12-12-2019, 06:33 PM
https://www.vikings.com/news/what-d-they...liar-faces
Chargers Head Coach Anthony Lynn is familiar with multiple Vikings coaches, as well as their offensive system.
Lynn played for the Broncos in 1993 and again from 1997-98; during
that second stint, he played under Gary Kubiak, who now serves as the
Vikings assistant head coach/offensive advisor, as well as Vikings tight
ends coach Brian Pariani and offensive line coach/run game coordinator
Rick Dennison.
He later joined the coaching ranks alongside Kubiak, Pariani and Dennison.
“Rick Dennison, Gary Kubiak, Brian Pariani, I first played for
those guys, and then I ended up coaching with those guys,” Lynn told
Twin Cities media members earlier this week via conference call. “Early
on in my coaching career, I had great role models. I had a chance to
look up to those guys and how they did things, and we won a lot of
football games during that period of time. I got to see guys do it the
right way, and me and Kubs, we got close – me being an offensive
assistant – so I know those guys very well.”
Lynn was asked by Los Angeles-area media members about the Vikings rushing attack and called it a “different scheme.”
“It’s a wide zone-scheme that Gary Kubiak runs a lot, that I’m very
familiar with,” Lynn said. “You can have athletes in there that can run
and chase, and can hit versus a power scheme.”
Chargers linebacker Drue Tranquill was also asked about defending
the Vikings offense and specifically their success this season with the
play-action game.
The rookie said that “eye discipline” will be crucial for the Chargers defense in facing Minnesota.
“They love the stretch play, they love the toss play; the reason
they like that is because they like to get linebackers moving laterally
and then hitting shots overhead,” Tranquill said. “We’ll have to be
keyed in to our run-pass keys on the linemen, whether they’re coming up
or going lateral, be able to get back in our drops and defend those over
routes.”
“This year, this team’s the biggest boot team, the biggest play-action team we’ve played, for sure,” he added.
Lynn played for the Broncos in 1993 and again from 1997-98; during
that second stint, he played under Gary Kubiak, who now serves as the
Vikings assistant head coach/offensive advisor, as well as Vikings tight
ends coach Brian Pariani and offensive line coach/run game coordinator
Rick Dennison.
He later joined the coaching ranks alongside Kubiak, Pariani and Dennison.
“Rick Dennison, Gary Kubiak, Brian Pariani, I first played for
those guys, and then I ended up coaching with those guys,” Lynn told
Twin Cities media members earlier this week via conference call. “Early
on in my coaching career, I had great role models. I had a chance to
look up to those guys and how they did things, and we won a lot of
football games during that period of time. I got to see guys do it the
right way, and me and Kubs, we got close – me being an offensive
assistant – so I know those guys very well.”
Lynn was asked by Los Angeles-area media members about the Vikings rushing attack and called it a “different scheme.”
“It’s a wide zone-scheme that Gary Kubiak runs a lot, that I’m very
familiar with,” Lynn said. “You can have athletes in there that can run
and chase, and can hit versus a power scheme.”
Chargers linebacker Drue Tranquill was also asked about defending
the Vikings offense and specifically their success this season with the
play-action game.
The rookie said that “eye discipline” will be crucial for the Chargers defense in facing Minnesota.
“They love the stretch play, they love the toss play; the reason
they like that is because they like to get linebackers moving laterally
and then hitting shots overhead,” Tranquill said. “We’ll have to be
keyed in to our run-pass keys on the linemen, whether they’re coming up
or going lateral, be able to get back in our drops and defend those over
routes.”
“This year, this team’s the biggest boot team, the biggest play-action team we’ve played, for sure,” he added.
Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers won’t be facing Minnesota’s
offense, of course. But he shares a mutual respect with Vikings
quarterback Kirk Cousins and has seen the Vikings success on that side
of the ball.
Through 13 games, Cousins is 272-of-388 passing with a 70.1
completion percentage that matches his career high accomplished last
season. He’s passed for 3,274 yards and 24 touchdowns against just four
interceptions, which is a career low since becoming a full-time starter
in 2015. Cousins also has a career-high passer rating of 112.0.
Rivers was asked about Cousins “turnaround” in his second season with the Vikings.
“I don’t know if you call it a turnaround. I think Kirk’s been a
consistent player his whole career,” Rivers said. “A competitor,
accurate, has done a heck of a job leading those guys. They’ve been
scoring a lot of points, haven’t turned the ball over, their defense has
gotten a lot of takeaways.
“That group, again, they’ve won nine football games for a reason,”
Rivers continued. “[Kirk] certainly had his hand in it, as well, leading
the group. It’ll be a heck of a challenge. An all-around good football
team we’re playing on Sunday.”
Here are other highlights from the Chargers talking about the Vikings this week:
Lynn on Vikings LB Anthony Barr:
“He’s one of the best in the game. He’s big, he’s fast, he’s
instinctive, he can play the run, he can play the pass, he can rush the
passer. I don’t know if there’s anything he can’t do. But he’s going to
be a heck of a challenge for us.”
offense, of course. But he shares a mutual respect with Vikings
quarterback Kirk Cousins and has seen the Vikings success on that side
of the ball.
Through 13 games, Cousins is 272-of-388 passing with a 70.1
completion percentage that matches his career high accomplished last
season. He’s passed for 3,274 yards and 24 touchdowns against just four
interceptions, which is a career low since becoming a full-time starter
in 2015. Cousins also has a career-high passer rating of 112.0.
Rivers was asked about Cousins “turnaround” in his second season with the Vikings.
“I don’t know if you call it a turnaround. I think Kirk’s been a
consistent player his whole career,” Rivers said. “A competitor,
accurate, has done a heck of a job leading those guys. They’ve been
scoring a lot of points, haven’t turned the ball over, their defense has
gotten a lot of takeaways.
“That group, again, they’ve won nine football games for a reason,”
Rivers continued. “[Kirk] certainly had his hand in it, as well, leading
the group. It’ll be a heck of a challenge. An all-around good football
team we’re playing on Sunday.”
Here are other highlights from the Chargers talking about the Vikings this week:
Lynn on Vikings LB Anthony Barr:
“He’s one of the best in the game. He’s big, he’s fast, he’s
instinctive, he can play the run, he can play the pass, he can rush the
passer. I don’t know if there’s anything he can’t do. But he’s going to
be a heck of a challenge for us.”
Lynn on Kirk’s ability to spread the ball around:
“Well, the Vikings have a ton of weapons. Those receivers, those
running backs – that fullback is really versatile, too. And they’ve got
the offensive line that they want – an athletic line that can move,
cut-off on the front side, cut in the back side, to complement that wide
zone running scheme.
“Cousins is just kind of spreading the wealth. He’s moving around a
lot, he’s extending some plays, he’s throwing with a good accuracy. He
just looks a lot more comfortable this time around than when I played
him last time.”
Rivers on Zimmer’s defense:
“Yeah, they’re good. They’re good. Obviously, I’ve gone against
Coach Zimmer and this scheme a handful of times over his years in
Cincinnati and in ’15 up in the Minnesota. We saw them once in the
preseason. A good defense. And they’ve kept some continuity player-wise,
which he had in Cincy, as well, which helps with his scheme. They give
you a lot of looks, they work well together, and they fly around. They
make you earn every first down. … Nothing will come easy, and it will be
a heck of a challenge.”
Rivers on prospect of playing spoiler after being eliminated from the postseason:
“We want to win for us. It’s been tough. Every loss by one score
and obviously that tough stretch right there in the middle. So, we’re
playing for us. But certainly, there’s a lot on the line for them. The
Rams are pulling for us, as well. It’ll be a heck of a game. Again, our
focus is 1-0 this week, and I think keeping that focus, it served us
well last week. We’ll have that same approach and see if we can get
another one.”
TE Hunter Henry on playing the role of spoiler:
“I don’t know if we’re playing for that, but we’re excited to go
out there and have another opportunity this week against another good
football team that’s coming out here. We get to play a home game, for
once. I feel like we haven’t been home in a while. I know that we’ll all
be excited about that. We’re playing a really good Vikings team. We’ll
be fired up and ready to go.”
RB Austin Ekeler on the Vikings defense:
“They play a lot of zone – Cover 2, Cover 4 – so it’s a lot of the
same stuff [we’ve seen]. Everyone has their own little taste and flair,
so you just have to adjust to that. Not really anything that stands
out.”
“Well, the Vikings have a ton of weapons. Those receivers, those
running backs – that fullback is really versatile, too. And they’ve got
the offensive line that they want – an athletic line that can move,
cut-off on the front side, cut in the back side, to complement that wide
zone running scheme.
“Cousins is just kind of spreading the wealth. He’s moving around a
lot, he’s extending some plays, he’s throwing with a good accuracy. He
just looks a lot more comfortable this time around than when I played
him last time.”
Rivers on Zimmer’s defense:
“Yeah, they’re good. They’re good. Obviously, I’ve gone against
Coach Zimmer and this scheme a handful of times over his years in
Cincinnati and in ’15 up in the Minnesota. We saw them once in the
preseason. A good defense. And they’ve kept some continuity player-wise,
which he had in Cincy, as well, which helps with his scheme. They give
you a lot of looks, they work well together, and they fly around. They
make you earn every first down. … Nothing will come easy, and it will be
a heck of a challenge.”
Rivers on prospect of playing spoiler after being eliminated from the postseason:
“We want to win for us. It’s been tough. Every loss by one score
and obviously that tough stretch right there in the middle. So, we’re
playing for us. But certainly, there’s a lot on the line for them. The
Rams are pulling for us, as well. It’ll be a heck of a game. Again, our
focus is 1-0 this week, and I think keeping that focus, it served us
well last week. We’ll have that same approach and see if we can get
another one.”
TE Hunter Henry on playing the role of spoiler:
“I don’t know if we’re playing for that, but we’re excited to go
out there and have another opportunity this week against another good
football team that’s coming out here. We get to play a home game, for
once. I feel like we haven’t been home in a while. I know that we’ll all
be excited about that. We’re playing a really good Vikings team. We’ll
be fired up and ready to go.”
RB Austin Ekeler on the Vikings defense:
“They play a lot of zone – Cover 2, Cover 4 – so it’s a lot of the
same stuff [we’ve seen]. Everyone has their own little taste and flair,
so you just have to adjust to that. Not really anything that stands
out.”