Could the Vikings make the playoffs with Case Keenum starting?

Without the NFC player of the week in the lineup, Case Keenum took the start, but against the Steelers was only able to manage 167 yards passing with no touchdowns, but at least had no interceptions.

“I was being facetious”, Zimmer clarified Monday, Sept. 18.

“I don’t know”, he said. Bradford has been dealing with a knee issue that hasn’t improved enough heading into Week 3 in order to get him back on the field against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“Each game I’m getting better, more into it”, Bryant said. In a 35-year span since the 1982 strike, the Vikings have enjoyed such 16-game security in only seven seasons, with Warren Moon (1995) and Daunte Culpepper (2000, 2002 and 2004) also on the list.

All that being said, it comes down to Bradford and his knee.

“I’m ready for whatever”. I don’t have a crystal ball; I wish I did.

“I feel like as a whole our defense is better than a year ago”, Shazier said. But while the NFL Network reported the injury was a bone bruise, Zimmer said, “I think he twisted it or something during the (Saints) game”, referring to the season opener. Bradford was brilliant at home the week before in a 29-19 victory over the Saints.

The sixth-year quarterback completed 20-of-37 passes for 167 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions in his first start for the Vikings and now holds a 9-16 overall starting record following the loss.

Minnesota is 1-1 on the season and 1-1 with the total after suffered a 26-9 loss to the Steelers in Pittsburgh last week.

“There’s no challenges”, Zimmer said. “We need to stay on schedule so that we can call the plays that might get us an explosive gain”, Shurmur added. Koetter doesn’t have to remind his team how quickly things can go the wrong direction. “We’ve just got to make sure we’re lined up correctly and still bring as much pressure as we can”.

“Their safeties don’t get a lot of depth a lot of times, so it gave us opportunities”, Roethlisberger said.

That would be a boost to the Pittsburgh defense, which hasn’t had its two wrecking-ball defensive ends on the field together for more than those two plays in Cleveland in its past 10 regular season game. And when he has played, he has made the line look far better than it has been. I have no idea.

It’ll be a tall task for Keenum and the Vikings offense to light up the scoreboard on Sunday. Luckily for Tampa, after a solid week one performance, their team has stayed clear of serious injuries which typically pop up during most teams first contest.

The timetable for Bradford’s return remains up in the air, the coach said.

“We didn’t want to put him in that situation”.

The Steelers needed to stack wins in the second half of 2016 just to win the AFC North after a four-game losing streak – including losses at Miami and Baltimore – left them with a 4-5 record.

The Pioneer Press is a Forum News Service media partner.