by that point. Mistral Raymond and Jamarca Sanford struggled in Smith’s place, routinely getting beat by receivers deep and over the middle. With Smith’s return, the Vikings pass coverage should get tighter and their defense as a whole should get a lot more physical. Don’t expect Minnesota’s defense to dominate in 2014, but if it does, Smith will likely be one of the biggest reasons why. Vikings Special Teams Special teams as a whole were a huge bright spot in what was otherwise a tough season for Minnesota. Cordarrelle Patterson established himself as one of the most dangerous open-field runners in the league, averaging 32.4 yards per kickoff return and scoring two touchdowns. He should be back in the kick return role, placing pressure on opposing kickers to force kickoffs deep into the end zone and earning touchbacks instead of allowing big returns. Marcus Sherels is set to return punts; he was very good in this role last year, averaging 15.2 yards per punt return although opponent punts were few and far between. Blair Walsh will return for his third season as the Vikings’ kicker. Walsh’s career is off to a great start as he’s converted 61 of 68 field goal attempts in two seasons. Jeff Locke will handle punting duties; his rookie performance in 2013 was solid but unspectacular. Prediction Cordarelle Patterson TOM DAHLIN/GETTY IMAGES SPORT With a new head coach, rookie quarterback, Peterson and a plethora of offensive weapons, there are reasons for optimism in Minnesota. However, the defense still has holes, particularly at linebacker, and Bridgewater has a lot to prove after his draft day slide. The Vikings are a team in transition and are most likely to finish in last place in the NFC North, with something close to a 6-10 record. Key Additions: DT Linval Joseph, CB Captain Munnerlyn, DT Corey Wootton Key Subtractions: DE Jared Allen, RB Toby Gerhart, DT Letroy Guion, DT Kevin Williams Rookies: LB Anthony Barr, QB Teddy Bridgewater, DE Scott Crichton, RB Jerick McKinnon, G David Yankey, CB Antone Exum, CB Kendall James, DT Shamar Stephen, LB Brandon Watts, CB Jabari Price SCOREBOARD 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 PLAYOFF FINISH --- WC --- --- CC REGULAR SEASON W-L 5-10- 1 10-6 3-13 6-10 12-4 POINTS PER GAME 24.4 23.7 21.3 17.6 29.4 POINTS ALLOWED PER GAME 30.0 21.8 28.1 21.8 19.5 YARDS PER GAME 344 337 330 315 380 YARDS ALLOWED PER GAME 398 350 358 313 306 TURNOVERS 32 23 26 37 18 TAKEAWAYS 20 22 23 26 24 from contending for a Super Bowl, so they allowed Allen to leave for Chicago and Kevin Williams to leave for Seattle. To replace Allen, the Vikings will promote Everson Griffen, who they gave a big free-agent contract despite being a career backup to this point. Minnesota also signed former New York Giants defensive tackle Linval Joseph to replace Williams. Joseph is similar to Williams as a tackle good at both stopping the run and pressuring the quarterback. The biggest problem in Minnesota last year was the secondary, which routinely allowed opposing wide receivers to get wide open. Every team the Vikings faced last year scored at least 20 points except Detroit in the meaningless weak 17 game. Defensive backs like Chris Cook and Josh Robinson were overwhelmed, and an injury to safety Harrison Smith only made things worse. To address this problem, the Vikings signed former Panthers cornerback Captain Munnerlyn. Munnerlyn will start opposite Xavier Rhodes, who was easily Minnesota’s best cover corner despite being a rookie last season. With Munnerlyn, Rhodes, and Smith in the secondary, there’s potential for dramatic improvement in the Vikings’ pass defense. Perhaps the most important addition is the signing of head coach Mike Zimmer, a former defensive coordinator highly respected around the league. Zimmer is likely to give the Vikings a more attacking and aggressive defensive identity than the cover-2 shell they used under Frazier. Even so, the Vikings still have a weak linebacking corps, a young secondary, and an unproven defensive line. This defense is most likely going to struggle again, just not to the same horrid extent as they struggled in 2013. Defensive Player to Watch When the Vikings selected Smith with the 29th pick in the 2012 draft, they were hoping to get a physical presence in the secondary, a player who could help in both pass coverage and run support. Smith fulfilled those wishes almost immediately, making a quick positive impression in his rookie season as he established himself as a great tackler and run defender. Smith gained a lot of attention for some hard hits on Detroit wide receiver Calvin Johnson in particular. Last season, a bad secondary got worse when Smith went down with a turf toe injury. He would return late in the season, but far too late as the Vikings were well out of playoff contention
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