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Friday, September 1
Vikes roll the dice with Daunte

By Kent Youngblood
Pro Football Weekly

Near the end of training camp, the Vikings received a visit from Sean Salisbury. He was the quarterback when the Vikings qualified for the playoffs in 1992, Dennis Green's first year as head coach. Salisbury was the first in a long line of quarterbacks who have moved through the Vikings' revolving door. Jim McMahon, Warren Moon, Brad Johnson and Jeff George are some of the others.

Everybody says Daunte Culpepper is a concern, but I don't think so. Culpepper will make mistakes, but he will also make enough plays, especially with receivers like Randy Moss and Cris Carter. Moss will catch 25 touchdown passes this season if defensive coordinators are dumb enough to leave him in single coverage.

The Vikings' big issue is whether or not their defense can stop anyone. Their best cornerback is a converted wide receiver. Their secondary needs to prove it's capable, especially at cornerback.

Salisbury was standing on the sidelines, watching Daunte Culpepper practice.

"Let's put it this way," Salisbury said. "Daunte and Ryan Leaf -- Daunte, for on-the-field stuff, and Leaf, for off-the-field stuff, are going to be the two most-watched players in the preseason. Everybody wants to know what they're going to do."

Unfortunately, it won't stop in the preseason for Culpepper, the man anointed the starter by Green, even though he has just seven regular-season snaps under his belt.

It has already become a cliché repeated over and over like a mantra by anyone watching the team, but it's true: The Vikings, still loaded with offensive talent and perhaps in position to improve their defense, will go only as far as Culpepper takes them.

It's that simple.

The Vikings can talk all they want about Culpepper being surrounded by talent, which he is. That he doesn't have to win games by himself, simply not lose them. That the Vikings' offensive system has proved through the years that it can integrate new quarterbacks relatively seamlessly.

"We have consistency," Green said. "It's the same system we put in in 1992, which means a lot of players know it. You come into our system, a lot of guys already know what they're doing."

But when the regular season starts, everybody will be watching what Culpepper is doing. He worked hard in the offseason, on both his body and his mind. He has put in the hours, embraced the challenge and done his best to ignore the pressures placed upon him.

Can he do it? The immediate future of the Vikings depends on it.

Offense
Quarterbacks: Culpepper had moments in camp when he looked like a 265-pound weapon of the future, throwing the ball well and adding the element of the run to the Vikings' quarterback position, something it hasn't had in a while. There were also times when Culpepper took too long to make his reads and couldn't deliver the ball to his highly touted receivers. All of this is to be expected, of course, from a first-time starter. But know this: Culpepper will put in the work necessary to succeed. New offensive coordinator Sherman Lewis has tweaked Green's offensive system in a key way. In West Coast style, he has incorporated more short throws to the tight ends and running backs. Lewis believes shifty and speedy Robert Smith could be in line for some big gains if given the ball out of the backfield. The Vikings believe 280-pound fullback Jimmy Kleinsasser -- one of the talks of training camp -- can be effective as well. All of this is designed to put more pressure on the defense while taking it off Culpepper. The short throws are high-percentage passes, tailor-made for a first-time starter. Culpepper may be a great quarterback down the road. But can he do it this year? That question may not be answered until we see how he responds to his first true adversity once the season starts. Culpepper has to prove he can be accurate on the deep throws and make his reads quickly. Bubby Brister has always looked better in game situations than in practice. Still, he came on strong near the end of camp and appears to be ready to step in if needed. Brister doesn't have Culpepper's arm, but he has adjusted to the offense well and makes good reads. The history of this team suggests Brister will get a chance at some point this season, though Green would be loath to bench Culpepper, a young man in whom the team has so much invested. Todd Bouman wasn't given many snaps in the preseason while the team worked Culpepper and Brister. But Bouman knows the offense well, and he can't be discounted as an option if Culpepper is hurt or ineffective.
Grade: C+

Running backs: When healthy, Smith is one of the most dangerous running backs in the league. He is coming off three straight 1,000-yard seasons and is within reach of Chuck Foreman's franchise rushing record this year. It may also be Smith's last with the Vikings given the salary-cap crunch they expect to find themselves in next year. Smith is quick and explosive, and he may be even more dangerous if he proves to be effective as a receiver out of the backfield. The only question is whether he can stay healthy. The team spent much of the preseason trying to find the next Leroy Hoard -- the man used in short-yardage and goal-line situations -- and it appears they'll fill the job by committee. Moe Williams, who should be Smith's top backup, is being pushed by rookie Doug Chapman, a scoring machine at Marshall. Kleinsasser has become a dominating lead blocker, and he may expand his role as a short-yardage back. He will also be used more in the passing game.
Grade: A-


	Randy Moss will make things easier for starting QB Daunte Culpepper.

Receivers: If one of the tight ends can step forward and become a threat, this may be the best groups of receivers in the game. Cris Carter continues his march toward the Hall of Fame. He led the league with 13 touchdown receptions last year. One of the greatest red-zone receivers ever, Carter has already begun to click in that area with Culpepper. Look for Carter's scoring to continue, and look for Culpepper to look to Carter on third down, another of the receiver's specialty areas. In his second season, Randy Moss led the NFC in receiving yards. He and Carter form the best 1-2 punch in the league. The team believes Matthew Hatchette will be a more effective No. 3 receiver than the declining Jake Reed was last year, but the Vikings won't use as many three-receiver sets as in the past. Look for Troy Walters, a very, very quick 5-7 rookie, to provide a speedy change of pace on third down. The tight end position was up in the air heading into training camp. Andrew Jordan had a good camp. The Vikings plan to rediscover the tight end this year.
Grade: A-

Offensive linemen: For the first time in years, the unit has questions with new starters at left guard and center. Still, this group has the potential to be very good. Left tackle Todd Steussie was a Pro Bowler two years ago, but he gave up eight sacks last year. He has since readjusted his stance, shown a kick-butt attitude and had a great camp. Look for Steussie to climb back to the top tier of offensive tackles. Right tackle Korey Stringer was the team's most consistent lineman last year; he may vie for Pro Bowl status this year. New center Matt Birk is going to experience some first-time-starter mistakes, but he is bigger and stronger than the departed Jeff Christy, and the team is convinced people will forget about Christy before the year is over. The biggest questions involve left guard. Can Corbin Lacina hold up over the course of the season, especially with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee? Will Brad Badger and Chris Liwienski shine while sharing time with Lacina? Right guard David Dixon is big and strong, but he'll have to take a step up this year. In years past, Randall McDaniel was so good on his own at left guard that the Vikings were able to help Dixon with the center.
Grade: B

Defense
Defensive linemen: Defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas wants his defensive line to stunt and attack more. But who will rush the passer from the outside? The Vikings spent all of camp trying to decide who their best defensive ends were, but it appears they will have to use a defensive end-by-committee philosophy. The team needs veteran Bryce Paup to step up as a situational pass rusher. John Burrough will have to stay healthy, and Talance Sawyer will have to continue to improve as the starting right end. It won't be long before rookie Chris Hovan starts taking several snaps at left end. Tackle, on the other hand, is a strength. John Randle is back inside, where he is at his best, full time. Tony Williams, the starting nose tackle, appears ready for a breakthrough season. Hovan had a steady camp, and rookie Fred Robbins flashed some ability but still needs some intensity.
Grade: B-

Linebackers: Thomas has made some changes, all designed to help his young corners. The three linebackers have been shuffled, with the bigger Kailee Wong moving to the middle, Ed McDaniel to the weak side and Dwayne Rudd to the strong side, where his ability to cover the tight end one on one will free up the safeties to help the corners more. This starting group has the chance to be very, very good. Some think Rudd is wasted on the strong side, but look for Thomas to use him as a blitzer quite often. Wong had a very strong camp and provides more bulk in the middle than McDaniel did. McDaniel once led the league with 19½ tackles for loss from the weak side, where he began his career. An instinctive player who works well in space, McDaniel isn't superfast, but he's very quick, especially when slicing through the line to make a tackle. He's back in his ideal position. The question is: Who will be the top backup? Craig Sauer was injured through much of camp.
Grade: B+

Defensive backs: Thomas wants his corners to play more bump-and-run coverages to try to turn the receivers inside, where the help is. If he's freed up by Rudd's ability to cover the tight end, SS Robert Griffith could be in position to make a lot of big plays. He is one of the best in the league at his position and is on the verge of receiving acknowledgement for it. Free safety Orlando Thomas says he's completely healthy for the first time in years. Emmitt Thomas has put him in more of a center-field role. That's what Orlando Thomas played as a rookie in '95, when he picked off nine passes. The biggest question is at cornerback. Kenny Wright has most of a year's worth of starting experience under his belt, and he has the size for the position. Wide receiver-turned-cornerback Robert Tate had a wonderful camp, using his team-best speed to make several big plays in practice. He'll be tested this year, but he's tough. Some in the organization think he could be one of the season's biggest surprises. Depth at corner has been a problem. The team spent the entire camp trying to find an adequate nickel back. Look for rookie Tyrone Carter, Roderick Mullen or Keith Thibodeaux to get looks there.
Grade: C+

Special teams
This unit is a team strength. Punter/kickoff specialist Mitch Berger is coming off his first Pro Bowl season. Place-kicker Gary Anderson played last year amid some personal problems that caused him to lose weight. He's back in shape and looked wonderful in camp. Return specialist David Palmer is coming off a knee injury, but he should be ready to return to action. If Palmer falters, there are several candidates to replace him, including Walters.
Grade: A-