the offense through the shotgun, or keep the quarterback under center and let Peterson pound the ball in between the tackles? This identity crisis is hindering Bridgewater’s growth and preventing the Vikings’ offense from truly dominating. Like Wallace and Peterson said, the roster is loaded with talent, from Diggs to tight end Kyle Rudolph to Jarius Wright, but the team isn’t putting the pieces together week-in and week-out.
Is there a quick fix? Probably not. The return of John Sullivan will add to the collective strength of the offensive line, and in turn, improve their ability to move defenders in the run game. But 16 points won’t win the Vikings games in November and December, and they’ll need more on the scoreboard if they hope to beat the Lions and Bears in Week 7 and Week 8.
Yes, the pieces are talented. Teddy Bridgewater is on his way to becoming a franchise quarterback. In Mankato this July, fans predicted Stefon Diggs would be a playmaker early on for the Vikings. And Adrian Peterson has shown flashes of the same back we saw in 2012 despite his struggles yesterday.
The Vikings are a solid football team. A great football team? Not yet, not until Teddy Bridgewater and Adrian Peterson can coexist in Norv Turner’s offense. If Peterson’s running wild, Bridgewater should be able to take advantage of loaded boxes. And if Bridgewater’s dealing, Peterson should be able to punish soft fronts. That’s not happening yet, and the Vikings are doing just enough to win games. When they do find that balance…the Vikings will dominate games.