Thread: This much hasn't changed: Unpredictable forecast for Vikes

Posted on Wed, Jul. 26, 2006

[size=18px]This much hasn't changed: Unpredictable forecast for Vikes[/size]

DAVE CAMPBELL
Associated Press

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - These Minnesota Vikings are rife with newness.

Their headquarters at Winter Park have been expanded and partially remodeled. The entire coaching staff is different. The uniforms have been altered. A quick count, with training camp just hours away, has revealed only three returning players on the roster.

OK, so that part is not really true, but the Vikings sure have put the "v" in overhaul. This has been such an extensive renovation that it has a shot to show up one of those extreme makeover reality shows this fall. Admit it, you used to think about Daunte Culpepper when you heard or read the word turnover. Now it's the picture in the dictionary under "purple."

This is the north, though, where Scandinavian roots run deep and change is often embraced the same way as road construction and freezing rain. So take heart, fans, because at least one thing has remained constant: Nobody has a clue about how this team will fare.

4-12? 6-10? 8-8? 10-6? 12-4? 7-7-2? Um, sure.

Minnesota's franchise history, in fact, is full of such murkiness. Last year's team was a sleeper pick for the Super Bowl and wound up getting Mike Tice fired. (Though many would argue he did that to himself.)

The 1998 squad wasn't supposed to be much of anything. NFC championship game choke or not, those guys were more dominant during the regular season than any other club this generation has seen.

In 1989, the locker room was teeming with Pro Bowl players and Las Vegas odds of a title were strong. That team was bounced out of the first round of the playoffs by a 41-13 score in San Francisco.

Zygi Wilf, supported by his smiling family and friends, gave the organization a new face at the top last summer. While he's been busy chasing that new stadium, Brad Childress has been putting his touches on the operation. And they're not gentle ones.

New bosses always bring in some of their own people and a lot of their own ideas, but Childress has spent a good chunk of his coaching capital - and it's only July.

His first and only NFL experience was in Philadelphia, where he spent seven seasons - four as the offensive coordinator. Whether it's a trainer, an assistant, a playbook or a policy, Childress has brought with him from the Eagles everything he was allowed to take or copy. Well, just about all. Those cheesesteaks don't travel well. Oh, and Terrell Owens wasn't invited, either.

So what we have is a rookie coach, a rookie offensive coordinator and a rookie defensive coordinator. They're installing a new offense and a new defense, though some of the edge of a typical adjustment period has been taken off because of the amount of new players acquired. A lot of the newbies have used a West Coast offense or a Tampa 2 defense with other teams, too.

But with any situation like this, especially in the NFL, the forecast range is frequently quite wide. Who knows? Maybe Childress is a smaller version of Bill Parcells, and Mike Tomlin can teach this defensive scheme like nobody else before him. Maybe Chester Taylor really is the next Priest Holmes, an up-and-coming running back who never had his chance in Baltimore. Maybe Darren Sharper and Pat Williams will play just as well as they did last year.

There is, unarguably, a tremendous amount of upside with so many unknowns. There is also, of course, a stronger chance of failure, too. Without a skill-position star on offense, it's apparent that the system better be working well if the Vikings are going to score points.

It often takes coaches a while to find their groove, too - Bill Belichick being a prime example for his struggles in Cleveland and successes with New England. So Childress could very well grow into a fine head coach in the future and not do very well in Minnesota.

Perhaps refreshingly to most fans (after all, that's half the fun, right?), all this uncertainty makes the predictions of regular-season records and playoff qualification become even more of a guessing game than they normally are with this sport.

Dave Campbell can be reached at [email protected]

This much hasn't changed: Unpredictable forecast for Vikes

I like take 10-6

Great article! It pretty much details exactly how I feel about the upcoming season: cautious optimism. There are so many things that could be bad for the Vikes, but there are also a lot of things that could turn out great. This season will definitely be interesting.

good read

It is a good article, until the season starts it is unknown how we are going to shape up. One thing I will say is this is the least optimistic I have been at the start of a season for a long time, but I would be delighted to be wrong, believe me.

hmm 7-7-2... I would almost like to see that just to see it

with all the unknowns it should make trainning camp and the preseason fun to see compared how boring they normally are

"Bdubya" wrote:

Great article! It pretty much details exactly how I feel about the upcoming season: cautious optimism. There are so many things that could be bad for the Vikes, but there are also a lot of things that could turn out great. This season will definitely be interesting.

I wrote an entire post before I came across your post. This is exactly what I was trying to say in fewer words. Well put!

Training camp this year will make all the difference. Can the players grasp the coaches schemes fast, can the coaches evaluate the players and adjust their plans to fit or showcase our strenghts?
If we get a good jump in camp, this team will jell earlier in the season.
I think 10-6 would be a achievement. Skol

let's all hope these changes are for the better >.>

The author of the article makes good points that we have 3 rookie coaches(head, offensive, defensive) and that we are installing new offense and defenses but I still think that with the incredible amount of talent that we have brought in that it will be difficult to be a bad team(i think that was a run-on ops: ).