The Minnesota Vikings can make the move whenever they want. The team is once again struggling with the quarterback position through two games. The Vikings got the Week 1 win over the struggling St. Louis Rams, but went the opposite direction as they fell to the New England Patriots 30-7. The quarterback position takes the spotlight in the loss as the Vikings must now decide whether to keep Matt Cassel or replace him with Teddy Bridgewater.
Despite impressing in the preseason, Bridgewater has sat on the bench through two regular-season games. Even when Cassel tossed four interceptions while getting sacked six times, the rookie stood on the sidelines with a clipboard in his hands. Head coach Mike Zimmer told the media that he never once considered putting Bridgewater in the game and that stance likely will not change as the team prepares to face the New Orleans Saints.
"I'm going to hold the quarterback position just like every position here to the same standard, and I also said I wasn't going to have a quick hook," Zimmer said, via thePioneer Press. "Matt needs to play better. It's pretty obvious he needs to play better. We all need to play better. I need to coach better.
Cassel has certainly played better than he did in Week 2. The Vikings are aware that he is a capable starting quarterback. In Week 1 he put up an impressive performance all around which is likely why he is getting another chance to bounce back after dismal weekend showing. However, one more game and will it be time to replace the veteran with Bridgewater?
The Vikings are at a fork in the road of such. The legal issues surrounding Adrian Peterson put their offense in a holding pattern. It is hard to say whether or not they missed Peterson on Sunday. Certainly having the star running back would have helped and if the Vikings plan on playing Bridgewater at all this year, they need Peterson in the backfield. If Cassel continues to dip in his performance on the field, the Vikings will have a hard time making an excuse for not putting Bridgewater in the game. They traded up into the first round to get him for a reason.
