Riddled by injuries, the Minnesota Vikings have still found a way to compete for the NFC North division championship and look like an NFL playoff team.
Last season, the Minnesota Vikings ended the season with a 7-9 record. Sure, they were without their star running back Adrian Peterson, but the young football team showed some promise under new head coach Mike Zimmer and a blistering new defensive scheme.
Fast forward to the 2015 season where things didn’t start the way the team had hoped. Not only did they lose offensive tackle Phil Loadholt on the line for the season, but they also had to go without longtime center John Sullivan. While veteran center Joe Berger was able to step in and play at a high level, Minnesota was forced to turn to rookie fourth round draft pick T.J. Clemmings at right tackle. Clemmings is taking his rookie lumps, but is getting some great on-the-field training early in his NFL career.
It gets really messy for the Minnesota Vikings when you start looking at the defensive side of the ball. It seems like almost every starter there has missed some games this season. Most notably, playmaking safety Harrison Smith, the hard-hitting Anthony Barr, and run stuffing Linval Joseph are all still currently inactive. Those three guys are the heart and soul of the defense, but found their positions being filled by rookies and some veteran players as well.
The big question is, when did the Minnesota Vikings roster get deep enough to be able to handle these major injuries?
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It wasn’t that long ago that the Vikings, especially their defense, was the laughing-stock of the NFL. Not only that, but when injuries happened, there were no-name players stepping in and helping to make the team look even more inept. This year, that wasn’t the case. Help came from unlikely sources, like safety Anthony Harris, linebacker Edmond Robinson, and other late round rookies and undrafted free agents.
Minnesota being able to plug players in when thing get tough is a testament to how well the Minnesota Vikings have been drafting and how much better the coaching staff in Minnesota has become since Zimmer’s takeover.
While we may not like all the draft picks that the Minnesota Vikings make or agree with all the calls that the coaching staff makes, the brass of the team has done a great job turning the ship around since the ugly 2013 season. And with all the young, talented players on the team’s roster, Minnesota should continue to improve as the years go on.