With Sam Bradford in his second season for the Minnesota Vikings, will he find his stride or have another year of mediocrity?
Sam Bradford wasn’t terrible for the Minnesota Vikings in 2016. Actually, I was quite surprised at how well he did, given the circumstances. With that being said, if the Vikings want to make a real playoff push, they’ll need more out of Bradford this season.
It’s not just on Sam, though. The offensive line needs to hold up, the receivers need to hold onto the football and the running game needs to get going. Give him a little bit of protection, and Sam can be special.
Now it’s time to answer all the unknown questions coming into this year when it comes to the passing game: Will Bradford have time in the pocket? Will he be accurate on his downfield passes? Is it possible that we see Teddy this year? Will Jerick McKinnon try another Wildcat pass?
Here are my statistical predictions for the Minnesota passing game in 2017:
Sam Bradford
He’s the clear and undisputed starter for 2017. Though he hasn’t been perfect, he has gotten the job done and made the best out of a horrible situation. He hopes to have more time to make downfield passes and not constantly get hit in the mouth this season.
More from The Viking Age
- 6 biggest draft steals in Minnesota Vikings history
- Former Vikings first-round pick could reportedly return to NFC North
- Bears analyst has extremely embarrassing Kirk Cousins take
- 6 Vikings who (maybe) won’t make the 53-man roster in 2023
- Predicting what the Vikings will do in the 2023 NFL Draft based on 2022
Bradford’s success is very dependent on the offensive line. If they are able to hold up, he could find great success. If they can’t hold up, expect a lot of the same from last season. I expect the O-line to at least be a little bit better than least year, allowing Bradford to show off his accuracy on passes longer than 7 yards.
Completion Percentage: 72.5%
Passing Yards: 3,927
Touchdowns: 24
Interceptions: 9
Sacks: 29
Teddy Bridgewater
This time last year, everyone thought and assumed that Bridgewater would be our quarterback of the future. While that door is still open, it’s seeming more and more like that guy will be Sam Bradford.
Despite all of that, it would be nice to see Teddy get back on the field. Is that a possibility for 2017? Even though Mike Zimmer said that there’s a “possibility” of him returning this year, I wouldn’t expect it. By no means will the Vikings try to rush him back on the field, especially with a competent quarterback at the helm.
Jerick McKinnon
No. Just no. We don’t want to see another chance for McKinnon to throw the football.
Case Keenum will almost undoubtedly be the backup to Bradford. Keenum has had a solid preseason, and should be a nice backup if anything were to happen to Sam. Mitch Leidner and Taylor Heinicke should be battling for the 3rd string spot.
Next: Vikings Stats Leaders - Receiving
The Minnesota Vikings would love to get the passing game going in 2017. It all begins with the offensive line, and that happens to be the biggest concern for Vikings’ fans. Here’s to hoping for a decent O-line this season!