Starting 1-0 essential to Minnesota Vikings’ 2018 success
The Minnesota Vikings start the season Sunday against the visiting San Francisco 49ers. Looking forward to their early schedule, opening the season with a win is essential to the Vikings’ 2018 success.
The San Francisco 49ers are more than capable of pulling off an upset of the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday.
The 49ers have a very good young quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo, who leads an offense that can score. Of course, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer is aware of this.
He is also aware of the importance of the “sense of urgency” that football coaches like to convey to their football teams. Zimmer does it quite often.
Minnesota Vikings
It is a reminder that games are only 60 minutes long and without total player focus on their job and position, the better team sometimes gets beat, even in front of the hometown fans.
Week 2 of the NFL season will have the Vikings traveling to play the Green Bay Packers, where a healthy Aaron Rodgers has been waiting for his rematch against Minnesota after a certain Vikings linebacker broke his collarbone with a tough tackle last season.
Week 3 brings the Buffalo Bills to Minnesota. What seems like a winnable game against the Bills and their young starting quarterback Nathan Peterman is no slam dunk. Especially considering Buffalo made it to the playoffs last year.
But then take a long look at Weeks 3 and 4. The Vikings have to travel on the road to play the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3 and then fly to the east coast to play the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4.
The Vikings were 8-1 last year at home (including the playoffs). They need to keep playing well inside U.S. Bank Stadium this season too. If they slip out of the gate, the track ahead is full of slippery spots, All-Pro opponents, and very loud fans in Green Bay, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia.
Before Garoppolo came to San Francisco last year, the 49ers were 1-10. Their starting running back, Jerick McKinnon, is out for the season, and they are missing an important piece of their defense in linebacker Reuben Foster, who is suspended for two games to begin 2018.
On paper, San Francisco does not match up ideally with the Vikings . But stranger things have happened than a 49ers upset win.
Next. 4 bold predictions - Vikings vs. 49ers. dark
A sense of urgency, gentlemen.1-0 means everything.