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4* Vikings -6 1/2
Good luck Friday guys.
Mark
It’s customary for NFL teams to play their starters well into the 3rd quarter in preseason week #3 before severely limiting playing time in the final week tune-up. But that’s not the case with the San Diego Chargers according to Coach Schottenheimer. The Bolts are off a short week after beating St. Louis easily on Sunday, a game in which the starting unit played the entire first half. Schottenheimer’s game plan on Friday night is to play the #1 unit only in the first quarter. He said with the roster being trimmed to 65 next Tuesday, he wants to give all the young players a shot. When this was reported on Thursday in the San Diego Union, the line makers boosted Minnesota to a 6 ½-point favorite, up from 4 ½. In Sunday’s 36-21 victory against St. Louis, the Rams compiled 277 total yards of offense in the first half. Two nights earlier the Vikings piled up a 327-223 edge in total yards against the Jets, but lost the game 28-21. The Vikings lost the turnover war 3-0 and decided to rest #2 quarterback Brad Johnson. Minnesota forced the Jets to punt nine times and held New York to just 4-of-13 with 3rd down conversions. In other words, the Vikings could have easily won that game. In week #1, Minnesota amassed 410 total yards in whipping Kansas City 27-16, as the previously mentioned Brad Johnson was 9-of-12 for 87 yards with a touchdown. In two games, Duante Culpepper has looked razor sharp completing 16-of-19 for 230 yards. With Antonio Gates signed (won’t play Friday), the Chargers will virtually have all 22 starters back when the regular season begins (only team in league to return all 11 on both sides). They are ready to go and I can’t see Schottenheimer taking too many chances here. Any last-minute tune-ups can be accomplished next Thursday in the exhibition finale against San Francisco at home. But the Vikings want to give Culpepper a longer look along with that young and talented defensive line. The Vikings are out to showcase their new defense with wholesale changes from a year ago. San Diego was #31 in pass defense and Marc Bulger was 15-of-21 for 181 yards and two TD’s last Sunday. Culpepper seems to be thriving without Randy Moss in the lineup. Plus, the Vikes don’t lose too much once Johnson takes over in relief. The Metrodome is never easy for any visitor and the Chargers haven’t played in the Twin Cities since 1999. 4* Major on the Vikings.
Good luck Friday guys.
Mark
It’s customary for NFL teams to play their starters well into the 3rd quarter in preseason week #3 before severely limiting playing time in the final week tune-up. But that’s not the case with the San Diego Chargers according to Coach Schottenheimer. The Bolts are off a short week after beating St. Louis easily on Sunday, a game in which the starting unit played the entire first half. Schottenheimer’s game plan on Friday night is to play the #1 unit only in the first quarter. He said with the roster being trimmed to 65 next Tuesday, he wants to give all the young players a shot. When this was reported on Thursday in the San Diego Union, the line makers boosted Minnesota to a 6 ½-point favorite, up from 4 ½. In Sunday’s 36-21 victory against St. Louis, the Rams compiled 277 total yards of offense in the first half. Two nights earlier the Vikings piled up a 327-223 edge in total yards against the Jets, but lost the game 28-21. The Vikings lost the turnover war 3-0 and decided to rest #2 quarterback Brad Johnson. Minnesota forced the Jets to punt nine times and held New York to just 4-of-13 with 3rd down conversions. In other words, the Vikings could have easily won that game. In week #1, Minnesota amassed 410 total yards in whipping Kansas City 27-16, as the previously mentioned Brad Johnson was 9-of-12 for 87 yards with a touchdown. In two games, Duante Culpepper has looked razor sharp completing 16-of-19 for 230 yards. With Antonio Gates signed (won’t play Friday), the Chargers will virtually have all 22 starters back when the regular season begins (only team in league to return all 11 on both sides). They are ready to go and I can’t see Schottenheimer taking too many chances here. Any last-minute tune-ups can be accomplished next Thursday in the exhibition finale against San Francisco at home. But the Vikings want to give Culpepper a longer look along with that young and talented defensive line. The Vikings are out to showcase their new defense with wholesale changes from a year ago. San Diego was #31 in pass defense and Marc Bulger was 15-of-21 for 181 yards and two TD’s last Sunday. Culpepper seems to be thriving without Randy Moss in the lineup. Plus, the Vikes don’t lose too much once Johnson takes over in relief. The Metrodome is never easy for any visitor and the Chargers haven’t played in the Twin Cities since 1999. 4* Major on the Vikings.
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