Slow starts hamper Vikings offense

There are a couple of ways to look at the Vikings offense, which is a tale of two halves this season.

An optimist would point to the productive fourth quarters, during which rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has led the Vikings from behind in three of their four victories.

The pessimist would have plenty of fodder, too, though. The Vikings have not scored a single first-quarter point in five of their past seven games. They rank 24th in the league in scoring in that period. And those late-game heroics from Bridgewater? They wouldn't be needed as often if the offense played with similar urgency in the early going.

"Probably what I need to do is tell [Bridgewater] we're behind every series when we go out there and we need to score this series," coach Mike Zimmer joked early this week. "Because he's pretty good when he needs to be."

But the last-place Vikings need Bridgewater and his offensive teammates to be pretty good early in games, too. They have produced just 37 first-quarter points this season while being shut out early in six of their 11 games, and as a result have been outscored 137-93 in the first half.

Bridgewater's first-quarter numbers are solid, with a 61.8 completion percentage and an average of 6.9 yards per pass attempt. And starting running back Jerick McKinnon has averaged 4.4 yards per carry in the quarter. But a few botched plays here and there have prevented the Vikings from finishing off drives.

The team's first possession in the 24-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers last Sunday provided another example of poor execution early.

Bridgewater was hit during his follow-through, but it was the kind of pass he needs to complete early in games, especially against a team like the Packers.

"I just have to settle down and remain poised and just let the game come to me," Bridgewater said.

On the team's next drive, Bridgewater completed a pass for a first down to tight end Chase Ford, then McKinnon ran for 4 yards to give the Vikings a favorable second-down distance. But Bridgewater was forced to flee the pocket and was flagged for intentional grounding, the 16-yard loss short-circuiting another first-quarter drive.

"It's hard to put your finger on it," fullback Jerome Felton said. "We're one block away on one thing or a little bit off on a pass. The opportunities are there, but we've just got to settle in sooner and get the job done. We're still growing and I think it will come along. Hopefully it will start this week."

Getting off to a fast start against the Carolina Panthers, who rank last in the league in first-quarter scoring, has been a point of emphasis for the Vikings this week.

"For us, it's about throwing the first punch," wide receiver Greg Jennings. "A lot of times, we counterpunch instead of just throwing that first punch. It's about getting into that rhythm and being able to sustain drives and getting the defense on their toes vs. them putting us on our toes."

That certainly seems to apply to Bridgewater, who has looked tentative early in games but poised in the fourth quarter, when his passer rating spikes to 87.6.

"That's a classic 'young' thing — it takes a while to settle into the game," Felton said.

The Vikings have given thought to picking up the pace early to get Bridgewater and the offense going, as they have thrived in no-huddle situations late in both halves. They didn't want to do that against the Packers, though, because poor execution would lead to Pro Bowl quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the explosive Packers offense getting more time on the field.

But whether the Vikings hurry it up or take things slow Sunday and beyond, the biggest key to putting more points on the board in the first quarter might be as simple as making that one block or connecting on that one pass to keep drives alive.