If you wondered how Minnesota Vikings kicker Blair Walsh could have possibly missed the 27-yard game-winning field goal against the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card playoffs last year, the mystery is solved. While Walsh was lining up for the chip shot 3-pointer, somewhere in the stands the Vikings Gjalhorn laid in pieces, shattered by the bitter cold.
The #Vikings #Gjallarhorn is shattered from the cold temps before today's #SEAvsMIN game. pic.twitter.com/0MceMuekPl
— KARE 11 (@kare11) January 10, 2016
When the Vikings’ new $1.1 billion U.S. Bank Stadium was completed over the offseason, the team suddenly developed a sickness, some would call it a fever. After exploring the space they figured out the problem. Finally Gene Frenkle Jr., son of the former member of 1970s rock band Blue Oyster Cult who died in 2000, figured out the problem. And he realized that he would be doing himself a disservice, and every member of Vikings nation, if he didn’t fill the prescription for that fever the only way he could. With more Gjallhorn.
Well, just a couple of weeks ago the Vikings made that dream real.
The new Gjallarhorn passes the official sound test from @chadgreenway52. pic.twitter.com/pzj1tqY1Ue
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) July 21, 2016
And thanks to the Gjallhorn installation the Vikings will all end this season with gold-plated diapers. Somewhere music super producer Bruce Dickinson is smiling down on all of us.
Teddy Bridgewater’s first world problems
If those gold-plated diapers are in the Vikings future, as well as a mighty blow on the Gjallhorn, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will be a big reason they get fashioned around the team’s bikini area.
Mike Zimmer on Teddy Bridgewater: "I'm glad he's my guy.''
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) July 29, 2016
Last year Bridgewater, in his second season, led the Vikings to the playoffs and an NFC North Division title. He completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 3,231 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. But with all that, Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer doesn’t think Bridgewater is getting enough praise for his accomplishments.
“The thing about Teddy, and everybody talks about this and talks about that, he knows how to win,” Zimmer told USA Today. And what else is there with the quarterback? I’m not going to mention names, but there’s a bunch of quarterbacks throwing for 300 yards and their team doesn’t win. And they say, ‘Oh, his arm strength.’ His arm strength is fine. He’s been throwing the ball 55 yards down in practice all the time. Ask what kind of arm Joe Montana had or any of those other guys. It’s so fantasy football now. Our team is built a certain way, and that’s how we’re going to play. That’s just how we are and who we’re going to be, and I’m not going to apologize for it.”
For a guy not wanting to apologize, that’s a whole lot of caveats. But the truth is I agree with Zimmer. Bridgewater is a winner, he’s accurate and he can get the job done. There’s a hell of a lot of teams out there that would love to have him as their QB, especially a couple who passed him up when they had the chance to draft him in 2014.
Peterson given a light practice load
Adrian Peterson is 31 years old and about to enter his 10th NFL season, so you can’t fault him for a flat tire every now and then. Peterson pulled his hamstring the week before the Vikings opened training camp and the team is holding him out of practice until he’s fully recovered.
“He can do thinks,” Zimmer told reporters. “He just can’t turn it all the way loose. We’re just being careful.”
While it’s not big news for Peterson to miss a few days of camp, it’s probably good news for any Vikings defender looking to make the team. Without AP on the field, they’ll have far fewer opportunities to look like stooges when he blows past them like they’re standing still.
It’s also not a bad turn of events for No. 2 running back Jerick McKinnon. McKinnon, a third round pick out of Georgia Southern in 2014 has been a solid runner for the Vikings. Over his two seasons he’s carried the ball 165 times for 809 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. That should equal about 2.7 toots of the Gjallhorn.
