Vikings

Vikings Will Scout From Their Couches During Bye Week

Photo Credit: Kyle Hansen

Professional football players don’t often get a chance to watch their peers at work — not with the rest of the country, anyway.

But as the Minnesota Vikings relax over the weekend after earning the coveted bye week, they’ll gather around their televisions to see which NFC opponent awaits them in the Divisional round.

The Los Angeles Rams host the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday night, and the Carolina Panthers visit the New Orleans on Sunday afternoon. The Vikings will play the Rams if they win, or the winner of Panthers-Saints if the Rams lose.

“I’ll probably relax,” said quarterback Case Keenum. “Maybe have some of the guys over, or go over to somebody’s house and watch the game. I’ll probably have plenty of time to watch the coach’s copy next week. I’ll probably relax and watch the game, just chilling out like a fan.”

The Vikings practiced Tuesday and Wednesday and were given the rest of the week off. It is their first extended break since Thanksgiving weekend following their win over the Detroit Lions.

While Keenum, who says he doesn’t watch much football outside of work, may have his feet up and his film-watching switch turned off, wide receiver Stefon Diggs will be taking a different approach. Diggs proclaims that he’s watched every team play this season and will watch football with “whoever’s around.”

“I might be watching something totally different [than the fans],” said Diggs. “I might be watching a guy in the slot run a route rather than the running back get a screen or something like that. Be looking for different things rather than just watching and enjoying the game. I don’t really enjoy the game like that.”

It makes sense Diggs would be watching his own position. Even though the television broadcast isn’t conducive to detailed film study because of its tight camera angle, there are still details to be gleaned.

“It’s kind of a tradeoff because you watch the receivers, what they did, what worked and what didn’t work,” said Diggs, “and then you watch the DBs because you want to know how they like to play, but moreso what works against them, what doesn’t work against them, and then what they like to do.”

Receiver Adam Thielen will also be watching intently.

Not with his teammates, though. Thielen said he needs a “mental break.”

He falls between Keenum and Diggs on the spectrum — not trying to dissect every play, but listening to the commentators and watching for useful nuggets when they present themselves.

“Sometimes you get those replays after they get a completion or something like that, and then it’s right on the DB,” said Thielen. “Those are the times when you can actually get a little something.”

Starting Monday, the players will have detailed All-22 video cut-ups of their first playoff opponent. That’s where the real studying occurs.

For the players … and the coaches.

“The coaches, they watch it 100 times over,” said Diggs. “They know guys to a T.”


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