shoulder...

http://gbnreport.com/pre-season-2018-fir...rojection/

Billy Price @ #31...He's a pick early...

http://www.twincities.com/2017/12/09/wal...on-finale/


And other notes...

https://purpleptsd.com/why-case-keenum-c...arterback/

I'm not going to say my current TV is old, but I got it at Circuit City and happily paid about $1800 for it on sale...

I'm thinking of a Samsung 65" curved set...reviews on Best Buy seem mostly favorable...anyone have one or a better alternative around $1300?

If Mike Zimmer can go 3-1 the rest of the way, he will pass Jerry Burns by a half-game to have the second-best four-year start to his coaching career in Vikings history.Seven Vikings coaches have lasted with the franchise for four full seasons or more: Norm Van Brocklin, Bud Grant, Jerry Burns, Dennis Green, Mice Tice and Brad Childress. Mike Zimmer will join that group in four weeks.
And Zimmer is having great success. As it currently stands, his 36-24 regular-season record in his first four seasons (.600 winning percentage) trails Grant (35-18-3, .652) and Burns (38-25, .603). If Zimmer can go 3-1 the rest of the way, he will pass Burns by a half-game to have the second-best four-year start to his coaching career in franchise history.
Last year was a letdown for Zimmer, the team finishing .500 at 8-8 after a 5-0 start to the season. That came after a 2015 season when the Vikings went 11-5 and came within a missed field goal of winning its wild-card playoff game.
When the team entered this past offseason, it focused on one key issue it felt could solve a world of problems: the offensive line.
Zimmer explained how the Vikings went about that process, which has drastically changed their offense and has them one victory away from clinching a division title.
“The real story is that we tried to find the right guys, tried to find some athletic guys,” Zimmer said. “[General Manager] Rick [Spielman] found [Nick] Easton, he liked him coming out and then he was with a couple other teams and we made a trade with San Francisco. They wanted [linebacker] Gerald Hodges and we got [Easton].

The Vikings are stopping teams on third down 72.8 percent of the time this season — the highest rate since the 1998 Oakland Raiders (73.3 percent). They’ve allowed only 40 third-down conversions for the season, an average of 3.3 a game.
“That’s absurd,” Cosell said. “The number 40, to me, in 12 games, that blew me away. I don’t think they get their due. I think people recognize Mike Zimmer’s a good defensive coach, but I don’t think they say, ‘Wow, this defense is unbelievably great.’ ”
Which, considering how many cues the Vikings take from their coach, might be how they want it.
“That’s our goal, is to be the best,” linebacker Anthony Barr said. “We haven’t always been that. Each week presents a unique challenge, and you’re going to fail sometimes. But I think we’re successful more often than not.”
http://www.startribune.com/vikings-defen...463075123/

A look at the key departures, and what their absences have allowed for the Vikings in this above-average season.
The Minnesota Vikings are thriving despite three deconstructed knees and five constructive “nos.”
When the history of the Vikings’ 2017 season is written, the second or third paragraph will cite the team’s ability to overcome injuries to Sam Bradford, Teddy Bridgewater and Dalvin Cook — two franchise quarterbacks and a budding star running back.
What may not be mentioned, yet could be just as important, is the Vikings’ willingness to part with five people who only a couple of years ago were considered vital to the franchise.
Here are the key departures, and what their absences have allowed:
1. Norv Turner: When the Vikings offensive line and season went south in 2016, Turner quit. Instead of devastating the program, Turner’s departure opened the door for Pat Shurmur, who is much more creative and adaptable, and has helped this year’s team go 10-2 with a backup quarterback, backup running backs and a remade offensive line. 
2. Matt Kalil: The third pick in the 2012 draft, Kalil produced one excellent season, then a series of disappointments. Even when healthy, he didn’t produce like a top draft pick, and his replacement, Riley Reiff, has become one of the most indispensable players in the league, turning a position that was a black hole into a brick wall.
3. Adrian Peterson: Even at his best, Peterson made the Vikings offense predictable and one-dimensional. As he went into decline yet expected the same role, he became a potential problem. 
4. Alex Boone: Desperate to improve their offensive line play in 2017, the Vikings released their most experienced offensive lineman, Boone, during their final cuts. With Boone out of the way, the Vikings remade the middle of the line with rookie Pat Elflein and former centers Joe Berger and Nick Easton, giving them three smart, versatile players working together. 

5. Cordarrelle Patterson: As a receiver, he was a less-accomplished version of Peterson, a player whose physical skills were so impressive that not giving him the ball always seemed to be a lingering problem for the front office and coaching staff. But you can’t play receiver in the NFL if the coaches and quarterbacks don’t trust you.
Without Kalil and Boone, a top pick and an expensive free agent, the Vikings line is far better. Without the renowned Turner, the offensive coaching is far better. Without Peterson and Patterson, two remarkable talents drafted in the first round, the offensive production is far better.
The 2017 Vikings offense is a triumph of intelligence and cohesion. Credit Rick Spielman and Zimmer for making tough choices and remaking their team on the fly.
http://www.startribune.com/vikings-multi...463075003/