If the Vikings are going to pass protect better, move the ball more efficiently and keep Sam Bradford on the right side of injured reserve, the football can't come out so darn sloooooooooooowly in the passing game.
That's essentially the feeling we're getting from the QB who got hit 18 times, sacked four times and fumbled four times during Sunday's 21-10 loss at Philadelphia.
"Obviously there were times when I could have gotten the ball out quicker," Bradford said today as the Vikings begin practices for Monday night's game at Chicago.
But it's not just a Bradford thing, Bradford accurately reminded us.
"I think when you look at it, it's all of us," he said. "I've got to find way to get the ball out. We got to find different schemes to get it out [quicker]. We've got to get open out wide quicker. And sometimes protection has got to be a little bit better. I think we all have a hand in it.
"This week, going out to practice, I think we all realize we have to do our jobs to solve the problems that showed up on Sunday."
Asked if he should have held onto the ball better, the man who lost two of his four fumbles said, "I think probably the [two] in the second half, I definitely could have tried to hold onto those [better]. Put two hands on it, especially in traffic. At that point in the game, I realized that we had seen quite a bit of pressure. I do have to be better and be more aware of my surroundings and keep two hands on it to make it secure in the pocket."
Meanwhile, coach Mike Zimmer has moved on to Chicago. He's ripped into his players, but now he's building them back up.