Case Keenum and Stefon Diggs are heroes in Minnesota, but it wasn’t always that way.
There was a time when both players were widely considered afterthoughts in the Vikings organization. This past summer many suggested that Keenum shouldn’t even be on the 53-man roster in the first place — and those people have since been proven incredibly incorrect.
Diggs, a product of Maryland, had a slightly different route to the magical moment now remembered as the “Minneapolis Miracle.” The former five-star recruit from Olney Good Counsel high school passed on offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, California, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State and plenty other big-name universities in order to stay home.
Despite him reportedly telling every team that elected to interview him at the NFL combine that he was the best wide receiver in the draft, Diggs fell all the way to the fifth round where general manager Rick Spielman and the Vikings scooped him up.
Nobody believed him at the time. And if they did, well, they certainly didn’t show it. But Diggs has always had incredible talent and an ideal football mindset. He seemingly takes everything seriously even if the people around him are not.
He entered training camp as a rookie with something to prove and a massive chip on his shoulder. The fire showed almost immediately, as Diggs continuously burned Minnesota cornerbacks with picture-perfect route-running technique and decisive explosion. But he remained quiet early in his rookie season, instead awaiting his turn to prove himself.
And when he finally received that opportunity, Diggs made the most of it — because that is simply the player he is.
In his debut against the Denver Broncos, Diggs put arguably the best cornerback in the NFL, Aqib Talib, at the time on skates with one of his trademark routes. He continued to make play after play … after play … after play until Zimmer had no choice but to increase his snap count on a weekly basis.
But Diggs did not appear to be satisfied with simply an increased role; he showed by his play that he wanted to be a difference-maker in the Vikings offense.
He has achieved that. He has proven to the world that they made a mistake passing on him in favor of players who better fit the NFL stereotype at wide receiver.
Diggs and Keenum will forever be remembered in Minnesota as heroes for what they were able to accomplish against the New Orleans Saints, and that, my friends, is as close to a fact as a subjective comment can possibly be.
“The Real is on the Rise”
—Drake—
PRE-BAG PRIMER
My goal every week is to answer as many questions as possible. So, moving forward, there will not be a fixed number. I’ll try my best to thoughtfully answer as many questions each week as possible. As always, thanks to each of you for your submissions — should be a fun edition.
If you have any questions, thoughts or jokes to share with me, please do so via email at [email protected], Twitter @RobertReidell or use the social media hashtag #VGTweet.
ONE
Well thank you for loading up the mailbag Ed, this should be fun.
Let’s start with the Philadelphia defensive line. Fletcher Cox is an absolute animal. I have compared him to Gerald McCoy, who Minnesota tussled with back in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They are similar players in the sense that they are both extremely disruptive from the interior, specifically the 3-technique spot.
It’s not just Cox either — the criminally underrated Brandon Graham, rookie Derek Barnett and veteran Chris Long can all collapse the pocket from the exterior. I also think that Beau Allen, who played his high school football at Minnetonka before attending Wisconsin for college, has done an excellent job in limited snaps in a clogger role.
There aren’t any specific adjustments that I’d recommend Pat Shurmur makes, but Riley Reiff and Pat Elflein will need to be on their game for 60 minutes to contain these pass-rushers. Jim Schwartz brings a ton of different looks, as Vikings fans should remember from his time with the Detroit Lions. I don’t like using clichés, but this seems like as good of a time as ever — Minnesota simply needs to stay grounded (figuratively and literally) and trust their preparation against the talented unit.
We’ll talk about the blocked punt later in the mailbag, so let’s skip now to the final question regarding Shurmur heading to the New York Giants.
I work under the theory that one should only attempt to control what he or she can control, and I think the Vikings would be wise to do the same. If Shurmur chooses to leave — and I’m still hopeful that he won’t — and I am the general manager, I would sit down with him and discuss his terms.
It certainly seems like the Vikings have enough quarterback talent to allow one or two quarterbacks to walk, but Minnesota needs to think of itself as well. Case Keenum has shown a capacity for greatness. Sam Bradford can be unstoppable in the right system. Teddy Bridgewater remains very capable of achieving success at the NFL level, and I have yet to hear a bad thing about Kyle Sloter.
So, it ultimately comes down to what Shurmur wants and what Eli Manning wants. If Manning is done with the Giants — maybe he looks to re-join Tom Coughlin in Jacksonville? — then I could see the Vikings offensive coordinator attempting to bring one of Bradford or Keenum to New York.
TWO
Absolutely. Always trust Zimmer’s defense. The talent is there; it’s just a matter of execution at this point.
THREE
Thanks for the question, Bob. So, I reviewed this play probably eight times in search of a specific answer, and, in my eyes, there wasn’t just one guy who made a mistake on this play. Protection collapsed off the edge and in the interior.
If I had to pin it on one guy — which I think would be unfair — I’d have to put it on C.J. Ham. Taysom Hill, who is a quarterback by trade, came crashing in from the left side of protection, blowing past Ham and subsequently affecting punter Ryan Quigley’s footing.
For what it’s worth though — probably not much — the play did not go down as a blocked punt, as the ball traveled one full yard in the air.
FOUR
Well, let’s start this off by expanding on the point you opened with — Philadelphia is no pushover. I think the Vikings have a great opportunity to win this matchup on the road and #BringItHome, but like you, I don’t want to make any assumptions just yet.
As for a potential opponent in the Super Bowl? I’d prefer the Jacksonville Jaguars. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are a dynamic duo, and I will be concerned about the New England Patriots until both of them are no longer there. Additionally, as Eric Thompson of the Daily Norseman pointed out earlier this week, I’d love to see Jalen Ramsey at media day. That would simply be too much fun.
Fair to say at this point that Sean Payton was being a little smug about his Saints. And he was burned for it — I can Digg it.
FIVE
Well thank you for asking Mr. Slaby, I’d be happy to tell you.
It was fantastic. I was very, very happy with the turnout and ensuing “Minneapolis Miracle” celebration. Vikings fans have been underrated for years, and it was such a pleasure to see everyone let loose all at once.
Hope to see everyone back at BlackStack Brewing this Sunday.
For more Minnesota Vikings analysis and news, follow BJ Reidell on Twitter @RobertReidell and subscribe to “About the Labor: A Minnesota Vikings Podcast” available on iTunes, Stitcher, CastBox and YouTube.
