Viktor
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
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NORSEMAN NOTES
This is the fourth time in Vikings history that the team has started a season 10-5 (1988, 1992, 2015 and 2019). The Vikings have made the playoffs every time they’ve opened a season 10-5 (the NFL increased its schedule from 14 games to 16 in 1978).
The Vikings offense has allowed only 28 sacks in 2019, which is the eighth-fewest in 2019. Minnesota suffered 40 in 2018.
QB Kirk Cousins has a 107.4 passer rating, which ranks fourth in the NFL as the Vikings enter the final week of the regular season. His previous career best was 101.6 with Washington in 2015.
Cousins ranks seventh in franchise history with 56 passing touchdowns and needs three to pass Warren Moon (1994-96).
Dalvin Cook, who missed Week 16, is tied for third in the NFL with 13 rushing touchdowns. He also ranks fifth in the NFL in scrimmage yards with 1,654.
Stefon Diggs has a new career-high of 1,130 receiving yards, giving him back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for the first time in his career. Diggs ranks fourth in the NFL with 17.9 yards per catch.
Kyle Rudolph needs three touchdown receptions to tie Sammy White (50) for fourth in Vikings history. Rudolph (425 receptions) passed Jake Reed (413) in Week 11 for fifth place on Minnesota’s all-time receptions list. Anthony Carter is fourth all-time with 478.
Irv Smith, Jr., has 35 receptions in 2019 and needs one to break Andrew Jordan’s Vikings record of 35 receptions by a rookie tight end (1994).
The Vikings defense has allowed the second-fewest rushing touchdowns in the NFL this season (seven).
Danielle Hunter has tied his single-season career best of 14.5 sacks, which is tied for third in the NFL.
According to league stats, Eric Kendricks has a career-high 12 pass breakups on the season.
Anthony Harris is tied for the league lead with six interceptions in 2019.
VIKINGS-BEARS CONNNECTIONS
Bears return specialist/receiver Cordarrelle Patterson played for the Vikings from 2013-16.
LOCAL CONNECTIONS
Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer is from Peoria, Illinois, and played collegiately at Illinois State.
Vikings WR Laquon Treadwell is from Crete, Illinois.
COACHING CONNECTIONS
Vikings assistant special teams coach Ryan Ficken played at Arizona State when Bears Offensive Coordinator Mark Helfrich was quarterbacks coach in 2001.
Vikings Special Teams Coordinator Marwan Maalouf worked in the same role at Indianapolis in 2012 when Bears Defensive Coordinator Chuck Pagano was head coach of the Colts. They also worked together in Baltimore from 2008-11.
Maalouf, running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu (2004), Defensive Coordinator George Edwards (2004) and defensive line coach Andre Patterson (2003-04) overlapped with Pagano (2001-04) in Cleveland. Polamalu played at USC (1982-85), overlapping with Pagano’s time as a graduate assistant.
Vikings receivers coach Drew Petzing worked as an operations intern for the Browns in 2013 when Chicago Special Teams Coordinator Chris Tabor was with Cleveland.
PROFESSIONAL CONNECTIONS
Vikings Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Advisor Gary Kubiak, offensive line coach and run game coordinator Rick Dennison and tight ends coach Brian Pariani were on the Ravens staff in 2014 when LS Patrick Scales was with Baltimore.
Minnesota Special Teams Coordinator Marwan Maalouf and Bears TE Bradley Sowell overlapped in Indianapolis in 2012.
Vikings P Britton Colquitt (2016-17) played for Bears Special Teams Coordinator Chris Tabor for two seasons in Cleveland. Colquitt teamed with Bears LB Danny Trevathan in Denver when Kubiak, Pariani and Dennison were on the Broncos staff. Trevathan is on Injured Reserve.
Minnesota C Brett Jones (2015-17), who is on Injured Reserve, and Linval Joseph (2010-13) played with Bears DB Prince Amukamara (2011-15) for the Giants.
Vikings T Rashod Hill, Amukamara and Bears WR Allen Robinson II were teammates in Jacksonville in 2016.
Minnesota DT Shamar Stephen teamed with Chicago RB Mike Davis in Seattle last season.
Vikings G Josh Kline and Bears DT Akiem Hicks teamed together in New England in 2015.
Minnesota RB Ameer Abdullah (2015-18) and T Riley Reiff (2012-16) were teammates of Cornelius Lucas (2014-16) in Detroit.
Vikings QB Sean Mannion (2015-18) was a teammate of Lucas (2017) and Bears DT Nick Williams (2018) with the Rams.
Minnesota G Dakota Dozier teamed with Chicago LB Kevin Pierre-Louis and DB Buster Skrine on the 2018 Jets.
COLLEGE CONNECTIONS
Minnesota RB Dalvin Cook and CB Xavier Rhodes and Chicago NT Eddie Goldman at Florida State
Vikings DT Jaleel Johnson and Bears OL James Daniels at Iowa
Minnesota C Brett Jones and Bears DT Akiem Hicks at Regina (Canada)
Vikings T Brian O’Neill and Bears TE J.P. Holtz at Pittsburgh
Minnesota TE Irv Smith, Jr., and Chicago S Eddie Jackson at Alabama
Vikings DE Tashawn Bower and Bears DB Kevin Toliver II at LSU
Minnesota CB Mike Hughes and Chicago QB Mitchell Trubisky at North Carolina before Hughes transferred to UCF
Vikings WR Stefon Diggs and Bears LB Josh Woods at Maryland