Vikings Message Board.Com

Heard a great comment yesterday on NFL Live.
Was along the lines of after all of this negative Bridgewater stuff about his pro day, the glove, the hand size, the smaller body, why would they throw him in there right away? If he fails, all of the "so-called, self-proclaimed experts" come shouting about how they were right and so forth. His confidence is damaged because everywhere he looks, he sees doubters and nay-sayers. Allow him to be worked in and protect the kid this season !

Really made sense. I know he's better than Ponder and Cassell, but right now, with an average team, will he be successful or not? I would definitely get him in there the 2nd half of the season and get him up to the speed of the NFL.
1 more solid year of FA and the draft should make this team pretty solid and then TB can lead them!

IIsweet wrote:Heard a great comment yesterday on NFL Live.
Was along the lines of after all of this negative Bridgewater stuff about his pro day, the glove, the hand size, the smaller body, why would they throw him in there right away? If he fails, all of the "so-called, self-proclaimed experts" come shouting about how they were right and so forth. His confidence is damaged because everywhere he looks, he sees doubters and nay-sayers. Allow him to be worked in and protect the kid this season !

Really made sense. I know he's better than Ponder and Cassell, but right now, with an average team, will he be successful or not? I would definitely get him in there the 2nd half of the season and get him up to the speed of the NFL.
1 more solid year of FA and the draft should make this team pretty solid and then TB can lead them!

There's some truth to that. But it won't change much if they throw him in there a year from now, or two years from now, and he fails in the same manner. His confidence will be similarly shot and the naysayers will say the same thing. The difference would be that you waited a little to get him acclimated and he has one less excuse (see any Christian Ponder discussion for the entire list of excuses). Seems opinions are all over the board these days as to whether or not waiting makes much difference for a QB who has what it takes in the NFL.

Eli wrote: There's some truth to that. But it won't change much if they throw him in there a year from now, or two years from now, and he fails in the same manner. His confidence will be similarly shot and the naysayers will say the same thing. The difference would be that you waited a little to get him acclimated and he has one less excuse (see any Christian Ponder discussion for the entire list of excuses). Seems opinions are all over the board these days as to whether or not waiting makes much difference for a QB who has what it takes in the NFL.

The only thing that ought to matter is who looks better in training camp and pre-season. If he gives us a better chance to win, he's the choice. The rest is inconsequential.

Texas Vike wrote:The only thing that ought to matter is who looks better in training camp and pre-season. If he gives us a better chance to win, he's the choice. The rest is inconsequential.

Looking good in training camp may or may not be equivalent to giving the team the best chance to win. Things change quickly once the regular season begins, especially for a rookie.

Bridgewater has had, what, three days of rookie minicamp practices in shorts? A few good things being said about him by the coaching staff (big surprise) and the fan base has anointed him the starter.

I have the distinct feeling already that this is going to be a _very_ long season for the Vikings. They have a difficult schedule out of the gate, and could easily find themselves 0-5 to start. Then we'll hear everyone clamoring for the QB to be replaced and here we go again.

Eli wrote: Looking good in training camp may or may not be equivalent to giving the team the best chance to win. Things change quickly once the regular season begins, especially for a rookie.

Bridgewater has had, what, three days of rookie minicamp practices in shorts? A few good things being said about him by the coaching staff (big surprise) and the fan base has anointed him the starter.

I have the distinct feeling already that this is going to be a _very_ long season for the Vikings. They have a difficult schedule out of the gate, and could easily find themselves 0-5 to start. Then we'll hear everyone clamoring for the QB to be replaced and here we go again.

Maybe, maybe not. I trust in our current coaches to make the call. I would assume that the expectations are that Cassell will be the starter, but if Teddy looks superior leading up to the season and they feel he's their best option, then then need to have the cojones to go for it.

It's not like our opinion as fans matters one iota. You think Zimmer gives two squirts what folks are posting here or what's said in the media? He will do what he feel must be done.

Eli wrote:Bridgewater has had, what, three days of rookie minicamp practices in shorts? A few good things being said about him by the coaching staff (big surprise) and the fan base has anointed him the starter.

I have the distinct feeling already that this is going to be a _very_ long season for the Vikings. They have a difficult schedule out of the gate, and could easily find themselves 0-5 to start. Then we'll hear everyone clamoring for the QB to be replaced and here we go again.

I don't see how it matters as far as Bridgewater in camp in shorts. What matters is how quickly he's picking up the offense, and how he can adjust to the new speed. I don't think people have "anointed him the starter", rather they've just heard the positives that have been said and would like to see what he brings to the table. Maybe I don't speak for everyone else in that. Of course, neither do you.

We have a very difficult schedule out of the gate. That's also a good thing, because I think you can get a feel of where this team is going to end up as soon as week 2 or 3. If they're stumbling out of the gate, I see this as a 7-9 or 8-8 team at best. Spielman will probably get fired, Peterson will probably demand a trade, and who knows after that. If they can get a head of steam by winning at St. Louis and upsetting New England, they're going to be in pretty good shape. Not sure if there are any teams you can't compete with once you've beaten the Pats, but there probably aren't very many. I think if they can do the unthinkable and win those first 5 or 6, they have a more than realistic shot at winning 12 games or more, and would be in pretty great position to win the division I'd imagine having beaten Green Bay.

Slick Rick wrote:We have a very difficult schedule out of the gate. That's also a good thing, because I think you can get a feel of where this team is going to end up as soon as week 2 or 3. If they're stumbling out of the gate, I see this as a 7-9 or 8-8 team at best. Spielman will probably get fired, Peterson will probably demand a trade, and who knows after that.

After a 7-9 or .500 season? I don't see that happening. Assuming there won't be some sort of unexpected scandal or something, I'd say the only way Spielman will get fired after this season is if the team and the new coaching staff are a complete and utter disaster.

Spielman is almsot certainly going to be the Vikings GM for the duration of the Zimmer era. The Wilfs clearly like him and have great faith in him. He just had a chance to hire a coach of his choosing and he just drafted another "QB of the future" so in all likelihood, his job is secure until these relatively big decisions play out.

Spielman won't get fired for a losing season. I suspect everyone in the Vikings organization knows that this season will be tough. Not so much because of the schedule, but because so much is new. New coaches, new offense, new defense, new free agents, ten new draft picks, a new stadium.

Win 12 games???

Mothman wrote:After a 7-9 or .500 season? I don't see that happening. Assuming there won't be some sort of unexpected scandal or something, I'd say the only way Spielman will get fired after this season is if the team and the new coaching staff are a complete and utter disaster.

Spielman is almsot certainly going to be the Vikings GM for the duration of the Zimmer era. The Wilfs clearly like him and have great faith in him. He just had a chance to hire a coach of his choosing and he just drafted another "QB of the future" so in all likelihood, his job is secure until these relatively big decisions play out.

Apparently we aren't reading the same things. AP is the franchise player. He's an iconic player who needs to be here when the stadium opens, and if you haven't been paying attention, he's fed up with mediocrity. I think it's nearly certain that he would leave town if there wasn't an extended playoff run this season, and I can't see Spielman's reputation surviving that. This is supposed to be the year. We were 10-6 a couple of years ago, we could have probably won 10 games last year, this is the year where things are supposed to click.

Absolutely no way that Spielman survives unless we win a playoff game or two, and I don't see that being the case for obvious reasons if we're going to finish roughly .500.

Eli wrote:Spielman won't get fired for a losing season. I suspect everyone in the Vikings organization knows that this season will be tough. Not so much because of the schedule, but because so much is new. New coaches, new offense, new defense, new free agents, ten new draft picks, a new stadium.

Win 12 games???

Peterson ain't going to stick around if we aren't winning, all you have to do is observe the things he's been saying to know that, and if Peterson ain't sticking around then who's responsibility is that? It falls directly on Spielman's shoulders at this point. He has no one else to blame anymore. These are all his players, this is his staff, he has everything under his control. There's no way the ownership is expecting anything less than the playoffs and then some, and there's no way Spielman's getting off the hook if/when Peterson leaves.

I'm fairly confident this is at least a 10 win team. More if we can win at least 4 or 5 of our first 6 games. Less if we go winless, or have 1 win through the first 6 games.

Slick Rick wrote:Apparently we aren't reading the same things. AP is the franchise player. He's an iconic player who needs to be here when the stadium opens, and if you haven't been paying attention, he's fed up with mediocrity. I think it's nearly certain that he would leave town if there wasn't an extended playoff run this season, and I can't see Spielman's reputation surviving that. This is supposed to be the year.

This is supposed to be the year? According to who, you? When is a team with a new coaching staff, an unsettled QB situation and coming off a losing season ever expected to make an extended playoff run? As Eli said, there's too much change to hold the team to such high expectations and then fire the GM if they don't have a great year (and an extended playoff run would represent the Vikings best season since 2009).

Spielman's not going anywhere unless the season is a disaster and I doubt AD is either, .500 season or not. Even if Peterson demands a trade, I seriously doubt that would cost Spielman his job.

Absolutely no way that Spielman survives unless we win a playoff game or two, and I don't see that being the case for obvious reasons if we're going to finish roughly .500.

You're thinking like a fan, not an owner. If the Vikings actually improve their W/L record to .500 in their current situation, under a new coaching staff, it would be a stunning development if Spielman were fired.

Mothman wrote: After a 7-9 or .500 season? I don't see that happening. Assuming there won't be some sort of unexpected scandal or something, I'd say the only way Spielman will get fired after this season is if the team and the new coaching staff are a complete and utter disaster.

Spielman is almsot certainly going to be the Vikings GM for the duration of the Zimmer era. The Wilfs clearly like him and have great faith in him. He just had a chance to hire a coach of his choosing and he just drafted another "QB of the future" so in all likelihood, his job is secure until these relatively big decisions play out.

Yeah I think it'll take some sort of egregious mistake for Spielman or Zimmer to be fired after this year. At earliest, they would bring in a new staff with the start of the new stadium season but hopefully that won't be necessary.

I don't think anyone is going to jump just because AP says "Boo".

the Poll is closed.

15% thinks he starts week 1.....47% have him starting sometime this year (including week 1)......37% have him starting week 1 of 2015....42% have him staring sometime in 2015 (including week 1).....and 10% think he doesn't start until 2016 when we hit the new Stadium.

So close to half think we see Bridgewater this season. I have to agree. The only way I don't see Bridgewater playing is if the Vikings are in a serious playoff push with Cassell at the helm. And I don't see how we realistically are in the hunt after Thanksgiving or so. Just to many new pieces.

I really disagree with the 10% who say he starts in 2016. I just don't see him sitting 2 whole seasons while we get stuck watching Cassell.

NDVikeFan wrote:the Poll is closed.

15% thinks he starts week 1.....47% have him starting sometime this year (including week 1)......37% have him starting week 1 of 2015....42% have him staring sometime in 2015 (including week 1).....and 10% think he doesn't start until 2016 when we hit the new Stadium.

So close to half think we see Bridgewater this season. I have to agree. The only way I don't see Bridgewater playing is if the Vikings are in a serious playoff push with Cassell at the helm. And I don't see how we realistically are in the hunt after Thanksgiving or so. Just to many new pieces.

I really disagree with the 10% who say he starts in 2016. I just don't see him sitting 2 whole seasons while we get stuck watching Cassell.

And I really disagree with the 12 drunk people who think Teddy is going to start Day One.