Mike Zimmer insists the sky is not in danger of caving in the ceilings at Winter Park, but consider…
His Vikings are coming off blowout loss to their biggest nemesis on prime-time television. They have dropped three of their past four games, losing by an average margin of 22 points. And at 2-3, they are back in the NFC North basement, sitting alone in the dark.
So basically, the Vikings have the Packers, Lions and Bears right where they want them.
OK, so that's not exactly the case. But believe it or not, their standing in the division as they try to enjoy this mini bye weekend could be — and maybe should be — a lot worse.
Their all-too-familiar soap opera has continued to air as scheduled over the past two months. Nose tackle Linval Joseph got shot in the calf. Star running back Adrian Peterson got hit with child abuse charges. And deep threat Jerome Simpson got the boot after his latest legal entanglement.
In events that actually took place on a football field, three offensive starters were lost to injuries, including two season-enders. And first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater sat out with a sprained ankle Thursday night, four days after a starting debut that made him NFL Rookie of the Week.
Throw in the quarterbacks the Vikings have faced — three future Hall of Famers, if you ask Zimmer, along with the NFC's leading passer — and 2-3 shouldn't sound half bad right now.
From here on out, the schedule should be much more forgiving. So the Vikings will get an opportunity to keep themselves in playoff contention if they can quickly regroup and put Thursday night's debacle behind them.
No, the Vikings don't have the look of a playoff team today. But if they can do these four things — and if some of the breaks start going their way — they will be in the mix down the stretch:
1. Keep Bridgewater on the field
Over the past week, we saw just how steep the drop-off is between Bridgewater and backup quarterback Christian Ponder.
A week ago, Bridgewater threw for 317 yards as the Vikings surprisingly won a shootout with the Atlanta Falcons. On Thursday, Ponder doomed the Vikings by throwing back-to-back interceptions.
The Vikings probably wouldn't have won Thursday had Bridgewater started. But there is no question the team would have at least shown signs of life.
The offensive line, which ranks 28th in the NFL in Pro Football Focus' pass, blocking efficiency metric, has to protect the pocket better. The Vikings should also consider swaddling their latest savior in bubble wrap, just in case the pre-draft durability concerns from draft analysts are legit.
2. Make some changes on defense
After his defense got worked by the Packers, Zimmer said that he will consider changes both schematically and personnel-wise. However, his history in both Dallas and Cincinnati shows that his scheme is sound, as long as all 11 men play as one. So about that personnel …
The most obvious starter to be swapped out is safety Robert Blanton, who usually only shows up on tape when he loses his man or gets bowled over in the run game.
Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn has been a disappointment. Perhaps Josh Robinson, one defensive bright spot, should start instead, at least for the time being.
And then there is outside linebacker Chad Greenway, who has missed the past two games with a rib injury, opening the door for Gerald Hodges. Greenway may still start when he returns, but Hodges has played well enough to cut deeper into his playing time.
3. Get Patterson involved again
Electric second-year wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson has touched the ball on offense just 19 times through five games and has just one carry since Week 1, which is simply not enough.
Zimmer said Patterson's disappearing act has been a combination of defenses paying extra attention to him, offensive coordinator Norv Turner not paying enough attention to him, and Patterson not doing enough to get open, though he did say Patterson was better at the latter the other night.
Surely, there is something to all of those things. But the Vikings have to find a way to manufacture more touches for their only offensive game-breaker.
4. Put pressure on those passers
After swarming St. Louis Rams quarterbacks in Week 1, the Vikings have just five sacks in their past four games and rarely disrupted Aaron Rodgers on Thursday night.
Zimmer has said the lack of sacks is a byproduct of individual defenders freelancing and straying from their rush lanes, opening escape routes for the quarterbacks.
But it is also on defensive ends Everson Griffen and Brian Robison, both of whom were signed to contact extensions in the past 12 months, to start making more of an impact when it matters.
Matt Vensel • matt.vensel@startribune.com
