Villaume: 'The coach is gone. Long live the coach.'

I remember from my Shakespeare study when the King dies the people reply, "The King is dead. Long live the King". It is to signify the predecessor as the rightful heir to the kingdom. That the people do not have to worry. A new ruler is chosen.

That is the feeling among fans in Minnesota preparing for the 2014 season. We want to put behind us the miseries of 2013.

Our last leader, Leslie Frazier, was the ruler of a kingdom that went 21-32-1. The previous king, Brad Childress, was 39-35-0 in his reign. Mike Tice 32-33-0. We have to go back to Denny Green (97-62-0), our coach from 1992-2001, to find a time when we regularly won games. It came as no surprise that Frazier was given the boot at the end of the 2013 season.

The Coach is gone. Long live the Coach.

Mike Zimmer begins his reign tonight, as we host the Oakland Raiders in the first preseason game of the year. The players have been at camp for two weeks, the pads have been on for long enough. We finally get to see if there is something different in the state of Minnesota.

What will George Edwards do to improve one of the worst defenses in purple memory? How will the rookies and free agents fit in? How can Matt Cassel fight against not only Teddy Bridgewater, but the media hype and fan following that is sure to grow like a storm in The Tempest?

Zimmer has already begun coaching. Two-A-Day practices, chalk talks, war room planning with staff. An executive decision to sit Adrian Pederson through the preseason games. The king has been busy preparing his soldiers.

1. Is our defense going to be better? We were the 31st ranked defense last year (thank you Dallas). We could not stop teams on third down. Teams scored at will, mostly through the air. Will that slow down?

2. Matt Cassel or Teddy Bridgewater? Last year the majority of fans begged for Cassel, and then when they got their wish, realized this team is much worse than a switch at QB will fix. Cassel played better than Christian Ponder, but not by that much. He had less turnovers and threw a little further down field. Still, he was an improvement. Can a rookie walk in and play well? Is Bridgewater a talented Russell Wilson? Or is Cassel a better option while the rookie gets a chance to sit and watch?

3. Who will help Adrian Pederson run the ball? First depth charts have Matt Asiata listed behind AP, followed by Jerrick McKinnon, the rookie from Georgia Southern, who was an unexpected third- round pick in the May draft. Asiata has had strong moments, but fans are searching for a back that can do more than the departing Toby Gerhart. With Norv Turner in charge, the running back we want is quick and sure-handed. Can block and catch balls out of the backfield. McKinnon is already the favorite in the eyes of the fans.

4. Will we be physical? Since the Dome in 1982, most older fans seen the emphasis on the team go from a tenacious defense to a desire to outscore our opponents. We have had a few good pass rushers, but when was the last time a Vikings' defense swarmed a team like the Seahawks did every game last year? Or a Bengals team? Yes we love Randy Mosses, and Cris Carters, APs, and Bridgewaters.. But if you want we old fans to get excited.. find me a ferocious front line, or linebackers that hit hard and tackle. We want cover guys you don't mind lining up one on one with Jordy Nelson. We have to know they can tackle a wide receiver by themselves. Maybe even break up a pass or two.

5. Is our first unit better than Oakland's first unit? I know. I know. It is useless preseason, do not assess anything. But we will. Most fans remember the first team offense and defense playing poorly in the preseason and then the regular season. Oakland finished 4-12 last year. They, like us, are banking on a quick turnaround.

Tonight we get to set these debates into motion. A meaningless preseason game?

Not if you are a Vikings' fan.