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Mike Zimmer says he's 'got a plan' — interpretation: Stay ready, TeddyTeddy Bridgewater remains the Vikings' best hope for the future. Now all coach Mike Zimmer has to decide is when the future will resume.
– After an NFL game, reporters and camera operators flood each locker room. The head coach and starting quarterback will walk to an interview room; most players will speak in front of their dressing stalls.
By the end of the night, countertops in the press box will be heaped with a forest's worth of paper bearing transcribed quotes, enough to create a bonfire of the inanities. Sunday, Mike Zimmer said more in one short, subtle sentence than all of those recyclables combined, at once writing the mystery of the season and hinting at its ending.
"Well,'' he said. "I've got a plan.''
The Vikings had just beaten Washington 38-30 at FedEx Field. Zimmer's team is 7-2. His current starting quarterback, Case Keenum, played the best half of his career to give the Vikings a 28-17 lead, then survived two amateurish interceptions to run his and the team's winning streak to five.
Zimmer was given a chance to say that Keenum remains his starter, to quell a week's worth of questions before a big game against Keenum's former team, and in that moment he may have revealed how badly he wants Teddy Bridgewater to be his quarterback.
"We'll just see how it goes,'' Zimmer said. "Sometimes plans change. We'll see how it goes and we'll sit down this week and visit about it and kind of go from there.''
http://www.startribune.com/mike-zimmer-s...457090203/
The Vikings do not have an experienced quarterback under contract for next season. They can't bet on Sam Bradford's full recovery. In the second half against Washington, Keenum made consecutive throws that illustrated why the Texans and Rams benched him.
Despite his injury, the trade for Bradford and the rise of Keenum, Bridgewater remains the Vikings' best hope for the future. Now all Zimmer has to decide is when the future will resume.
How important is it to him to play this year? "It's very important,'' he said. "But at the same time I think I just have to approach each day with the mind-set that, hey, I'm going to get better.''
Look at this from the perspective of the Vikings' decision-makers: They owe it to this team to play their best quarterback, and they owe it to the franchise to be able to make an informed decision on the position for next year and beyond.
Of course they're going to play Bridgewater. The only question is when. Zimmer told us as much in one short, revealing sentence.
Why is Teddy loved by Zim? Because he has shown he can play conservative and manage the game. Yet when needed at the end of the game, he can open up and play well.
Quote: @greediron said:
Why is Teddy loved by Zim? Because he has shown he can play conservative and manage the game. Yet when needed at the end of the game, he can open up and play well.
opening up at the end is a bad approach IMO, I like coming out of the gate firing and dictating from there the type of game. makes it much easier on your defense when the other team is forced to become more 1 dimensional. Why let them stick to their game plan all day by running your own conservative offense... if you have the ability to open the sucker up... do it early and cruise from there, dont wait on fate/luck at the end to either be on your side or not.
if I have 1 knock on Teddy its that he seems to lack the intensity early in the game. I like fast starting offenses, especially on the road.
We're living old tape here...We need to see Teddy in this offense, playing downfield, back-shoulder, fast tempo. Not that archaic, run heavy, run 1st, pass when you need to manage the game narrative.
If he cant show that? It's time to draft another qb high next year.
The team needs to see Teddy so that they can gauge if he is worth a contract that he will want. I need to see the QB that we have the most metrics on to get us to a division win and beyond. That isn't Teddy. Giving Teddy a game is a HUGE gamble as far as our season goes. Case is not the next Montana, or Young, but he has a rapport with the receivers, and he has guided this team to 7 wins.
Quote: @Mike Olson said:
The team needs to see Teddy so that they can gauge if he is worth a contract that he will want. I need to see the QB that we have the most metrics on to get us to a division win and beyond. That isn't Teddy. Giving Teddy a game is a HUGE gamble as far as our season goes. Case is not the next Montana, or Young, but he has a rapport with the receivers, and he has guided this team to 7 wins.
I dont they they'll have a choice to start him, agreed. There is no perfect time unless the football gods decide it for us. I think Guru nailed it, it may be vs the Rams. Ballsie move on Zim's part. Hopefully not a dumb one.
Quote: @greediron said:
Why is Teddy loved by Zim? Because he has shown he can play conservative and manage the game. Yet when needed at the end of the game, he can open up and play well.
I still think that was Uncle Norv, and thats why Uncle Norv isn't wit us anymore.
The current offense was for Teddy or Bradford, I think.
Quote: @JimmyinSD said:
@ greediron said:
Why is Teddy loved by Zim? Because he has shown he can play conservative and manage the game. Yet when needed at the end of the game, he can open up and play well.
opening up at the end is a bad approach IMO, I like coming out of the gate firing and dictating from there the type of game. makes it much easier on your defense when the other team is forced to become more 1 dimensional. Why let them stick to their game plan all day by running your own conservative offense... if you have the ability to open the sucker up... do it early and cruise from there, dont wait on fate/luck at the end to either be on your side or not.
if I have 1 knock on Teddy its that he seems to lack the intensity early in the game. I like fast starting offenses, especially on the road.
Not saying that is the right approach, just that Teddy isn't a hot and cold guy. For whatever reason, Norv, young QB, bad O-line or his heart or his shoes, Teddy managed the game well but often showed it wasn't really him limiting the offense. When asked to open it up by necessity, he did well.
I can't wait to see him in this offense with Shurmur.
Quote: @greediron said:
@ JimmyinSD said:
@ greediron said:
Why is Teddy loved by Zim? Because he has shown he can play conservative and manage the game. Yet when needed at the end of the game, he can open up and play well.
opening up at the end is a bad approach IMO, I like coming out of the gate firing and dictating from there the type of game. makes it much easier on your defense when the other team is forced to become more 1 dimensional. Why let them stick to their game plan all day by running your own conservative offense... if you have the ability to open the sucker up... do it early and cruise from there, dont wait on fate/luck at the end to either be on your side or not.
if I have 1 knock on Teddy its that he seems to lack the intensity early in the game. I like fast starting offenses, especially on the road.
Not saying that is the right approach, just that Teddy isn't a hot and cold guy. For whatever reason, Norv, young QB, bad O-line or his heart or his shoes, Teddy managed the game well but often showed it wasn't really him limiting the offense. When asked to open it up by necessity, he did well.
I can't wait to see him in this offense with Shurmur.
I think that was a by product of adrian peterson... they had to try and run the offense through him until the score board made it impractical to do so and then they let Teddy take the reigns... I think much of what people have seen about Teddy that they dont like was a result of having to play in an AD orientated offense which was basically run run pass... way to predictable and that doesnt lead to QB success.
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