MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – On all fours in the west end zone, he needed a moment or two to catch his breath.

Not one of the 66,612 in U.S. Bank Stadium could blame him. After all, he did just save the season.

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Stefon Diggs wasn’t supposed to be here. The six-foot wide receiver out of Maryland was drafted in the middle of the fifth round back in 2015 and came into a 7-9 Minnesota Vikings squad as the sixth receiver on the depth chart.

He overcame adversity to become the Vikings’ go-to guy by the start of the 2017 season. However, Minnesota-native Adam Thielen stole the spotlight midway through the regular season while Diggs was either nursing an injury or busy handling opponents’ best cornerbacks. The attention shifted to the undrafted fan-favorite while Diggs was seemingly left behind.

Thielen ended up with nearly 30 more receptions than Diggs and eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark, something Diggs was unable to do. However, no matter the statistics or hype of Thielen, Diggs continued to draw the attention of the opponents’ most talented defensive backs. He commanded their respect.

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Trotting toward the huddle, it was third-and-10 with 10 seconds remaining. Stefon Diggs and the Minnesota Vikings were staring a one-point loss straight in the face while the Saints covered the sidelines and the defensive backs were content giving up 15 yards.

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It was the first playoff game ever hosted in U.S. Bank Stadium, the shiny new building in the heart of downtown Minneapolis. On a snowy afternoon, the Vikings were favored to beat the New Orleans Saints, revenge from the 2009 season fresh in the minds of many. With the upcoming Super Bowl to be hosted in the Twin Cities for the first time in 26 years, the mantra of ‘#BringItHome’ covered the walls, towels, columns and nearly every open space in the dome.

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As the huddle assembled for the final play, undrafted quarterback Case Keenum kneeled and looked at his guys.

“Buffalo Right, Seven Heaven.”

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The Minnesota Vikings have had no problem assembling regular season successes in the past 20 years. Playoff success, however, has been hard to come by in that time span.

In 1998, Randall Cunningham and Randy Moss led the NFL’s best-ever offense to a 15-1 record and a place in the NFC Championship Game. Kicker Gary Anderson hadn’t missed a single field goal all year, but when he lined up to ice the game with just over two minutes left, it sailed wide left. The Atlanta Falcons sent the game to overtime and ultimately won.

In 2009, Brett Favre joined the Vikings to lead another exceptional offensive attack highlighted by Adrian Peterson and Sidney Rice. Favre broke personal bests and franchise records en route to the NFC Championship Game in New Orleans, but the Saints pummeled him all game, leading him to throw a late-game interception. Turnovers plagued Minnesota all game, but the later-discovered ‘Bountygate’ program by coaches Sean Payton and Gregg Williams pushed New Orleans to an overtime victory and a controversial Super Bowl berth.

Now in the 2017 season, the Vikings capped off a 13-3 season with the two-seed in the playoffs. This success occurred despite Minnesota playing with their third-string quarterback and second-string running back for most of the season, but much of it was due to the stout defense that led the league in numerous categories. Now that the postseason is here, heartbreak is typically in the back of the minds of many fans, but this year brings a strange, new sense of optimism.

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The huddle broke off for perhaps the final play of the game, with Adam Thielen out wide left and three receivers bunched to the right, one of which was Stefon Diggs.

Case Keenum slowly stepped back into the shotgun, put his hands up and called for the snap. Diggs began his corner route to the right sideline and Keenum watched him the whole way. As the ball was released, a collective tension covered the stadium.

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The failure of 2009 rang in the ears of Vikings fans for long after the loss to the Saints. It may have quieted down in 2012 when Adrian Peterson nearly broke the all-time rushing record, but it was clear as day when the Vikings were crushed by the Packers that year in the playoffs. It was at a near silence in 2015 when Teddy Bridgewater led the Vikings to their first NFC North division title in six years, but it was louder than ever as Blair Walsh’s 27-yard kick sailed wide left against the Seahawks that January.

Minnesota’s home opener in 2017 saw New Orleans come to town with blank slates for both teams. The Saints still employed Sean Payton and Drew Brees from that 2009 Super Bowl winning team, but they had a new addition: Adrian Peterson. The Vikings beat the Saints for the first time since 2008, yet a resounding regular season victory wasn’t enough to completely hush the ringing.

Both the Vikings and Saints went through complete transformations between September and January, yet both found their way into the playoffs, meeting for the first time in the postseason since that night in New Orleans back in 2009. As the stadium filled to capacity, the ringing was steady in fans’ minds, ready to be deadened once and for all.

Jumping out to a 17-0 halftime lead, Vikings fans had to really strain to hear that ring, but those who have lived through what this franchise has had to offer know that no lead is safe. Brees and the Saints reeled off three touchdowns to grab the lead and, other than the now piercing ringing, the stadium fell silent.

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Stefon Diggs crossed the Saints’ 40-yard line and turned his head. No longer in stride, he backpedaled toward the ball, soaring right toward him. Approaching the 35, he leapt into the air, both hands reaching for the pass.

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However, late in the contest, Drew Brees and the Saints drove into enemy territory and set up the go-ahead field goal with only 25 seconds left on the clock. For the first time all game, the stadium fell silent; the 66,612 fans in attendance watched in awe as a far-too-familiar scene began to unfold. With virtually no time left on the clock, a once 17-point lead dissipated into a seemingly gut-wrenching loss for a 13-3 Vikings team only two games away from hosting its very own Super Bowl.

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Lofted where only he could catch it, Diggs secured Keenum’s pass and landed safely at the 35-yard line. Fans across the stadium screamed furiously for Diggs to safely get out of bounds for Kai Forbath to attempt the game-winning field goal.

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Stefon Diggs wasn’t supposed to be here. Catching passes from three different quarterbacks in his three seasons in the pros, Diggs lacked consistency from his play caller. Diggs brings just as much flair and uniqueness to the game as Antonio Brown or Julio Jones, but he didn’t end the season with the most receiving yards on his team, let alone near the top of the league.

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Despite the cries of many, Diggs stumbled as he turned to look upfield and there was no one in sight. The Saint’s corner took a bad angle and completely whiffed, leaving him with nothing but green grass ahead. Diggs sprinted toward the east end zone, ball outstretched, giving the Vikings the lead for good as time expired.

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However, none of that matters. Once the playoffs begin, the past is meaningless. Where he played in college, where he was drafted, where he was on the depth chart then and where he is now – none of it has any weight in the hearts of Vikings fans.

All that matters is that he made the play.

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As he crossed the goal line, Diggs put out his arms, taking in the raucous Minnesota crowd. Before his teammates managed to reach him, he took off his helmet and tossed it aside. In that moment, there was no noise; there was no ringing. They’d done it.

The post Stefon Diggs for Gold: The Minneapolis Miracle appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Case and Point

The Vikings acquired Case Keenum in March of 2017, mostly for the role of backup quarterback. Keenum began at QB2 this season, sitting on the sidelines as Sam Bradford had a career game during opening week vs. the New Orleans Saints. However, Bradford injured a knee during practice, and hasn’t looked the same since.

Keenum got the start in Week 2 versus the Steelers, and that is where the Vikings took one of their two loses this season; the other loss coming from the Detroit Lions in Week 4. Keenum didn’t look the greatest against Pittsburgh. But to his credit, he was only taking reps with the starters for one week and the Steelers defense has looked solid. The following week, he proved that he could not only manage a game like a usual backup is asked to do, but make some plays like a starter is asked to do. Keenum threw for 393 yards with 3 touchdowns against the Buccaneers in Week 3. Those numbers are high in Keenum’s career marks, which made Vikings fans skeptical if Keenum was the real deal or not, due to Tampa’s depleted defense at the time.

After losing to the Lions in Week 4, Case and the Vikings haven’t looked back. They are on a seven-game win streak and sit at 2nd place in the NFC and 3 games ahead as they sit in 1st place in the NFC North Division. The Viking defense has been looking unstoppable, as they shut down the highest scoring offense in the NFL in the LA Rams in Week 11. But, Case Keenum and the offense have done more than enough to keep winning games.

What about Teddy?

This is where the real talk begins. Teddy Bridgewater is now cleared to play, and has been for 3 weeks at the time of this post. Coach Zimmer has mentioned that Teddy has been making great plays during practice. He is also quoted telling the press that asked about the debacle that, “…we have a plan.” A lot has changed since he has made that statement. One, Case has seemed to be getting better and more confident. And two, the Vikings haven’t lost.

However, Teddy is a huge ‘locker room guy”. He is always shown mentoring other teammates, cheering after great plays, and being an overall great teammate. The adversity he has been through really shows what kind of player he is, but more importantly, what kind of man he is. For being drafted as the Vikings next franchise quarterback, he hasn’t played a full scale NFL football game in 1,052 days at the time of this post. That is a very long time to be away from a game and take from where you left off.

Now, nobody in the world, especially Vikings fans, expect him to be great right away. But as Everson Griffen, defensive-end for the Vikings, said, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” The Vikings are winning with Keenum, and to be frank, they shouldn’t take him out.

What’s Next?

The Vikings still have some big games to play yet this season. They play at Atlanta and Carolina in the next two weeks, and still have to play at Green Bay before the season ends. The key to winning in the NFL, according to Keenum, is to “…have fun and take each day at a time.”

The Vikings sure look like they are having fun, and the stats back them up. Overall, the quarterback debacle is something that this team shouldn’t worry about right now. I feel that Case earned his spot for the rest of the year, and that he should not have the pressure of always looking behind him for Teddy. Maybe, however, running from Teddy is what is motivating Keenum to be playing so well. And if that is the case (no pun intended), well, keep on keepin’ on, like Joe Dirt used to say.

As for the offseason, lots could happen. We could end up signing Keenum for a longer deal, but will have to pay him a good chunk thanks to his deal he signed in March. And if Bridgewater and Keenum battle it out, the starting QB for next season will be proven. Both guys are loved by this team and fanbase, so there is really no wrong way to go.

Final Assessment

My final opinion on this matter is that the Vikings should definitely, without a doubt keep Keenum in there for the rest of the season. Even if he has an off game, he needs to know that he has earned the trust of the coaching staff and his teammates. I believe he has earned that right, as he has done more than enough to contribute for this team.

As for next year, I wouldn’t mind seeing Keenum remain as the starting quarterback. However, I feel his leash should be a little tighter, as Teddy will now have a full offseason of preparation under his belt, which would be his first since his horrific injury. If Teddy were to beat Keenum out for the job before the season starts, that means that Teddy is right for the job.

Bradford? I don’t see him on the team next year. With what is still a mysterious knee injury, it doesn’t seem too bright for him on the Vikings roster, and any other roster. I feel for the guy because he gave it all for this team and did a remarkable job considering how he was added a week before the 2016-17 season even started. He even set the single season completion percentage record, which is now 71.6%.

All in all, this will be a season to remember for Vikings fans. Especially after last season, which was a season to forget after starting 5-0 then finishing 8-8. The quarterback play will be a huge key to success, as it is for any team. Thankfully, the Vikings rushing attack has gotten better and their defense is top five in the league. Not to mention, they have a huge home-field advantage thanks to the new U.S. Bank Stadium that opened last year, which is hosting this year’s Super Bowl. Will the Vikings be the first team to play in the Super Bowl in their own stadium? If the trend continues, it is very likely that they will.

The post The Vikings QB Debacle appeared first on KRUI Radio.