KYO (Know Your Opponent): Minnesota Vikings vs. San Diego Chargers
This week the San Diego Chargers have been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Are the Chargers being cheap? Is Joey Bosa an entitled brat? Who knows… Perhaps a little bit of both. But what we do know is that the Bolts have a game on Sunday and that game is the last dress rehearsal before the 2016 opener against Kansas City.
During the season I will write a weekly piece called KYO (Know Your Opponent) highlighting the other teams strengths and weaknesses.
The Chargers will battle the Vikings in the first game ever at the teams brand new billion dollar stadium (US BankStadium). This is as good as it gets as far as preseason games go and the Chargers will be on a national stage.
Strengths:
1. Adrian Peterson:
When it comes to the Minnesota Vikings it all starts with the best running back since LaDainian Tomlinson. Adrian Peterson is a monster and he sets the tone for the entire Vikings offensive system. When AD is going the Vikings become a dangerous team, because if you can’t stop Peterson then you will have to deal with play action passes, which leads us to…
2. Kyle Rudolph:
Nowadays the “best friend” a QB can have is a play maker at TE. The Vikings have a fine one in the former fighting Irish tight end. He is not physically overpowering, but he does everything you look for in a tight end, and has developed a great on-field chemistry with QB Teddy Bridgewater.
3. Sharrif Floyd:
Back in the 2013 draft there was a rumor that had Floyd in the top 10 of the draft. Then scouts started looking at his lack of production in college during big games and the fact that his arms were a bit short. He fell to the Vikings at pick 23 in the first round. It took a bit of time, but Floyd has become a solid DT and he anchors a very good defensive front.
Weaknesses:
Call me a hater, but I just don’t see anything special in Bridgewater. To me he is the one thing that’s holding the offense back. The guy has no accuracy beyond 20 yards. I’m not saying he’s not any good, but the whole “Bridgewater is the future” is a bit premature. He needs to improve this year.
2. CB unit:
The Vikings have tried, they have drafted Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes. Rhodes is not bad, but for some reason both players have under performed and teams routinely beat them both. The only reason the Vikings have a strong secondary is because they have a great young safety in Harrison Smith. He is one to keep an eye on.
3. WR core:
Just as with the CB position, the Vikings have tried. They drafted Cordarrelle Patterson and signed Mike Wallace in the free agent market. Patterson is nothing more than a great kick returner and Wallace can’t seem to play well away from Ben Roethlisberger. So the Vikings don’t have a reliable receiver. They drafted Laquon Treadwell from Ole Miss this year, but every rumor out of Vikings camp says that he has struggled mightily.
I am a lawyer that loves everything San Diego!