| Advertisement |
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- For the third time in the past five meetings, the Minnesota Vikings will have a new starting quarterback when they face the NFC North rival Green Bay Packers on Sunday night in the regular-season debut of $1.1 billion U.S. Bank Stadium. Who that quarterback is, the Vikings aren't saying. Although the Packers say they have a really good idea.
Advertisement
Packers head coach Mike McCarthy, the man with the 15-5-1 mark against the Vikings, is used to guessing right when it comes to figuring out the Vikings. However, he did lose the last meeting in a winner-take-all game for the NFC North division in last year's regular-season finale at Lambeau Field.
On Wednesday, McCarthy said the Packers are expecting the Vikings to start Sam Bradford at quarterback. Titans head coach Mike Mularkey said the same thing the week before, but was wrong. However, in this case, look for McCarthy to be proven right in what should become one of the league's worst-kept secrets by Sunday night.
"We're preparing for both Shaun (Hill) and Sam," McCarthy said. "I think it's very important to recognize that. But my understanding is that it may be Sam Bradford."
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer wouldn't name his starter and said "no comment" when asked if he's already made up his mind. He considers it a competitive disadvantage to name the starter. Hill gave a gutsy, turnover-free performance in the Vikings' 25-16 season opener at Tennessee, but the younger Bradford has the superior arm strength and deep-ball accuracy that the Vikings are hoping will catch the Packers off-guard and unstack the eight- and nine-man fronts that held Adrian Peterson to a 1.9-yard average on 19 carries in the opener.
When asked if McCarthy had an inside source on the Vikings' plans, Zimmer said, "I hope it's not in this building. I don't know. You'll have to ask Mike McCarthy that. I can't speak for him."
Meanwhile, on his conference call with Green Bay reporters, Zimmer said he might not even tell his players the plan. Although logic strongly suggested the Vikings wouldn't start Bradford in the opener only eight days and five practices after he arrived via trade from Philadelphia, Zimmer was miffed about last Friday's NFL.com report citing unnamed players who said Zimmer told the team Hill was starting.
"Typically I do (tell the players)," Zimmer said. "I did last week. I don't know if I will this week or not because it started leaking. Usually I like to inform the team of everything that's going on here and what I'm thinking, but I was a little disappointed that some of the things got out."
McCarthy essentially said it doesn't matter whether he knows who is starting. He said not knowing only "lengthens" the preparation time and that the Packers won't be surprised either way.
Ultimately, the key will be how well the players play. And the Vikings' quarterback may not be nearly as important as how well the defense plays against Aaron Rodgers. In last year's season finale, the Vikings held Rodgers to 13 points in a 20-13 win. Rodgers' 80.8 passer rating was the second-lowest he's had against the Vikings in his career, and the lowest since his first year as a starter.
But everyone wants to talk about the Vikings' quarterback this week. Whomever he may be.
