First time ever entering US Bank Stadium

The view from our seats

2016 Minnesota Vikings- This is the Year

The 2015-2016 season came to a tough end losing to Seattle at home in the playoffs which was tough to take however I saw signs of encouragement during the year that really has me hyped for the upcoming season.

The defense really showed true signs that the future will be fun to watch and the offense with Adrian running hard and Teddy coming gives me so much hope that this team finally has turned the corner.

The offseason started with me not really feeling the team would make a big splash knowing the team is being built through the draft and I applaud that.

The free agent signings of veterans, Alex Boone and Andre Smith was a great surprise and also showed me that the team along with so much youth can afford to plug vital veterans in and that they did. The offensive line is going to be a great battle to watch in Mankato.

The signing of veteran safety, Michael Griffin was also a pleasant surprise. It seems the only lock back there that is a lock is Harrison Smith and after that it’s fair game. I love bringing in the veteran presence in Griffin.

The next excitement for me and all other fans is knowing not only that the new stadium is opening in July but that we also know who is coming and when they will be in town to face the purple. I have paid for our PSL’s and also paid off the season tickets. It will be my 18^th season as a season ticket holder and proud to say I have only ever missed 2 games in this stretch.

The home opener, are you kidding the Green Bay Packers? If the NFL is not the best sport in America it is hard to beat. The border battle in Prime Time in the new stadium. I can’t even imagine how crazy it will be in there even before the game is played. It will be a day in Minnesota history to always remember.

The next excitement that just finished up was the 7 round draft in Chicago and I for one could not be happier as a Vikings fan. Yes, I know everyone can argue why the team took various players. I look at it as more competition at Mini Camps and then in Mankato for Training Camp.

I am sky high on the first 2 picks seeing Wide Receiver, Lequon Treadwell coming to us at pick 23. I love the 2^nd round pick, Mackensie Alexander out of Clemson. The argument is he had 0 interceptions in college but everything I have read and seen he comes across as a confident shut down corner. I can only imagine Xavier Rhodes as one side and either Trae Waynes or Alexander. I am also a fan of Terrance Newman but do know his age and how much longer can he play so the 2 youngsters need to step it up and fight Newman for the position.

The pick I am most intrigued even more than the first round is our 6^th rounder, Moritz Boehringer out of Germany. What a story is this young man? I can’t wait to see him on the field.

I wanted to look at the schedule and plug some of the draft choices the Vikings will see starting in Week 1:

Week # 1- at Tennessee who took OT Jake Conklin out of Michigan State. This team also has drafted the last 2 Heisman Trophy winners in Marcus Mariota and now this last weekend out of Alabama running back, Derrick Henry.

Week # 2- Home in Prime time vs the dreaded Green Bay Packers who took DT out of UCLA, Kenny Clark who will face our big and hungry offensive line and the new adds.

Week #3- at Carolina Panthers, last year’s Super Bowl rep from the NFC drafted Vernon Butler, DT out of Louisiana Tech.

Week # 4- Home vs New York Giants in Prime Time and they drafted out of Ohio State defensive back, Eli Apple who will go against our youngsters, Stefon Diggs and Treadwell just to name a couple.

Week # 5- Home vs Houston Texans and JJ Watt along with new free agent quarterback, 6’8” tall in Brock Osweiler and they drafted Wide Receiver, Will Fuller. This will be the first game of the season we will see 2 of the receivers drafted against each other with Fuller vs Treadwell.

Game # 6- at Philadelphia and number 2 pick overall Qauarterback, Carson Wentz out of North Dakota State.

Game # 7- at Chicago who drafted linebacker, Leonard Floyd out of the University of Georgia.

Game # 8- Home vs Detroit Lions who took OT out of Ohio State, Taylor Decker who will get to face the ferocious pass rush of the Purple.

Game # 9- at Washington who took WR out of TCU, Josh Doctson. It seemed in so many mock drafts had Josh going to the Vikings. It should be a great game to watch for this story line alone the two rookie wide outs.

Game # 10- Home vs Arizona and they drafted DE Robert Nkemdiche who will meet the new Vikings offensive line and will get welcomed to the NFL

Game # 11- Detroit- Thanksgiving Day-  Do I need to say more?

Game # 12- Home vs Dallas in Prime Time and they drafted out of Ohio State running back. Ezekiel Elliott. The comparisons of Aikman, Irvin and Emmitt vs Romo, Elliott and Dez Bryant have to stop and it will in Minneapolis in Prime Time.

Game # 13- at Jacksonville who drafted Defensive Back out of Florida State, Jalen Ramsey. I don’t know who he will face for Minnesota receivers but I for one would like to see Treadwell vs Ramsey.

Game # 14- Home vs Indianapolis who took out of Alabama center, Ryan Kelly.

Game  # 15- at Green Bay   I will say after the Vikings won the division last year at Lambeau that this game will be great. My hope is the Vikes will have the division wrapped up so this will just be another Border Battle.

Game # 16- Home vs Chicago   What a way to end the regular season before the playoffs start for the Vikings!!!

I am so excited for this season with so many reasons. I donor want to rush my life away but I will say when Training Camp and the season come I will be fully ready.

Thanks for reading

Go Vikes

Purplestick

2015 Vikings, a season that continues on

The Minnesota Vikings came in to the 2015 season with high expectations from fans and even some of the media were actually talking good about the purple.

The draft was held and on paper appeared in my eyes to be a solid draft and continuing the last few years of getting guys that made the 53 man squad.

The preseason started off with a bang beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Hall of Fame game and then winning 3 more before losing the finale to Tennessee. Yes, the Vikes were 4-1 but they suffered a major loss when they lost starting right tackle, Phil Loadholt for the season. Oh no, my thoughts was who will take Loadholt’s spot?

The Vikings who had been struggling in the last couple of years were finally thought of high enough to play in the first game on National TV as they traveled to San Francisco. The Vikings were even a favorite and on the road. It was looking so good with so many 49ers retired; a brand new head coach and really 49ers I don’t believe were thought to be all that good.

The games do need to be played and to the horror to me and so many Vikings fans were in shock watching the 49ers look like world beaters as they seemed to do whatever they wanted to. I went to bed jut sick with my hopes on the season and to see the Vikes embarrassed on TV was tough.

It seemed that loss really woke up the Vikings for the season as they win the next 2 both at home. The season summary sees a heart breaking loss to the Broncos followed by wins 5 in a row before getting beat handily by the Packers which was a 3:30 national TV game. This game was even flexed and on to 3:30 national tv and once again disappointment.

I know the team goes to Atlanta after the Packer game and what do the Vikings do? They win on the road so once again I am feeling good knowing the next week we are back home to play Seattle who had no Marshawn Lynch. I thought a home game we should be able to take but I was wrong as I sat in my seats at TCF and watched the purple get destroyed by Seattle.

Oh no we now go to Arizona for a national tv game knowing the first 2 we were humiliated. The pregame guests were all picking Arizona by double digits. Please don’t get destroyed on TV again I prayed. Coach Zimmer had the boys ready to compete and compete they did. They played the heavily favored Cardinals tough and it came down to the controversial play with Teddy not throwing the ball away and instead get strip sacked when the team was in field goal range to at least send it into overtime. It was indeed a tough loss even though it was a game that was supposed to be one sided.

The team has 8 wins in their pocket eclipsing last year’s total of 7 and games left with 2 home and 1 on the road.

Minnesota wins the next 2 at home by a combined score of 87-34 beating Chicago and New York Giants and yes the season may have taken even a better turn as the Giants game had been flexed to prime time in which the Vikings had been 1-15 in national TV Games. It was so cold that night but the real heat was put on by the Vikes defense as they harassed Eli Manning all night. Destruction on national TV was a game never to forget.

The season comes down to this in which the NFL had to love as the 10-5 Minnesota Vikings traveled to take on the 10-5 Green Bay Packers. The winner takes the division and earns the number3 seed and a home game. Which Vikings team will show up?

The Vikes take a commanding 20-3 lead and yet I was not comfortable until the game clock said 0:00. The Packers did make a tremendous comeback in fact coming down to the final Hail Mary pass into the end zone.

I stood up in my chair with my heart pounding out of my body and I kept saying to myself. Please knock it down and you are division champs.

The defense makes the play and I get to see the team I cheer for my whole life go running onto the field. The dowsing of Gatorade on Coach Zimmer was the moment of the season.

The Minnesota Vikings are your 2015-2-16 NFC North Division Champs. That saying both seeing and saying it is incredible and what a rush.

The Seattle Seahawks now come to town and not many are giving the Vikes a prayer but I feel until the game cock say 0:00 I won’t stop believing.

The season had so many players step up in the regular season beginning with rookie wide out,Stefon Diggs. He is inactive the first 3 games of the season and finally inserted into the lineup and what does he do the rest of the season? He catches 52 balls for 720 yards and 4 TD’s.

Blair Walsh stated our shaky and so much talk in the media will the Vikes keep or cut? He ends up going 34-39 on field goals including 6 of 50 yards or longer including a 54 yarder. Blair kicked 33-37 PAT’s good for 135 points.

How about Eric Kendricks, 2^nd round draft out of UCLA? His year was so good he ended up being the first rookie to lead the Vikings in tackles since 1961.

Linval Joseph I believe would have been pro bowl bound if he had not been injured. The man was a beast in the middle.

Who can forget Harrison’s Smith season including an interception return for a TD which broke the Vikes all-time record for interceptions returns for touchdowns.

Rookies, Danielle Hunter who wears # 99 had 4.5 sacks in college total gets 6 in his first year alone with the Vikings.

Teddy Bridgewater’s 2^nd great December in a row really helped propel the offense and his pass completion percent and passer rating were unbelievable.

Adrian Peterson is out all but 1 game last season comes back to win the NFL rushing title and gets his 8^th season of touchdowns in is career.

There were so many players who stepped up and just because I didn’t write about them specifically does not mean they didn’t have a good year. It is truly a team sport.

The offensive line say what you want about them seemed to get the job when it really counted. Offensive line coach, Jeff Davidson might be his best job yet.

Mike Zimmer in my eyes even though it may not happen should be the NFL Coach of the year with all the accomplishments including a division title and going 5-1 in the NFC North. He has my vote!!!!

The season opening loss to the 49ers and yet the Vikes go onto make the playoffs while the 49ers season turned so sour they fired their coach in only his first season in charge.

The Vikes go 6-2 at home and a whopping 5 wins on the road which is incredible.  Add in the Vikes winning for the first time since 2007 in Chicago. This season had so many things that normally go wrong go right.

The season continues Sunday January 10^th in what is expected to be a top 10 coldest ever playoff game in the NFL.

I will be there and I predict the upset as I say the Vikes win 20-10.

Thanks for reading

Todd Walkingstick