Chip Scoggins: Vikings' game plan produces a little pizazz

Forget the final score for a moment. And leave aside the quality of opponent, as difficult as that might be.

If a disclaimer is required, sure, go ahead and note that the St. Louis Rams looked so inept Sunday that even the Big Ten mocked them.

The Vikings pounded a bad team 34-6 in their season opener. It wasn't a perfect performance, or a particularly clean one, but the first real glimpse of Mike Zimmer's gameday thinking revealed an element of creativity that felt refreshing.

The Vikings no longer appeared predictable on either side of the ball. They didn't sit back and play conservatively on defense. They showed some imagination on offense. They kept the Rams guessing by constantly changing personnel, formations and play calls.

For once, a Vikings game plan looked aggressive, not monotonous. Kind of nice, wasn't it?

"Exciting," cornerback Captain Munnerlyn said in describing the team's plan.

It serves no real purpose to continue to dump on the previous coaching staff, but what we witnessed in Zimmer's debut helps explain the optimism that's emerged from all corners of Winter Park.

Players lost faith in Leslie Frazier's staff, in large part, because their schemes became too predictable. If first impressions are accurate, that criticism won't be directed at this staff.

Start with Zimmer's defense. He disguised his intentions by moving players all over the field, particularly rookie Anthony Barr, a roving linebacker.

On multiple occasions, Zimmer put nine defenders along the line and then dropped a few into coverage at the snap. Though he tempted by showing blitz, Zimmer sent more than four pass rushers on only 10 plays, according to Pro Football Focus.

Safety Harrison Smith was given the green light to blitz at least four times. He forced a hurried throw once, hit the quarterback another time and collected a sack in the third quarter.

On Smith's 81-yard interception return for a touchdown, Barr stood over the center and bolted through the "A gap" to create pressure that led to a quarterback hit and errant pass.

Same thing applies to Turner's offense. His use of Cordarrelle Patterson was smart. Unlike his predecessor, Turner didn't wait until halfway through the season to realize Patterson is one of the NFL's most explosive talents. He gave Patterson the ball on sweeps, as a receiver and lined up at running back.

Patterson's hybrid role — similar to Percy Harvin in Seattle — makes the offense more dynamic and forces defenses to prepare for every scenario. He's effective even as a decoy.

Turner gave opponents something else to consider by using Adrian Peterson as a receiver out of the backfield on first-and-10 inside the red zone.

Turner even tried an unbalanced line in which he shifted right tackle Phil Loadholt to the left side, positioned between guard Charlie Johnson and tackle Matt Kalil. A false start penalty on Kalil, however, killed the play and prevented us from seeing what Turner had in mind.

"We're just trying to use all our weapons," center John Sullivan said. "Keep the defense on their heels and make sure they have to defend the entire field. The entire width of the field especially."

This was a good start, though, regardless of how crummy their opponent looks. Now the real grind begins with the Patriots, Saints, Falcons, Packers and Lions in succession, a gauntlet of elite quarterbacks on the docket.

That's a demanding stretch for sure. We're fascinated to see what Zimmer and Turner have in mind.