Minnesota Vikings Podcast: 2020 Vikings Training Camp Preview | Episode 52

we are nearly all systems a go. As the start of the twenty twenty Verizon Vikings training camp is underway. Rookies and quarterbacks have officially started hoarding today. Veterans start reporting on Monday. And this thing is going to be interesting. Chris cors So, tell me a little bit about we're talking before the show, the process. What it takes just for these guys to get in the building and be allowed to start working out. Yes, it's gonna be an

interesting process. Each player that comes into the building has to have two negative tests for coronavirus that are seventy two hours apart. So if one player comes in on Monday, they're gonna have to test negative and then they will have to test negative again on Thursday. To be able

to do anything in the building. Every employee, front office member, coach staff will have to do a survey as they enter the building every single day to talk about their symptoms, their temperature, a variety of things to make sure that they get that approval to come into the building. And the last thing is that everyone in the building is going to have to wear a mask covering when they walk around the TCO Performance Center. So and that includes

the players as well. So it's gonna be interesting, it's gonna be different. There's going to be these contact tracer devices that are on the staff and players to show who has come into contact with whom. So if you're in contact with someone who someday has a positive test, the Vikings head athletic trainer Eric Sugerman will know exactly who came close to that positive test person in the MA makes it really easy for them to find people. And isn't there in terms of because for those of

you haven't known, there's tiers. There's Tier one, Tier two, and Tier three in terms of who can you know report and when they can report and when they can be in the building. And I believe I heard Tier one and two are allowed to intermingle and Tier three is not allowed to intermingle and on those same systems. Was this a joke or did I hear that? Literally a buzzer will go off if they're within a certain amount of feet of T two or T one. Yeah,

that is that device that I was talking about. So me, it's amazing a Tier three employee. If I go near anywhere near somebody like Kirk Cousins, my buzzers going off and it's going to start ringing. So I will definitely make sure that myself being one of the Tier three would be a great name for Chris Corso's book, Chris Corso, Tier Three, Tier Three, Chris Corso, Jay, it sounds like there's not going to be any preseason games happening this year. I mean, it's not set in stone, but it feels

slim to none at this point. There will officially be no fans at any NFL training camps. Do you see that hindering their preparedness for the season or are you confident that the things are in place to get guys ready to play? For me, The biggest bummer of it is the preseason being eliminated. That is where in the past you've been able to find your diamonds in the rough, like you're Adam Feelins, who were more of your undrafted players.

I think with between that and the fact that they're going to be it sounds like paring down the rosters to eight instead of ninety during camp as would be normal during a normal year. Those kind of opportunities for some of those guys are going to be fewer and far between. It's going to be very slim for some

of them to be able to make that happen. But in general, for me, I think given the fact there was no offseason for these guys as far as being on the field and being able to work together the camaraderie, I think this buffer zone at the beginning of camp is going to be something that they can use to gel as a team and then finally just be able to concentrate on football on the field. Yeah, it's going to be way different. You're not going to have the roar of the crowd and the excitement and the kind

of the buzz at camp. But in general, I think once those guys are able to just focus on football that might actually be a little beneficial to the team since they've missed out on so much this past offseason. Yeah, and let me hammer a couple of those things home. One, you know, I think one of the negatives is, you know, just the mass amount of draft capital spent in the second half of the draft this year, which we were

all really enthused about. Those are the types of guys I think you really would have liked to see get run in preseason, and like you said, see a few of them separate themselves. So in a year when the Vikings had an abnormal amount of light round draft picks, that that definitely is a source of frustration. But to the other side, I love training camp and I love the fan aspect of training camp. I think you know, I used to go on man Cato all the time. I was at the one last year up and Egan.

It's just a wonderful experience. But I think you're right. I think it gives the team and all the units that compose the team, coaching, training, all of it. It just gives them this focus that'll allow it to be strictly about football on every single level, at every single moment,

and that might end up being a benefit for the team. Yeah, And ultimately, I think having that ability to focus, like you said, because of the amount of rookies and young people we have on this team, is the critical component that we've all been kind of raising an eyebrow at this past offseason. Is just saying they're missing out on this critical time. Yes, they're doing zoom classrooms or you know, some sort of online learning, but that is going to

be the critical piece. And so now it sounds like, at least for a chunk of time, they're going to get that to start. Well, let's go through a couple of training camp talkers here, and we'll be doing this every week. But I think the one that everyone is most interested in, or nearly most interested in, is the wide receiver situation. Anytime you trade a superstar, that position group comes underneath a microscope in the next season, So Digs is out, you got Jefferson and Taj Sharpe in.

You know a lot of people forget Chad Bbe is back. Chad Beebe had to sit out. A lot of people were excited about him going into last year. He's now year. So I think there's gonna be a lot of comparative analysis. But I want to put you guys on the spot with a fun question, and uh I was I was talking with a writer you guys familiar with, Chris Shaddy.

Chris had Chris had a really interesting piece where he pointed out that this is the third Superstar wide receiver trade for the Vikings in the last fifteen years or so. Moss gooes to Oakland, Percy Harvin goes to Seattle, and now Stefan Diggs and they were all kind of you all with a little bit of drama, all with a little bit of like interesting pieces. And you know, the Moss trade for most fans, that is still a thorn in their side. They are very they feel like they

got the raw end of that. Now the Harvin one, uh Spielman spun that into Xavier Roads and that Xavier became, amongst other things, became a cornerstone to one of the best defenses in the leagues for a lot of years. So it's it's almost as if this Superstar wide receiver trade is the tie breaker. And that was the crux of his article that I thought was so interesting. So my question to YouTube is when it's when this year

is said and done. Do you think fans are going to be looking at the Diggs trade more on the Harvin side or more on the Moss side. I think it's going to be something like Justin Jefferson is always going to be linked to Stefan Diggs, especially for Vikings fans. I mean, when you pull a trade like that and you're able to get a first round pick from the Buffalo Bills, which many did not expect after that DeAndre Hopkins trade. I think Jefferson coming in, he's shown the confidence.

He already said he can't wait to be tackled by Eric Kendricks in practice. Once they start tackling each other, he's ready to go against the top players on the Vikings defense, and I think he's ready to go. I mean, it's going to be exciting to see what he can do because he not only has the skill in the talent and college, but he has the opportunity like it's there for him, it's waiting for him. It's up to him what he's gonna do with it. Eighteen touchdowns in

college last year. I think there's gonna be a lot of chances for him to make big plays for the Vikings this year. Jay, let me let me just say that I would like to be the first to donate to Chris Corso's political career because he did not remotely answer that question, you weak little boy. It is because that's the interesting thing. Much like the moss trade, it's

receiver for receiver. I think the difference between the moss trade and the digs trade is Troy Williamson was kind of a little bit unexpected at that pick, and you know, it was a little bit of a surprise, whereas I think Justin Jefferson, the common opinion on him, I would say, is higher at the time than what I think the common opinion was on Troy Williamson. Jay, why don't you

go ahead and dodge the question gladly? To be honest with you, that was your point that you just made is actually what I was going to bring up to given what Chris said, I'm super smart. Thank you the linking of this piece with Justin Jefferson because of the Troy Williamson situation that happened after Randy left. That is the thing that I think has always kind of made Vikings fans gunshy just in general, just saying like, listen, you can say that yes, this trade happened, and are

you going to feel one way or the other. But what it turns into is what happened the following year and who was the person that possibly came in to replace them? And since Williamson did not live up to the expectations of what he was drafted at, and Jefferson by all accounts at this point, seems like he's going to be an absolute stud on this team. Having Diggs produced the way that he did, having it be the Diggs and Feeling combo, and now having a guy like

Justin Jefferson step into those kind of shoes. That is the thing that on a local and national level everyone's looking at to say, will the Vikings miss a step or not? And I think for guys like Kubiak and everyone within the Vikings wide receiver room, they're going to be looking at a guy like Jefferson to be able to step up and fit that production. Since the Vikings offense was pretty dang solid last season, I'll answer it.

I think it's going to be more Harvin. I think Randy Moss was a transcendent athlete for this team, and he left with a return that was very questionable and I think I just I'm with you, guys. I think I think the return and and that's and we're just talking about the one pick. We're just we're strictly talking about Justin Jefferson. Here. It doesn't start and end there. You have to look at the whole docket. But you know, there wasn't this sort of steam heading into camp with

Troy Williamson like there is Justin Jefferson. Next question that you guys won't want to answer, this is fun for me. Now grow up, Chris Corso and handle this question. Gary Kubiak's taken over play calling. Are we going to Stefanski? Could be? Stefanski was? It was All of us were huge fans of him, and he's was interestingly wide open

at times and then very conservative at times. Will we see with Gary Kubiak, Chris, will he fall more conservative then Stefanski or will he fall on a more aggressive

side than Stefanski? Well, we all know Gary Kubiak has been linked to the running backs throughout his career and having one of the top running offenses every single year he's been in this league as an offensive play caller, so I expect him to do more of the running Dalvin Cook as many times as he can a game and be able to use that to set up the play action for Kirk Cousins. So I think we're gonna

go conservative in that aspect. Cousins through ten interceptions the year before and had just six this previous year with Gary Kubiak on staff kind of directing Stefanski, so I think you'll continue to see him try to limit the mistakes for Cousins. But I definitely yeah, I'd say it

will be a little more conservative than last year. Well, let me just point out that too often people you know, conservative in terms of offensive play call and is connected to maybe maybe as a negative connotation, And that's not the way the question was posed because to me, I think you look at your pieces and your assets around your entire football team and you decide what the proper approach is, and so that this is more of a question of how do you think he'll use our pieces

than naming either of the approaches as right or wrong. So, Jay, I've now allowed you to answer that question with free conscience. Go ahead, you want to see somebody sit on a fence, right, watch this one here. Yeah, I think the conservative side of it is going to be the running back side of it, and that they're going to try to move the ball, especially if you get a guy like Dalvin on the field consistently and he can stay healthy. I

think that will be viewed as conservative. But what that does, like you said, Corso, was set up the play action pass. And I think given the confidence that Kirk had even in that final or in the news playoff game where he was hitting the deep shot in overtime going for the throat to try to win the game, that is what I think will happen within this Kubiak offense. I think you went from essentially the student to the teacher

now doing the play calls. And I think as a guy like Kubiak when he was in Denver, they would pound the rock, but then they would take those shots downfield and they would connect. And if you have some of your speed burner guys, you have a feeling healthy back and if, like we said before, if Justin Jefferson steps up, you have some serious weapons, including the tight ends in order to take some deep shots here and pound the rock and then take those shots when necessary.

Next question for the two of you in this new game that I've just slowly slid into as the show has developed, What exactly and when will it get done? Dalvin's contract? Tell me the money amount. I'm just kidding, Chris, Chris almost dropped in his pants. That was a joke. We are not going to dive into that. We're just gonna sit and hope that our favorite running back has a great season. I do want to talk about the

offensive line. I think a big thing for the offensive line this year is we have stacked it over the last number of years with youthful potential is what I'll call it. There's youthful potential all over this line. In order for this team to take a giant step forward, I think some of that youthful potential needs to turn into on the field high level productivity. So, and I know we on this show, I think, are a lot

higher on the offensive line than some other people. So I'm curious to hear what you guys think if you had to pick a spot to see that potential turn into production on the old line, where do you see that most likely coming from? Chris? Yeah, I mean you

have Brian O'Neill. I think he's pretty much become one of the anchors of this offensive line, probably the best player at such a young age, and I expect him to take a big step this year, whether it's at that right tackle position where he's played, or if or if we push him over to the left side and Riley Reef goes into the interior part of the offensive line. But I really expect him to be the most consistent

player on the offensive line. But I want to see Garrett Bradbury, last year's first round pick, really grow in this offense and become more of a leader out there. Obviously last year was just his rookie year. So those two players are the ones that bet are going to be anchors of this offensive line for years to come. And I really want to see those two guys take

a big step here, Jay, I agree with that. I also think that not only having Bradbury back for another year, and like you said, I think O'Neill being an anchor on the one side, I want to see what's going to happen with that other tackle and ken a guy like an Ezra Cleveland who just got drafted here, can he step into that role. Because if you're telling me that essentially the outside tackles and the center are solidified and now we've we've had some you know, solid work,

but we've also had some questions. Yet'm know what's going to happen with the guards. If you're telling me that the corners and the middle are solidified, and then we can work out what's going to happen with the guards. You are looking at a young core for a team that has a Delvin Cook type running back playing for them, that can produce for many, many years to come. And I think that would be huge for this team to finally answer the question of what's going to happen with

the offensive line. The fans are gonna of this podcast, are gonna get sick of hearing it. I am dying on the Pat elf line hill this year. I think he I think I've said it a bunch of times. He's had a lot of He's had a lot of position coaches, a lot of coordinators, a lot of position switches. And this year is the year that I think you see Pat rise up against that criticism and have a

really really strong year. Check in with me on Twitter in about three and a half months and see how people are reacting to that consistent thought process of mine. But I'm really I'm really looking for a good year from pat elf Line for a couple of reasons. I just think he's in line for it, and two, if it happens, I think it could be transformative for the

offensive line. If and when pad alf Line has the year that I think he's capable of this year, I think people could look at this line and go, oh wow, look look at this now, look look at as something like that could could completely transform what we do. And I'm a believer that that's that's in the realm of possibility this year. Let's do Uh, since we're on position groups, let's do what as as training camp is about to start, what position group battle are you looking forward to the most?

For me, it's obviously the cornerback position. It's the position where we lost two of the starters for the past three to four years, and Trey Wayne's and Xavier Rhodes there they are both gone now. So it's Mike Hughes, who is the eldest member of the cornerback group, so he's he's gonna have to step up this year. I want to see if he can become a player who plays in the slot or if he's gonna play on the outside. We've seen him do a little bit of both.

Um when he's healthy. But you look, you go down this list and the top seven guys I think are the ones that are really gonna have a chance to get reps with the starters, and that's Mike Hughes Uh, Jeff Gladney, Holton Hill, and Chris Boyd, the two young cornerbacks out of Texas. And then Cameron Danzler, Harrison Hand and Novelle clark U the UDFA from Central Florida. That's my group of seven that I really want to see

battle it out. Chris Boyd and Holton Hill had some games last year where they really stepped up and looked like they could do it. But they also had moments where they they showed their their youth out there and they were beat on big plays. Um. I can remember the Cowboys game was a game where these these guys really struggled. So, um, let's see who rises to the cream of the crop. Jeff Gladney the first pick for the Vikings. There's gonna be a lot asked of him

this year, So I don't know what's gonna happen. They're all it's a bunch of young guys, Chris, let me tell you a couple of things. One great, great answer, great pick and anytime somebody combines two common phrases into one common phrase. You just said, rise to the cream of the crop, and it's maybe the funniest damn thing I've heard in a hundred years. I too, am very curious to see who will rise to the cream of

the crop with the cornerbacks, and I love it. Another thing I keep hammering home on this show is I love that we have two stud all pro level capable safeties and now we can just let these guys fight, these young guys fight, and just cycle them out there and see who are the guys that want it the most and who are going to produce the best. I'm really excited about that, Jay, Who in what group are you curious to see who rises to the top of

the cream of the crop. That should be a new TV show title, that'd be that'd be fun to watch. One A and one B for me are the secondary, but the one B for me is the wide receiver group. The fact that you essentially have a number one in what we assume is Adam feeling and then you literally have eleven more guys on the roster that are going to be duking it out not only for the wide receiver position but also skill positions for kick returner, put returner.

These guys are where we found our diamonds in the rough for the last how many years on this team. I think your BC Johnson's, your BB's they have some established pieces to them. But justin Jefferson is we all assume we want him to step up and handle this. But what's going to happen with the Dylan Mitchell, What's going to happen with the kJ Osbourne Taj Sharpe being

a guy that is a veteran that other people. There was an article that was written basically saying that the rest of the league was actually courting this guy pretty strongly in free agency, and so there are a lot of people who leave in him that given the right situation essentially getting out of Tennessee where they were so run heavy, he could step up in here as well

and become a number two, number three wide receivers. So that that position for me, there are so many bodies in there that can fill so many holes within that this roster of the final roster, the wide receiver something is going to be something very very interesting to keep your eyes on. I'll throw an extra one in there, and it's the the opposite defensive end spot with the

departure of Everson Griffin. A Foddy is a guy who you know played, is capable of playing that position and really quietly had a really great year last year and a year of big time improvement. So I want to

see if he can take that jump. You know, you got the draft pick that Chris had on the show a couple of weeks ago, and in DJ Wantam, I'm really that's always been a strength for this team and the development of young guys has always been there, and it's it's been quite a while since one of those spots has been up for competition in the preseas season, So it'll be really interesting to see how that comes together. Chris, this is one that you've probably been waiting seven months for.

What are your expectations for Daddy Kirk? How do you see this season? Because I think and those of us who are excited to see what he does this year, I think you can recognize that at this point this offense is built to support what Kirk Cousins does. It's like you know, you're six foot four and you're you're looking to buy a house and you walk into a house and all the counters are two foot tall, and you drill your head on the ceiling in the basement. You're like, I don't think this is for me. I

need one of those tall guy houses. Well, the football house that's been built around Kirk. Everybody seems to be that's on in the team seems to be a supporter of him. He loves the play action. He's got one of the best running backs in the league. He's got wide receivers that fit his skill set. You heard Taj Sharpe. You know the type of routes at Taj to run and he likes to get behind people. And he said Kirk throws one of the best deep balls he's ever seen.

It's like everything has been put and now you're coming off that monumental win for him. Given the narratives of the past and the playoffs last year, everything seems to be lining up. It reminds me, and this one went the other way. But the two thousand, I can't remember the exact year, but Dante the famous everything slowing down quote, and he wasn't the only one who felt that. I think everybody watched him walk into that season and thought

everything was coming together. Now, I'm not saying that Kirk is gonna have a season like that. I'm just giving a comparative analysis. But everything is right there for him to have the season that we all think he's capable of. And Chris, he's your boy. What is Daddy Kirk going to do this year? Well, he threw for over four thousand yards in five seasons in a row, and last year was the first one where he didn't. He only threw for thirty six hundred yards in this Gary Kubiak

molded Stefanski offense. I think it's gonna be another similar season. He had his career high total in only having six interceptions. All the years before that, he had ten or more in the NFL the past five seasons that I just mentioned, So I think it's gonna be trying to balance the mistakes work with a lot of young players as his receivers, and justin Jefferson, I think IRV Smith is gonna come along as one of the big players that he's gonna

want to target. When I talked to Gary Kubiak in the offseason, I mean, he kept mentioning we're giving HERV a little more. We're giving HERV a little more. So I think that that two tight ends set is going to be really big for the offense this year and really big for Kirk. So I see him thrown for again. That thirty five hundred yard, twenty five touchdown, five interceptions

is what I'm gonna go with. And if he's around that seventy percent completion percentage that he's been at the past two years, I think, I think that's what it's going to be. But yeah, keep keep going with the play action. I would like to see him get out of the pocket a little more on his own rather

than needing the play action to do so. So if he can make some moves outside the pocket a little more, that will definitely help his cause, because we've seen what happens when he gets too comfortable just being in the pocket. It doesn't It normally doesn't turn out good against a team like the San Francisco forty nine ers. Jaye Nelson, I think for Kirk, if he did what he did last season, given the questions that we had on the offensive line, I'm going to tie back the other question

that we had from before. If you're telling me that that offensive line solidifies, there's no reason why he couldn't hit four thousand yards in a season. He has, like you said, all the weapons that he potentially needs. The front end of the season usually offense is a little bit slower to solidify if you have all these questions marks on what's going to happen with wide receivers, and then you've got some of your guys, like you said, Irv getting more run at this stuff and with Dalvin

getting mixed back in. If every think goals right, I think that Kirk is poised to have a gigantic season if everything can solidify here in the short amount of time. They're going to have to get everybody on the same page. Yeah, I agree with you. I think he's in line to have a really good season. And it's the same thing. It's tied to my belief that I think we're going to see a jump up in offensive line production this year,

and obviously those two things go hand in hand. The reason I did the long preamble before the question is because I Kirk is a guy that I view he has that ability to snowball, and I mean that in a good way, Like when he feels confidence and then he feels confidence around him, it just picks up and it just snowballs. I think about this moment a lot two years ago, right before the de Filippo season, right before everything started to kind of go the struggle direction.

We had that early season aim against the Green Bay Packers and we were down by guy I don't even remember how many jay, but we were down by a bundle in the second half, and all of a sudden, Kurt came out and hit a couple throws. And this was before his production was even polarized by the fan base. I think at that point most fans were just psyched

to have a productive quarterback. And I think he made a few throws early in that second half that you went, oh boy, and then you saw the team rallying, and then you saw him sticking some throws in there. And then remember late in that game, I think it was Thelanard Diggs I can't remember, but he put that ridiculous ass throw right near the corner down by the goal line, right there, and you're like, well, that's one of the

best throws I've ever seen. And he has that ability when he's feeling it, and when those around him are really behind him and running with him, he really really snowballs and becomes one of these guys like this is one of the best quarterbacks in the league for sure. And the reason I did that preamble before the question is that's the place we're in. He's got a coordinator he likes. He's got a great running back in Alexander Madison, who we will talk about on this podcast at some point.

That's another guy that I have immense expectations for. He's got wide receivers who fit him, were just the defense. Everything is right there. So I think this could be one of those things where I have regular positive expectations for him. Like I think, you get it, thirty five hundred four thousand yards low interceptions do really well. But

I think there's this ceiling on it. I think there's this world where if he comes out and in the first two three games, things click and everybody is falling together in the right way and everything's landing, and like you said, IRV Smith steps up a little bit and takes on a role where you could go, there's a ceiling of, Oh, this guy's having a monster year, part of a two with Kirk, Like you said, you see the confidence kind of oozing from him, and you see him kind of get on a roll and he's just

kind of, you know, directing traffic and telling here here, here, here here, and he's just clicking the best part for me what I love to see on that and he saw it last year, especially after the controversy happened, and then he just turned into a kind of a you know, screw this, I'm just going to go for it. When he bites down on his mouthpiece and just says, this

is on me, let's make this happen. That is fun to watch because, like you said, you get those kind of throws where he's lacing in a shot to feeling on the pylon and you're just looking that going how is that possible? How did he lace that in there

exactly where it needed to be. That is the Kirk that I think the fans are dying for, because that reminds you of seeing your gun slingers from the past, like your five types, where they just get into this mindset and they're going, I'm going to make this happen, come hell or high water. And if Kirk turns into that guy, all of the questions and the fans that are that are, you know, raising eyebrows saying is this going to be a thing? What is the ceiling? What's

he going to be like? That kind of season will shut everybody up forever, and it is awesome to watch. So I am begging for that to happen this season just as a fan and as an employee. It is very fun to watch when you see a guy like Kirk go for it on that level. Last talker, Good Morning Football this week had a discussion with Maurice Jones, Drew, Peter Schreger, and Shaun O'Hara was on there about the Vikings possibly being a sleeper contender in the NFC this year.

Shregger thinks it's whope. I love Peter Schreger. I think he is so great. On that show, he said he thinks the Vikings should be in the conversation given their ability to go down to New Orleans, New Orleans? Am I from there? For their ability to go to New Orleans? What happened to me right there? Did I have a Southern stroke in the middle of that? And when in the wild card round. His biggest concerns are obviously the

changes on defense and digs being gone. Shawn O'Hara, He I think his confidence is in Zimmer on the defensive side of the ball. Is what I took from it is this. You know, he's got this young core. The offense is a little more established, and I paraphrasing, he's got this is what he does, he grows young guys. Drew's main concern is a lot of people's concern Delvin

Cook being a hold out. I don't know why I just described an entire episode of Good Morning Football to you, guys, but I would say, when you hear people saying that your team, our team, the Vikings are a sleeper contender, what's your reaction. I love hearing the outside perspective and from these national reporters. And when the Vikings played the Saints and the change Chris's bio changed Chris's biography to

third tier outside perspective Tier three. How the how the cream of the crop rose to the top of the crop by Chris Carso no forward normally normally Pete Schrager is the is the fan of the Vikings. He usually gives us some positivity, but um no, it's it's to hear them still character as I says, a sleeper is fine by me. I think that's where Zimmer likes to be. He likes when everyone says that we're not going to

beat the Saints on the road in the playoffs. He likes when we're we're considered the third best team in the NFC North. I think that's when the Vikings play their best is when they are characterized as the sleeper. My biggest concern is a team like the San Francisco forty nine ers, who the team our season ended too

on the road last year. Looking at some of the top teams in the NFC, we're gonna have to rise to that level, and I think the biggest area where we have to rise to their level to be on that level is the offensive line being able to protect Kirk Cousins. As we said in that previous segment, that is what broke down in the biggest game of the season where we lost at the end. I think if the offensive line can take that next step, we can be on the level all of those top teams in

the NFC. Because our defense certainly is one thing that Shan O'Hara pointed out in that clip when they were discussing us was that the Vikings only won two division games last year. That is a huge point. We were ten and six at that point. So if you even get one more or two more, you're potentially hosting a playoff game at home. And just think if you're hosting a game versus being at New Orleans or what the implications would have been. Maybe we don't go to San

Francisco and the playoffs. I think if you can take care of what you need to at home in your own division and you can have another season where you're getting into that double digit column. This team, like we just said, with the offense especially, is poised to do some damage like they did last year. So again, keep saying that you're not on the top, keep looking at us as a sleep or pick whatever you want to talk about. At the beginning. It doesn't matter at the

beginning of the year. Depends at the end and when you start to make those runs late in the season, those are the things that count and that is what matters. So find by us. The Vikings have always liked it when especially Zimmer's always liked that when you're you're the underdog and in the end, it's great to prove them wrong. Well, so here's here's my counter hope. Because I think you guys are right. I think this team thrives as an underdog.

I think Zimmer's a fantastic coach no matter what role they're playing. But I do think he I think your guys are right. I think he enjoys the underdog role. I think he revels in the criticism and being able to rally against it. But what I really want for this team is I want to see him succeed in the opposite role. I want to see them. I want to see them. I would, you know, selfishly, I would love to see us come out and run up four

and oh five and oh six. I mean, no matter for what reason, I would love us to do that. But I'd like other teams to be coming into us and and everybody in the national media going, oh, this is a this is a super Bowl contender, This isn't a sleeper. These are the guys, these are a possible one seed. I'd like to host a home play off game. I'd like to host an you know, an NFC championship game, because that's that feels like the thing that you know,

it would be nice to see us break through. It would be to get into those moments, to be the lead dog and to run away from people. And that's you know, that's a tough thing to that's a tough thing, especially given the the basically the large return of the three best teams in the conference, arguably outside of where we believe our team stands. The Packers, the Saints, you know,

the Niners, and the Seahawks, the four best teams. They're all pretty you know, intact and returning, so they have a lot of the benefits that we have and keeping a lot of their staff and players together. So you know, it's going to be hard to necessarily rise and rise above those guys in any quick manner. But that that's where I want to see the team. I want to I don't want to be a sleeper. I want to be a lead dog. I want to be a contender, And I want this team to go through a season

of getting the shot that contenders get. You know that that to me would wildly benefit this team. Now, of course, what a luxury. What you know, it's a dumb thing for me to sit here and go I want to be so good. Everybody wants to beat us. But I just wanted to throw that out there with the you know, comparatively to the underdog conversation. Let's let's close on something related to that, Mike Zimmer. The media this week has floated out that Mike is uh In is a there

is a pending Mike Zimmer contract extension being finalized. It has not been finalized, announced, or formalized by us, so we're not going to speculate on that or the terms. But I will say that even the even the leak of the possibility of that information as a Viking fan

got me going. I mean, I'm I grew up in I was fifteen years old in nineteen eight, so Denny Green is always I spent a long time thinking there would never be a Viking football coach that I would root for more than I rooted for Denny Green, and Zimmer has risen easily to that level. So the fact that we might be tacking him in here for a few more years is really really exciting. Like I said, when it becomes an actual piece of announced information, will

really go through it on this podcast. But just given the leaked media information, I'm sure you guys are pretty through the roof as well. I mean, you have to be He's won sixty percent of his game since he's been here fifty seven, thirty eight and one, and he's had the defense finished top five multiple seasons, twenty fifteen and twenty nineteen two seasons where we went pretty far in the playoffs. It's just about getting over that hump, that next step. But he clearly has us a contender

in the NFC year after year to year. So that's all you ask for as a fan, and he's clearly obviously has the impact on the defensive side of the ball. But we want to see it all come together. And I think with Gary Kubiak's staying and being the one to take over the offense and finally some to have someone who's been here the year before be on the offensive side of the ball, I think this could be

the year where it happens. But yeah, you got you gotta appreciate what Mike Zimmer has done here as a fan. Having the defense to be a defensive first team is always exciting. Everyone has feared his defense, his double a gap blitz in every single game and we always have a chance to win every game. I think that's all you could ask for as a fan from your head coach, and clearly our players love him. A guy like Bud Grant set the tone. And what did fans love about

Bud Grant. He was the tough, no nonsense, nobs kind of coach that would lead from the front. He's still running out there and his older age, you know, and the freezing call in a polo shirt and he's he's he is the personification of toughness. And I think the reason why people love Mike Zimmer at this point is he is essentially, in a way a Bud Grant two point zero. He leads from the front, nobs, he doesn't

want any excuses. He constantly tells the players when something happens, he says, nobody's gonna feel sorry for us, and nobody's going to give us an inch. So guess what, you got to go out and earn it. And I think a guy like Zimmer not only can he, you know, talk tough, but he's backing it up with wins, going

to playoff games, winning big games in the playoffs. I think Mike Zimmer being a part of this team, the fans and the players and the front office, everybody knows that they have a competent, successful leader and a guy like Mike, and I think it'll be great if they can lock him up for the long term. Well, thank you guys for for being willing to let me throw questions at your face throughout this episode. That's going to

do it for us. I insist Viking fans that you stay tuned to Vikings dot com and all of our social media for the eist in Vikings News as Bison Vikings Training Camp twenty twenty gets kicked off. Here just some stuff that's up there that's really great. Right now, Craig Peters reviews how the new look safeties on the Vikings defense could help out during the twenty twenty season.

During his Exes and O's article, Lindsay Young helps further the breakdown at TAJ Sharp and or Lunch Break article, and check out the continued coverage of Cameron and friends Bracelet Bunch charity fundraiser from this past week in Rosemont, Minnesota, with the help of her gracious host, the Family of Vikings fullback c J. Ham. It's just it's such a great thing that those families are out there doing. Follow us on all the social media platforms and just stay tuned,

We are there. Football is coming and we're going to be covering training camp every single week and we will see you guys next week