Minnesota Vikings vs. Miami Dolphins: Complete Week 16 Preview for Minnesota
The goal for the Minnesota Vikings now is to finish .500, and they'll have to win both of their remaining games to accomplish that, beginning with this Sunday's game in Miami against the Dolphins.
A season that started out with high, albeit cautious, hopes has devolved into nothing more than playing for pride and building for the future.
That's not to say that head coach Mike Zimmer's first year hasn't been a success. He and rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater have established themselves as the two most important figures with the Vikings as they look forward to 2015.
Zimmer has quickly put his stamp on the franchise with his no-nonsense style and football-first mentality. He pulls no punches when dealing with his team, talking about his team or coaching his team. The Vikings couldn't be in better hands as they try to re-establish themselves as legitimate contenders.
Bridgewater was thrown into the fire quicker than anyone had planned, when veteran starter Matt Cassel was lost for the season after breaking his foot in Week 3. He's had his rocky moments and made plenty of rookie mistakes, but he's also shown plenty of upside, plays with poise beyond his years and seems to learn from his mistakes.
The Vikings will be facing a Miami team that had high hopes when it hit the halfway point of the season with a 5-3 record. The Dolphins are not quite mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet, but their chances are almost zero, as they've dropped four of their last six games and sit at 7-7.
Joe Philbin might be coaching for his job, according to Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald, as the Dolphins have been blown out in their last two games by the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots. The Dolphins are 22-24 in three seasons under Philbin and have only made the playoffs once in the last 13 seasons.
In the grand scheme of things, nothing more than pride is on the line this Sunday in Miami, but players and coaches will be trying to prove that they belong and should be a part of their franchises' turnaround.
Vikings' Week 15 Recap
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The Vikings dominated the Detroit Lions in just about every single statistical category last Sunday, except the only one that matters: the final score.
Minnesota jumped out to a 14-0 lead, and Detroit failed to even pick up a first down until midway through the second quarter. The Vikings had the ball in Detroit territory and all the momentum, when everything changed on one play.
Facing 3rd-and-8 from the Lions' 48-yard line, Bridgewater overthrew Charles Johnson on an out pattern. Lions safety Glover Quin had an easy interception and returned it 56 yards to the Vikings' 11-yard line.
Detroit scored a touchdown two plays later, and then disaster really hit.
On the second play of Minnesota's next possession, Bridgewater threw behind Greg Jennings on a similar out pattern, and this one was picked off by Darius Slay at the Vikings' 32-yard line. The Vikings defense held the Lions to a field goal, but in the blink of an eye Minnesota's two-touchdown lead had shrunk to four points, and the Lions took all of the momentum into halftime.
Nursing a one-point lead, the Vikings put together one of their longest drives of the season at the end of the third quarter and into the fourth. After an 18-play drive that chewed up more than 11 minutes of clock, the Vikings had a 26-yard field goal blocked. They wouldn't get that close to scoring again the rest of the afternoon.
Minnesota's defense played well the entire game, holding the Lions to just 233 total yards, but the Lions won the second half 6-0 and squeaked out a 16-14 win when the Vikings bungled their final drive and were forced to try a 68-yard field goal on the last play of the game.
It was a disappointing loss to be sure, and Minnesota fell to 0-5 against its NFC North rivals on the year. On the bright side, Bridgewater had perhaps his best passing day as a pro, going 31-of-41 for 315 yards and a touchdown. He still needs to prove that he's a credible downfield passer, but his accuracy on short balls was very good against the Lions, and he continues to play with poise and moxie.
News and Notes
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Bridgewater and Rhodes Are Going Home
Two of the Vikings' up-and-coming stars are returning to their hometown this week when Minnesota travels to Miami to take on the Dolphins this Sunday.
Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater starred at Northwestern High School in Miami for three seasons before heading off to Louisville for college. One of his receivers his senior year was junior Amari Cooper, who went on to star at Alabama.
Plenty of Vikings fans would like to see the two reunited next season.
Xavier Rhodes attended Miami Norland High School in Miami Gardens, before heading off to play college ball at Florida State. He was a star receiver and defensive back in high school before switching to defense full time in college.
Bridgewater has quickly become a fan favorite in Minnesota, but he'll have a pretty big cheering section of family and friends at Sun Life Stadium, according to Brian Hall of FoxSportsNorth.com:
"I'm pretty loved back home in Miami and a lot of people tell me that I'm a role model in my community. So it'll be amazing to see how many turn out there and get to see me play in person for the first time for some people.
I'm pretty sure I'll have a bunch of family and friends, but we're going down there for one reason and that's to win a football game.
"
Rhodes is probably the Vikings' most improved player and has turned into one of the best cornerbacks in the league during his second season. He has just one interception, but his 17 passes defensed are tied for fourth in the league. He's basically shut down everyone he's covered over the last two months.
Both will be looking to have big days as they play their first game in Miami as professionals.
Signs of Life from Kalil and Patterson
There's no doubt that two of the most disappointing seasons for the Vikings belong to left tackle Matt Kalil and wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson.
Kalil, the fourth overall choice in the 2012 draft, struggled during the first half of the schedule as he fought to regain confidence in his right knee, which had been hurt for most of 2013. He had sort of become a poster boy for Vikings' fans frustrations with the offensive line, with sports-talk radio callers urging the Vikings to bench him.
While it hasn't been a great season for a guy who's supposed to be a franchise left tackle, he's still clearly the best option at left tackle and has rebounded quite nicely over the last month.
Sunday against the Lions, Kalil had a great performance against Ziggy Ansah, limiting him to just one tackle. Ansah had torched Kalil for 2.5 sacks and five tackles when the teams met in October.
Kalil remains one of the most important players on Minnesota's roster, and his continued improvement is crucial for the Vikings offense to get better in 2015.
If Kalil's season has been disappointing, Patterson's has been downright mystifying. Expected to have a breakout season after flashing electric talent as a rookie, he had trouble fitting into Norv Turner's offense and ended up losing his starting position to Charles Johnson.
Patterson had barely been gotten on the field during the last few games but then showed up in crunch time against the Lions.
After the Lions took a 16-14 lead late in the game, Patterson had his best kickoff return of the season, a 51-yard run out to midfield.
Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports that Patterson changed his routine before the play, at the request of special teams coach Mike Priefer.
Filling in for the injured Jarius Wright, Patterson then caught passes for nine and seven yards on successive plays and was the target of Bridgewater's failed pass on fourth down. While that doesn't sound like much, the fact that Patterson was involved in the offense was a good sign.
Like Kalil, if the Vikings are to take strides forward in 2015, Patterson will have to be one of the players who take the leap to the next level. Patterson is just too big, fast and athletic to be the non-entity he was during the 2014 season.
Zimmer Wants to See Toughness in Fourth Quarter
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer was asked what his message for his team would be before they play their last road game of the season this Sunday in Miami.
According to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press, Zimmer pointed to a sign at Winter Park that reads "Tough teams win in the fourth quarter."
The Vikings haven't been a good fourth-quarter team for a couple of years now, and Zimmer knows he has to change that in order for Minnesota to become a legitimate contender again.
Minnesota led the Lions 14-13 entering the fourth quarter last week but couldn't hang on. The Vikings have beaten both the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in overtime this year but gave up fourth-quarter leads in both games.
They gave up a last-minute drive and score to lose to the Buffalo Bills earlier in the year.
Great teams have to be able to win games in the fourth quarter. The Vikings aren't anywhere near being a great football team yet, but Zimmer is instilling the right mentality in his players.
Sunday's game in Miami will be a test as the warm weather tends to wear opponents down by the last quarter. Seifert writes that Zimmer has told his coaches to be ready to rotate players more than normal in the hot weather, but he isn't expecting it to be too big of a deal.
More than anything else, Sunday's game against the Dolphins provides an opportunity for the Vikings to see that they're headed in the right direction. A win against Miami would help to foster the winning culture Zimmer is trying to establish throughout the organization.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Anthony Barr | LB | Questionable |
| Charlie Johnson | G | Questionable |
| Kyle Rudolph | TE | Questionable |
| Robert Blanton | S | Questionable |
| Linval Joseph | DT | Probable |
| Sharrif Floyd | DT | Probable |
| Greg Jennings | WR | Probable |
| Matt Asiata | RB | Probable |
All injury reports are courtesy of Mike Wobschall at Vikings.com.
Anthony Barr, Charlie Johnson, Kyle Rudolph and Robert Blanton haven't practiced all week, and unless they're able to hit the field on Friday, they'll probably all sit out against the Dolphins.
Barr is still nursing a sore knee. Gerald Hodges is playing terrific as Barr's replacement, and with nothing to play for, Minnesota isn't going to take any chances on Barr, who's one of the centerpieces for the defense moving forward.
Blanton still has aches in his knee and ankle after getting injured against the Jets. The same goes for Johnson, whose ankle was injured when Asiata fell on it.
Rudolph has lingering issues in both his ankle and knee, but there is still hope that he'll play on Sunday.
Floyd, Jennings and Asiata were all limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday but should be good to go on Sunday afternoon.
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X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
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Brian Robison vs. Dallas Thomas
The Vikings left defensive end has had a quiet season on the stat sheet, but that doesn't mean that Brian Robison hasn't been doing his job.
The defensive ends in Mike Zimmer's defense don't have the freedom to just attack the quarterback like they did under Leslie Frazier. They're more accountable for their lanes and are expected to take care of their run responsibility as well.
Robison's 4.5 sacks is his lowest since 2010, and the same goes for his total of 22 tackles. At 31 years old, he is trying to prove to Zimmer and the coaching staff that he's worth keeping around heading toward 2015.
The Dolphins have given up the sixth-fewest sacks in the league, but according to James Walker of ESPN.com, that's mostly due to a solid first half of the season. The Dolphins offensive line hasn't been nearly as staunch since losing Pro Bowl left tackle Branden Albert a month ago. Miami has allowed 21 sacks in five games since then.
Dallas Thomas is a second-year player who's taken over at right tackle since rookie Ja'Wuan James had to move over to left tackle for Albert. Thomas played with James and Tiny Richardson at Tennessee but was a right guard during his senior season.
Thomas has allowed five sacks in the last two games, according to Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald.
Robison should be able to use his experience and quickness to get around Thomas and wreck havoc on Ryan Tannehill all afternoon.
Charles Johnson vs. Brent Grimes
Undrafted out of Shippensburg University in 2006, cornerback Brent Grimes spent a season playing in NFL Europe before hitching on with the Atlanta Falcons. The classic overachiever, Grimes doesn't look the part of an NFL player at 5'10", 190 pounds, but eight years and 22 interceptions later, he is among the best corners in the league.
Grimes made the Pro Bowl in his first year with the Dolphins in 2013, which prompted them to re-sign him to a four-year, $32 million deal this offseason. He hasn't let Miami down, as he's playing just as well in 2014 with five interceptions and 13 passes defensed to go along with 53 tackles.
The Vikings are hoping they have an "out of nowhere" story of their own developing with receiver Charles Johnson, whom they plucked off the Cleveland Browns practice squad in September. Johnson has worked his way into Minnesota's starting lineup and has become Teddy Bridgewater's go-to receiver.
Johnson was a seventh-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2013 out of Grand Valley State. At 6'2", 215 pounds with blazing speed, Johnson just needed an opportunity, and he's getting one with the Vikings.
He's caught 20 passes for 355 yards and two touchdowns in the last five games. He's shown a good ability to get open and then run with the ball after the catch. He'll have his work cut out for him against a veteran like Grimes, but Johnson seems to be getting better every game.
The NFL has always been a "what have you done for me lately?" league, and the Johnson vs. Grimes matchup is an interesting one, pitting a youngster trying to prove he belongs against an aging veteran who's constantly having to prove he can keep up with the pups.
John Sullivan vs. Koa Misi
Vikings center John Sullivan and Dolphins middle linebacker are two NFL veterans who just keep plugging along. Neither one has ever been a star, but both have been dependable players for their teams over the years.
Misi has missed five games this season with knee and hamstring issues, but he practiced Thursday and should play on Sunday, according to Beasley. Misi ranks fourth on the Dolphins with 56 tackles.
Sullivan is joining a long list of quality Vikings centers who have stayed on the job for long periods of time, as chronicled by Mark Craig of the Star Tribune.
Sullivan will by starting his 92nd game at center for Minnesota, tying with Jeff Christy for fourth on the Vikings list for centers. He'll move past Christy in the season's final game.
Craig reports that at Vikings headquarters in Winter Park, the belief is that Sullivan is having the best of his seven seasons with Minnesota. Pro Football Focus has him with a plus-4.1 grade for the year, the highest of any Vikings starter.
Still just 29 years old, it feels like Sullivan has been with the Vikings for ages. He's been as dependable as you could hope for in the middle of Minnesota's offensive line, and his work this season has been exceptional, especially considering the Vikings are without three starters on their offensive line.
Vikings X-Factor of the Week: Cordarrelle Patterson
This may be more of a hope choice than one that has critical thinking behind it. Patterson is just too good to have such a quiet season.
Huge things were expected from the second-year wideout after he had a brilliant rookie season. Patterson was electric last year on kickoffs, taking handoffs, quick-hitters and bubble screens. Norv Turner's offense doesn't really employ those types of plays, and Patterson has struggled to fit his skill set in this season.
Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune wrote on Thursday that Patterson is "under renovation from a niche offensive player to an every-down wide receiver."
Having used a first-round pick on Patterson in 2013, the Vikings need him to develop better wide receiver skills so they can count on him to be a bigger part of the offense next season and beyond.
He has barely seen the field on offense during the last few games. He had his best kickoff return of the year last Sunday against the Lions, a 51-yard return when the Vikings needed it most. He then caught two passes in a row after subbing in for the injured Jarius Wright.
It would be nice to see Patterson see some action over the last two weeks. He's too good of a football player to be standing on the sidelines, but much of that is on him, as he hasn't figured out how to get open.
Patterson's offseason might be the second-most important on the team behind Bridgewater's. The two both need to take huge steps forward for the Vikings to be a division contender in 2015.
Prediction
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The Dolphins are 7-7, and the Vikings are 6-8 heading into their matchup on Sunday afternoon, but oddly enough football fans in Minnesota are far more optimistic about the near future of their team than fans are in Miami.
The Vikings have done a nice job of stockpiling young talent, and first-year head coach Mike Zimmer has infused the entire organization with a winning attitude.
Meanwhile, things are just as dreary as ever for the Dolphins. Hopes were high when they hit the halfway point this season at 5-3, but once again they have settled in just around .500.
Miami is 42-52 over their last six seasons, and this year's team now has head coach Joe Philbin's future in jeopardy. Some fans are wondering if third-year man Ryan Tannehill is the long-term answer at quarterback.
Such is life when you're a team that never seems to get over the hump. The Dolphins, as stated in the first slide, have only made the playoffs once in the past 13 seasons.
Neither team is heading to the playoffs this year, but that doesn't mean Sunday's game doesn't matter. If you're keeping score, then it matters. Dolphins defensive tackle Jared Odrick summed it up nicely, according to James Walker of ESPN.com: "The thing is that winning two games means something, so we take things one game at a time. So beating Minnesota means something. Beating New York means something. But finishing 9-7 and not getting into the playoffs really doesn't mean anything."
For the Vikings, it's another chance for Teddy Bridgewater to get game action. The Vikings are probably further along than they might have been if he hadn't played this year, because he's gotten almost a year of games under his belt.
There's something to be said for not getting a rookie quarterback shell-shocked by playing him on an awful football team, but that hasn't been the case this year for Bridgewater.
The Vikings will head toward 2015 with a quarterback who will be much more ready to lead than if he hadn't tasted some success in 2014.
The future is bright in Minnesota. In Miami, the team may be getting ready to hit the "reset" button again.
Prediction: Vikings 24, Dolphins 21
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