EAGAN, Minn. – The Vikings (0-2) are home again and looking to scratch the win column against the Titans (2-0) in Week 3.
Minnesota is trying to jump-start its offense, plug holes on defense and create better field position.
Here are the ways to watch the noon (CT) kickoff from U.S. Bank Stadium, which will host Tennessee for the first time but do so without fans in attendance.
BROADCAST TV
CBS (WCCO in the Twin Cities)
Kickoff: Noon (CT)
Play-by-Play: Andrew Catalon
Analyst: James Lofton
Sideline Reporter: A.J. Ross
ON MOBILE
Fans who live in the orange area shown on the map from 506sports.com will be able to watch the game on their iOS mobile devices with the VIKINGS APP or VIKINGS MOBILE SITE (Safari browser only).
LOCAL RADIO:
KFAN 100.3-FM and KTLK 1130-AM
Play-by-Play: Paul Allen
Analyst: Pete Bercich
Sideline Reporters: Greg Coleman & Ben Leber
Pregame Show: 10 a.m. (CT) with Mike Mussman
KFAN and KTLK are the flagship stations for the five-state Vikings Radio Network.
SATELLITE RADIO:
Tennessee: Sirius 111 and XM 387
Minnesota: Sirius 83 and XM 225
ADDITIONAL OPTIONS
Click here for the full bevy of options that include over-the-air, cable, satellite, over-the-top and streaming methods.
VIKINGS POSTGAME LIVE
Tune-in after each Vikings game on the team's digital and social platforms to watch Vikings Postgame Live presented by Mystic Lake. The show will feature expert analysis, highlights, Next Gen Stats and postgame sound from Head Coach Mike Zimmer.
COORDINATORS ON THE OFFENSE, DEFENSE & SPECIAL TEAMS
Kubiak on 'finding some room' for Cousins
Against the Colts in Week 2, quarterback Kirk Cousins logged a career-low passer rating of 15.9.
Cousins – along with the rest of the offense – has struggled to open the season, and Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak put some of the blame for that on himself as the play-caller.
"I've got to find some room for him is the best way to put it. We had some plays last week where he had no place to go with the ball," Kubiak said. "Me sitting there looking at what we're doing and saying, 'OK, we've got to get some people open in these situations vs. coverages' or those type of things; we've got to work to get open.
"But we had some plays that were very difficult on him," Kubiak continued. "[Kirk is] doing his part, he's battling, studying, working hard, practicing hard. I take it personal that I've got to help him more, and I know his teammates need to as well. Finding space for him to make some plays with the ball."
Patterson on blitzing philosophy
The Vikings through two games have just two sacks, and only one of them by a defensive lineman. Yannick Ngakoue got to Colts QB Philip Rivers last week for the takedown; cornerback Holton Hill is credited with the other sack.
Co-Defensive Coordinator Andre Patterson responded to a question about whether or not Minnesota will be "more aggressive" with the blitz as the season progresses and the young secondary becomes more experienced.
"It [depends] on who you play. You just can't say, 'We're going to go into this game and be blitz-o-matic' because this offense doesn't give you the opportunities to do that," Patterson said. "It's a week-to-week thing; it's an evaluation by us as coaches, whether our pressure packages fit what they do schematically offensively.
"That's the best way that I can answer that question – we just can't say we're going to go in there and blitz like crazy and it doesn't match up against the team you're playing that week," Patterson added.
Zimmer on Eric (or Eric) making calls for the defense
Prior to being added to Injured Reserve with a torn pectoral muscle, linebacker Anthony Barr wore the "green dot" helmet for games, meaning he received calls from Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer and relayed them on-field to the defense.
With Barr now sidelined for the remainder of the season, Co-Defensive Coordinator Adam Zimmer was asked if Eric Kendricks will be the one stepping into that role. Zimmer said Minnesota's coaching staff is still in the process of making that decision.
"We may let him do it; we may let Eric Wilson do it so that Eric [Kendricks] can do what he always does," Zimmer explained. "We're working through that in practice, and we'll decide that probably tomorrow (Friday) in who's going to do that for the game. But I'm really comfortable with Eric [Kendricks] calling the huddle. He's an extremely smart player – really, both those kids are.
"Whoever's calling the huddle is going to do a great job of getting the defense lined up and communicated," he added. "It's usually a collaborative effort, anyway, between those guys, between Harrison [Smith], between Anthony Harris. It really doesn't matter who's getting the call physically – it matters that we're lined up in the right spots and ready to go."
Maalouf on Boyd in special teams
Cornerback Kris Boyd, who joined the Vikings as a seventh-round draft pick last year, plays a significant role for the Vikings special teams. He played 92 percent of Minnesota's special teams snaps in both Week 1 and Week 2.
But with Cameron Dantzler and Mike Hughes on the injury report this week, Boyd could be called on for a larger role on defense.
Special Teams Coordinator Marwan Maalouf pointed out Boyd's ability to play the "jammer" role particularly well and explained why those skills could also transfer to a defensive role.
"You could really see how physical he was at the line of scrimmage, and just his athleticism when it comes to flipping his hips and chasing those gunners," Maalouf said. "I think that kind of gives you the best idea of what he could be like on the defensive side of the field as either corner or whatever position Coach Zimmer has him playing. That's probably the phase we can see the most."
Maalouf additionally commented on Boyd's ability to tackle in the open field.
"He led our team I think in [special teams] tackles last year. That's important," Maalouf said. "You have to be able to tackle as a defensive player. He's very aggressive in that regard. He loves to close down the space between the ball carrier and himself. He does it very well. Those fundamentals in those two phases, you can tell that hopefully he's got a chance to develop as a very good corner."
