What 2 Watch 4
The Vikings will play their third preseason game on Saturday evening against the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Metrodome. Starters typically see extended playing time in the third preseason game and then they play only sparingly in the fourth contest. So, this will be the last significant look coaches and fans will get at the first-team offense and defense before the games start counting in the regular season.
Unfortunately, a few key players will likely be missing in action for the Vikings this week. Madieu Williams will of course not play and is not expected back until a few weeks into the regular season. Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson has been pushing to get back from a knee injury, but his status is still uncertain for Saturday. Also, receiver Sidney Rice has been battling a virus all week, so although he will be okay he likely won’t play on Saturday. On the positive side, it looks like receiver Bernard Berrian will get a few looks after experiencing a painful toe injury this week.
With two preseason games down and the third game in just a couple of days, vikings.com is going to take a look at a few areas the team would like to continue doing well, and a few areas that need improvement. With the first-team units likely to play into the second half on Saturday evening, Vikings coaches will get a good look at whether the units can continue to improve in these areas and eliminate mistakes.
Keep doing well…
The Vikings have been on fire on third downs, converting 19 of 33 attempts (57.6 percent). A 57.6 percent conversion rate is outstanding, and although it’s not likely a number the team could sustain over a 16-game regular season, it is nice to know the Vikings have the ability to extend drives and put pressure on the defense to stop them. Among 2007 playoff teams, only one (Seattle) had a third-down conversion rate below 38.5 percent. Indianapolis (49.26 percent) had the highest rate of any team.
In 2006 and 2007, the Vikings struggled against the pass, posting mediocre numbers in terms of sacks and allowing far too many passing yards per game. In fact, the 2007 Vikings allowed 264.1 passing yards per game – worst in the league – and the 2006 team allowed 238.6 yards per game – tied for worst in the league. Well, in the 2008 preseason, the Vikings have improved, allowing an average of just 184 net yards passing per game.
Sacks are drive killers, and the Vikings first- and second-team offense have been able to avoid them for the most part. In fact, Jackson and backup quarterback Gus Frerotte have been sacked just once combined. This has been a reason for the offense’s high third-down conversion rate, and it’s been reason why the teams has been able to score touchdowns with the first-and second-team offense on the field.
Areas that need improvement…
The 2007 Vikings featured the league’s top rushing offense, as Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor paced a unit that averaged 164.6 yards per game. This took pressure off of the quarterback and opened up plenty of scoring chances on the outside. In the 2008 preseason, the Vikings offense is averaging just 92.5 net yards per game. While some of that is due to limited playing time from Peterson and Taylor, you can bet that Vikings coaches are hoping to see an improvement in that number over the final two preseason games.
It’s rare for a team to win a game when they are on the negative end of the turnover margin. It’s also rare for a team to make the playoffs with a negative turnover margin for the season. In 2007, the Vikings defense thrived on taking the ball away. In the 2008 preseason, the Vikings have lost four fumbles and have thrown two interceptions; they are also -4 in turnover ratio.
Red zone offense is something NFL teams practice and practice during training camp and the preseason. Points come at a premium in the NFL, so putting points on the board when you are in the red zone is pivotal. The Vikings have point points on the board twice in four trips to the red zone, a number that needs to improve on two fronts. First, the team needs to be in the red zone more often. Secondly, teams must put points on the board more than 50 percent of the time when they’re in the red area.