The fact that the Vikings, who sit at 6-2 during their bye week, are in first place in the NFC North has impressed Grant.Bud Grant oversaw the greatest stretch of defensive teams in NFL history from 1969 to ’71, when his Vikings squads gave up 9.5 points per game in 1969, 10.2 in ’70 and 9.9 in ’71.
That 1969 total still stands as the second-best mark all-time. 1971 is tied for fourth, and 1970 ranks seventh.
Grant talked about what he sees from Mike Zimmer’s defensive game plan these days, as the 2017 Vikings defense is ranked fourth in the NFL at 16.9 points per game and third in yards per game at 282.1.
“He understands defense, but he also understands one of the most important things in coaching is you have to understand the personalities and put them in the right spots,” Grant said. “He understands who can play and puts them in position to be successful. He is a great defensive coach. As long as you go along and only allow a team one or two or even three touchdowns a game, you have a chance to win.”
http://www.startribune.com/bud-grant-has...454594723/

http://zonecoverage.com/2017/vikings/four-stat-sheet-takeaways-at-the-vikings-halfway-mark-defense/

http://zonecoverage.com/2017/vikings/four-stat-sheet-takeaways-at-the-vikings-halfway-mark-offense/

http://wgntv.com/2017/11/01/mom-tied-son-to-roof-of-minivan-so-he-could-hold-plastic-pool-down-police-say/

If Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater isn’t activated by the deadline, he would stay on PUP for the remainder of the season.Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman told a small gathering of Twin Cities media earlier today that the team is going to take all the time it’s allotted per NFL rules before making its decision on whether or not to move quarterback Teddy Bridgewater from the physically unable to perform list to the active roster.
That deadline is a week from today. The Vikings practiced today and will reconvene next Monday for their first practice following their bye week. If Bridgewater isn’t activated by the deadline, he would stay on PUP for the remainder of the season.
Spielman said the team is only trying to decide whether or not to add Bridgewater to the active roster, not whether it should start him as early as the Washington game a week from Sunday. Bridgewater returned to practice Oct. 18.
Spielman also mentioned multiple times that injured quarterback Sam Bradford also “is trying like heck to get himself back as quickly as he can, too.” He avoided saying whether the team thinks Bradford will return this season.
“All [the quarterback] decisions will be made coming up next week,” Spielman said. “It will be a decision we make after speaking with [Bridgewater’s] doctor, our medical staff, myself and coach [Mike Zimmer], and then we’ll go from there.”
http://www.startribune.com/rick-spielman...454525953/

There are a lot of opinions out there in the QB situation comparing the relative merits of Bradford, Bridgewater and Keenum. but put yourself in Speilman's shoes -- what do you do?  You could stay out of the fray, let Zimmer manage this, and deal with the consequences in the offseason. more likely you would want some say in the matter, given the potential long term effects on the franchise depending on how things play out. If i were Spielman, i'd insist that the team get a look at TB in game action this season.  i would not want to be in a position in the offseason having to figure out whether to make a commitment to TB without some serious post-injury data points. You can make a strong case that Bradford now has sealed his iwn fate -- regardless of how brilliant he plays, are you really going to trust a guy going forward who will miss a half a season or more based on non-contact knee soreness in a twice operated knee?  i dont think so. You can equally say that you know what you have in Case, and its likely not worthy of a franchise quarterback committment. that leaves the need to play TB in order figure out how to approach the offseason   

Of course the complicating factor is that the Vikings appear playoff bound with a real shot at making some noise in the playoffs. the Super Bowl is not out of the question. Case is winning and if TB flops, the stakes are very high. 

Case Keenum is having the best year by a Vikings QB since Brett Favre in 2009Case Keenum's play so far in 2017 is statistically stronger than what Sam Bradford did during the 2016 season -- and what Teddy Bridgewater turned in during his rookie year in 2015.It is very Vikings-esque to have a confusing quarterback situation, just as it is very much like the Vikings to have a surprising player perform well enough at the position to fuel championship talk.
That happened in 1998, when veteran Randall Cunningham did it. It happened in 2009, when Brett Favre arrived late in training camp. Both of those Vikings teams — not like you need a reminder — came oh-so-close to reaching the Super Bowl.
I’m not here to say Case Keenum is playing at the level of either of those two QBs, each of whom was at least in the MVP conversation in those seasons. But there is this: If we look at objective measures designed to get to the heart of what a quarterback is contributing to a team, Keenum is playing at a higher level in 2017 than any Vikings quarterback since Favre in 2009.
Yes, Keenum has been better than Sam Bradford was in 2016. Yes, he’s been better than Teddy Bridgewater was in 2015 or 2014. He’s certainly delivered better than any QB play the Vikings received from 2010-13.
Before you dismiss this as nothing but a ridiculous hot take, let me explain...
http://www.startribune.com/case-keenum-i...454483333/

Sounds like the Russians had quite an impact on the election through thousands of ads purchased on Facebook, Twitter, et al...But they also very clearly attempted to turn natural divisions between left and right into public, if not violent, conflict. Pretty disturbing if you ask me. 

Excerpts from the Washpo article below....
A Facebook page called “Being Patriotic” bought an ad touting a “Miners for Trump” rally in Pennsylvania, one of several key swing states. “Mr. Trump pursues the goal of creating more jobs and supports the working class,” says the ad, which features images of miners and Trump in a miner’s protective hard hat. “He said he would put miners back to work.”
Another ad, from a Russian-controlled group called Heart of Texas, announced a rally for May 21, 2016, under the banner of “Stop Islamization of Texas.” A separate Russian-controlled group, United Muslims of America, publicized a competing rally to “Save Islamic Knowledge” at the same place and time, causing the two groups to face off in competing demonstrations in Houston -- a sign of how Russians hoped to turn divisions into open conflict.

Three ads from a group called “Stop All Invaders” showed photos of woman wearing Islamic religious head-coverings, along with calls to action to stop the spread of Sharia law. “All face covering should be banned in every state across America!” read one ad, which had been shared more than 4,300 times and drummed up 14,000 likes alone.

Another Facebook ad promoted a “Down With Hillary!” rally in July 2016 outside Clinton’s campaign headquarters in Brooklyn. The ad was targeted to Facebook users, 18-65-years old, who had declared interest in Donald Trump or Donald Trump Jr., and lived within 25 miles of New York City.
Yet another ad targeted the other end of the political spectrum with the creation of a “Black Matters” community page. It featured pictures of black men killed in high-profile police shootings, including Michael Brown, shot in Ferguson, Mo., in 2014, and Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy shot by Cleveland police that same year. The ad was targeted to a number of groups, including people who declared an interest in Martin Luther King Jr., Blacknews.com or HuffPost Black Voices.
One ad, also bought by the Heart of Texas group, took particular aim at veterans and others concerned about military issues, saying, “Hillary is the only one politician (except Barack Obama) who is despised by the overwhelming majority of American veterans.”

Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), the ranking Democrat on the committee, cited a free post by a Russian-controled account called “Army of Jesus”showing Clinton dressed as Satan, with red horns and boxing gloves, appearing to punch Jesus, who also was wearing boxing gloves as well as a determined glare as heavenly light appeared above him. Unlike some of the other content shown at the hearing, this was not a paid advertisement.
“’LIKE’ IF YOU WANT JESUS TO WIN!,” the post said, using the terminology of Facebook as its tries to get users to publicly declare their interest in groups, events or products. People who hit “like” buttons on Facebook can later be shown ads.

So, how you feeling about this Viking Head Coach?  Once again he has the team off to a strong start, but this year seems different.  There really hasn't been those "magical" big plays like the pick 6s, PR TDs, or TD fumble recoveries that happened a season ago.  This team seems to have a more solid balance to it and consistency on both sides of the ball. 

Personally, I think the OLine play is the biggest difference, but the D looks improved too.  The run D is better, and that also could be because of the improved offense keeping them rested.

Anyway, I think there were some concerns going into the season that Coach Z might be overrated, and possibly in the "Hot Seat", if things didn't look better.  We're at the halfway point now (wow, does time fly!).  How's he doing with his team?

The Vikings enter their bye week with a 6-2 record and a 1.5-game lead on Green Bay (4-3) in the NFC North. Although taking anything for granted in the NFL is dangerous, this division appears to be the Vikings’ for the taking.
So what has made the Vikings tick this season? Here are some first-half awards for Mike Zimmer’s team:

Offensive MVP: Case Keenum has done a nice job of stepping in for the injured Sam Bradford. Adam Thielen is fourth in the NFL with 48 catches and second with 627 receiving yards.
But considering what the Vikings saw last season from turnstile left tackle T.J. Clemmings, the choice for this award is newcomer Riley Reiff. Signed to a five-year, $58.75 million free-agent contract in March after five seasons in Detroit, Reiff has played 539 snaps this season without allowing a sack, according to Pro Football Focus.
He plays the most important position on a unit that was incompetent for much of last season but was rebuilt by general manager Rick Spielman and has given up only 10 sacks this year. That is tied for the third fewest in the league.
Reiff, who will receive $26.3 million in guarantees over the first two years of his contract, is a huge upgrade on Clemmings and a significant improvement on Matt Kalil. Offensive linemen often get overlooked but in this case there’s no overlooking what Reiff has meant to the Vikings so far.
Defensive MVP: The Vikings defense is filled with impact players, but we’re going to go with safety Harrison Smith.
After not having an interception last season, Smith leads the Vikings with three this year and sets the tone for a defense that is ranked fourth in the league in points given up (16.9 per game). Smith, in his sixth season, is third on the Vikings with 43 tackles and has 1.5 sacks, four tackles for a loss and six passes broken.
Runners-up would like nose tackle Linval Joseph, who dominates in the middle of the line, defensive end Everson Griffen, whose 10 sacks are tied for second in the NFL, and cornerback Xavier Rhodes, who, for the most part, is left alone by opposing quarterbacks because he’s so good in coverage.
Best addition: This goes to Reiff for the reasons stated above but also gives us a chance to recognize free-agent right tackle Mike Remmers. The Vikings left tackle play was so bad last season that we forget the right tackle play was pretty pathetic, too. Remmers, signed to a five-year, $30 million contract that includes $10.5 million in guarantees, has helped to stabilize the position.
Top rookie: Running back Dalvin Cook was a difference-maker for the Vikings’ offense before his season ended in Week 4 when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. With the second-round pick out, we’re giving the award to third-round selection Pat Elflein. 
Most improved: Trae Waynes had solid stats last season with three picks and 11 passes broken up, but he has been even better this season with two interceptions and eight passes defensed in eight games.
The 11th-overall pick in the 2015 draft, Waynes was brought along slowly by Zimmer, but he has developed into a reliable corner who gets a ton of work because opponents don’t want to throw toward Rhodes’ side of the field. When Waynes does give up a reception, he is a solid tackler, something that is often a lost art in today’s game.
Comeback player: Whether Anthony Barr simply didn’t work hard enough or was battling an injury, the linebacker had a noticeable and disturbing drop in production last season.
The big question was if Barr would rebound this year. So far he has and that’s a reason why an already very solid defense has been that much better in 2017.
The ninth-overall pick in the 2014 draft, Barr is second on the Vikings with 46 tackles. Six of them have been for losses and he also has broken up five passes. When Barr is on top of his game, he causes headaches for offenses. Two weeks ago against Baltimore, Barr had a season-high 11 tackles, broke up a pass and was dominant for much of the game.
Biggest disappointment: This would have to go to 2016 first-round pick Laquon Treadwell, who is fifth on the Vikings with 12 receptions for 142 yards and no touchdowns. If Treadwell were a late-round pick, or had been signed as a free agent, his frequent lack of production wouldn’t be a big deal but given he was a first-round pick it’s looking as if we soon can call him a bust. Treadwell isn’t reliable and his lack of speed makes it impossible for him to get separation from defenders.
Runners-up would include free-agent wide receiver Michael Floyd , 
Running back Latavius Murray, signed as a free agent from Oakland, also has not made the expected impact. 
http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2017/1...on-awards/