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Access Vikings morning walkthrough: Another unpredictable start, looking back at the 2013 draft and more

By Matt Vensel

September 23, 2015 at 1:51PM

Every weekday, we walk you through what's going on with the Vikings.

WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

— After another unpredictable start to the NFL season, Vikings players think they would have as much trouble in a survivor pool as you probably do.

— Lions wide receiver Golden Tate accused the Vikings of cheap shots.

— In this week's Access Vikings podcast, we broke down what changed for the Vikings from Week 1 to Week 2, discussed running back Adrian Peterson's role in the offense and previewed Sunday's game against the Chargers.

BEHIND ENEMY LINES

— One Chargers offensive lineman thinks rookie running back Melvin Gordon, who has 30 NFL carries under his belt, is "special."

— The Chargers are pretty familiar with offensive coordinator Norv Turner.

— Chargers safety Jimmy Wilson made his first career start last weekend and is looking to settle in next to All-Pro teammate Eric Weddle.

TODAY'S VIKINGS SCHEDULE

The Vikings are back at Winter Park today to start preparing for the Chargers. Practice is at 1 p.m. A couple of hours before then, coach Mike Zimmer and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will be on the podium.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

As SI's Peter King wrote in his "Monday Morning Quarterback" column this week, the 2013 first-round class has been highly disappointing so far. Top-10 picks such as Eric Fisher, Dion Jordan and Dee Milliner appear to be busts and the majority of the picks have been flops so far. But hey, what about the Vikings, who had three first-round picks that year? Cornerback Xavier Rhodes and defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd are good players now, and King, in hindsight, listed both among the top seven players taken in the 2013 first round. Wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, meanwhile, was not high on his list. But I don't know if I would call him a bust, as some fans have already done. Sure, he has underwhelmed as a pass-catcher, but he was an All-Pro returner as a rookie and has scored 11 touchdowns in 34 games. That's a lot more value than some of the others drafted in the same round in 2013.

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