Ahead of the Minnesota Vikings’ first outdoor playoff game since 1976, head coach Mike Zimmer is comparing the quarterback of his opponent this weekend—Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks—to Fran Tarkenton, a former franchise great.
Zimmer likened Wilson’s legs with the Vikings’ Hall of Fame quarterback.
“He’s got the running ability like Fran Tarkenton, but he’s also extremely accurate,” Zimmer said, via ESPN. “That’s what I’ve been most impressed with, his deep-ball accuracy, his quick-game accuracy, throwing the ball into the right place. He doesn’t seem to make mistakes, and obviously he’s extremely elusive. I think the way he’s throwing the ball has been the most impressive to me.”
Wilson rushed for 553 yards in 2015, which ranked third among quarterbacks. He completed 68.1 percent off his passes, which also ranked third overall. His passer rating of 110.1 led all quarterbacks this season.
Wilson also became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns, and rush for at least 500 yards.
Zimmer knows first-hand how deadly Wilson can be. Back in Week 13, the Seahawks quarterback totaled over 300 yards and produced four total touchdowns during Seattle’s 38-7 romp of the Vikings. He had an 8-yard touchdown run, while completing nearly 80 percent of his passes.
“They beat us pretty bad the last time we played them,” Zimmer said, via the team’s official site. “It wasn’t close. They got after us in every phase, so we have to perform extremely well for us to play good in that game. We have to do things right.”
Back in 1976, Tarkenton won back-to-back home playoff games at the old Metropolitan Stadium. Zimmer and the Vikings hope Wilson, his contemporary counterpart, won’t find the same success outdoors in the frigid Minnesota cold.
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