Shutdown Countdown: Vikings welcome back a former MVP

Shutdown Corner is previewing all 32 teams as we get ready for the NFL season, counting down the teams one per day in reverse order of our initial 2015 power rankings. No. 1 will be revealed on Aug. 8, the day before the preseason begins with the Hall of Fame Game in Canton.

NO. 17: MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Biggest NFL offseason acquisition this year? Well, there’s only one team that added a former NFL MVP.

Technically the Minnesota Vikings didn’t add running back Adrian Peterson this offseason, but practically they did. Peterson played Week 1 and that’s it last season. As that saga unfolded away from the field, the Vikings looked pretty good down the stretch behind rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. And now you take all of that progress and get perhaps the best NFL running back since Jim Brown back in the lineup. I’m not sure how Peterson basically taking a year off will affect him, but I’m also confident in saying he’ll be an upgrade over Matt Asiata.

With Peterson back, this Vikings team has a chance to have a nice breakout season.

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Minnesota played well without Peterson late last season. The Vikings went 3-3 in their final six games and the losses were by three points to Green Bay, two points at Detroit and two points at Miami. Think a player like Peterson could have swung any or all three of those close losses?

The Vikings scored at least 30 points three times in that six-game stretch, and that brings us to Bridgewater. In this era, in which most of the league either is desperate to find any competent quarterback or has one nearing his 40s, it’s unbelievable Bridgewater lasted until the 32nd pick. Bridgewater’s drop, because of a bad pro day and skinny legs or whatever other foolishness was tossed about last year, will be a cautionary tale for years. Kudos to the Vikings for doing what the snoozing Houston Texans should have done, and trading up to get him at the end of the first round. Bridgewater was a fantastic college quarterback and did well as a rookie. Here were his ratings in Minnesota’s last five games: 120.7, 117.7, 84.9, 114.1, 90.2. That’s marvelous for a rookie.

It’s not just Bridgewater leading the Vikings revival, either. The defense has some stars thanks to some smart front office decisions. Safety Harrison Smith is one of the best in the NFL, outside linebacker Anthony Barr looked like a keeper as a rookie last year, re-signing defensive end Everson Griffen was clearly the right move, defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd had a big year and the defense added potential starters at cornerback (Trae Waynes) and inside linebacker (Eric Kendricks) from this year’s draft.

The Vikings are on the rise, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they passed the Detroit Lions for second place in the NFC North this year. Mike Zimmer is a good coach, the young quarterback looks great, the defense might be really good and now they add an all-time great to the mix at running back. Things are looking up in Minnesota.

2014 review in less than 25 words: Thanks to some strong performances late, they put in a very satisfying 7-9 campaign.

Is the roster better, worse or about the same?: We’ll leave Peterson out of this conversation. I’m not a huge fan of any of their free-agent signings, but they didn’t lose any key players either. Maybe you like receiver Mike Wallace, who came via a trade with the Dolphins, but I don’t get that one. Wallace is just a deep threat, and now he’s with a quarterback who is really good at everything except he doesn’t have a great arm. The draft looks really interesting, however. Since the Vikings didn’t give up much to get Wallace, swapping a fifth-round pick for a seventh, and the draft looks good, I’ll say the roster is better.

Best offseason acquisition: Maybe it’s Wallace, but I need to see it before I believe that’s a good fit. Waynes was the first pick for the team and is really talented, but there are reports that he might not be thrown into the starting lineup right away. I do think Kendricks will start right away, so he’s my pick for this category. Kendricks will have to beat out Audie Cole for the middle linebacker job vacated when Jasper Brinkley left via free agency, but I think he’ll do that. Then I think Kendricks’ athletic ability and versatility will translate into a pretty nice rookie season.

Achilles’ heel: Matt Kalil was supposed to be a foundation player for the Vikings as the fourth pick of the 2012 draft. Kalil’s play has dipped since a promising rookie season, and it really got bad last year. Kalil gave up 12 sacks according to Pro Football Focus, and no other NFL tackle gave up more than nine. He had arthroscopic surgery on both knees this offseason, and maybe that was the problem last season. But the Vikings’ line isn’t a big strength, and it could be a weakness if Kalil plays like he did last season.

Position in flux: I wish I had more trust in the Vikings’ receivers. Charles Johnson came to Minnesota from the Browns’ practice squad to have a nice run, but I’d like to see him repeat that before I completely buy in. Wallace, again, doesn’t seem like a natural fit with Bridgewater’s strengths and weaknesses. Nobody is depending on Cordarrelle Patterson anymore; he needs to earn back the trust of the coaches and fast. If Bridgewater has a bit of a sophomore slump, it could be due to his receivers.

Ready to break out: Floyd has broken out, but I think this is the year he starts to get widespread credit so I’m picking him here. His second season was good, and his third should end at the Pro Bowl. Floyd wasn’t great as a rookie or early in his second season, but he finished strong. The athletic 311-pound tackle, who was a first-round pick two years ago, could be an incredibly valuable anchor for the Vikings’ defense if he continues to build off last season.

Stat fact: In NFL history, here’s the list of running backs who have averaged 5 yards per carry over their careers: Marion Motley, Jamaal Charles, Jim Brown, Mercury Morris, Joe Perry, Gale Sayers, Barry Sanders and Peterson. Everyone on that list except Morris is either in the Hall of Fame or, in the case of Charles and Peterson, still playing.

Burning question

Schedule degree of difficulty: The season opener on Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers is really interesting for both teams. The schedule isn’t easy on paper, with games against the Packers, Lions and AFC West. December includes three of five games against 2014 playoff teams.

This team’s best-case scenario for the 2015 season: I think this team could easily make the playoffs. I’m not sure about them winning the NFC North from Green Bay unless the Packers take on some injuries, but that shouldn’t be the realistic goal to set for this year anyway. If you look at how close the Vikings were last season to a winning record, despite having a rookie quarterback and no Peterson, you can easily see a little bump up and a double-digit win 2015.

And here’s the nightmare scenario: Bridgewater’s strong play did come in a small sample, so it’s dangerous to assume he’s just going to pick up where he left off. Defensive coordinators will have a year to adjust. There’s no telling what Peterson will do at age 30 after a healthy year off, because there’s no precedent for it. You’d assume the defense will be good, but maybe the offense holds the Vikings back from improving off last season.

The crystal ball says: I’m more bullish on the Vikings than their ranking here might indicate. I feel like they’re going to roll into San Francisco, get a win in Week 1 and play well all season. There’s enough uncertainty that I couldn’t vault them into the top half of the rankings yet, but it’ll come fast if they start well. I think there’s a good chance this is one of your two NFC wild-card teams.

Previous previews
32. Tennessee Titans
31. Jacksonville Jaguars
30. Washington Redskins
29. Oakland Raiders
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
27. New York Jets
26. Chicago Bears
25. Cleveland Browns
24. Atlanta Falcons
23. San Francisco 49ers
22. New York Giants
21. New Orleans Saints
20. Houston Texans
19. Carolina Panthers
18. St. Louis Rams