Vikings backfield stars try gaining experience together

The Vikings are looking like they will be a much improved offensive team with the return of 2012 NFL MVP Adrian Peterson in the backfield and, perhaps more importantly, with Teddy Bridgewater in his second season as a starter.

Everyone could see Bridgewater's progression throughout his rookie season. He looked shaky for the first seven games when he completed 137 of 225 passes for 1,479 yards, four touchdowns and six interceptions. But compare that with his final six games where he completed 122 of 177 passes for 1,440 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions, and you can see how Bridgewater improved as the season progressed.

Bridgewater's QB rating for those first six games was 75.0, while his rating in the final six was 98.1. For comparison's sake, a 98.1 rating would have ranked fifth in the NFL last year, right behind Peyton Manning and right in front of Tom Brady.

Still, even with all of that improvement, Bridgewater has never had the benefit of having one of the best running backs in NFL history during a game.

"Last year I was a rookie and didn't have the opportunity to play alongside of [Peterson]," Bridgewater said. "But so far, since he has been back, he has been pretty good. But you know Jerick [McKinnon], Matt [Asiata], Joe [Banyard], those guys have been doing a great job. Adrian just comes back and adds more excitement to the backfield.

"Everyone knows what Adrian is capable of doing. He has had an outstanding career thus far, and we're glad to have him back."

In 2014 the Vikings averaged 112.8 rushing yards per game, good for 14th in the league. In 2013, which wasn't even one of Peterson's peak seasons, the Vikings averaged 130.1 yards rushing per game, eighth in the league.

With Peterson back, Bridgewater does think the offense will improve, though it will take time. "We have a long way to go," he said. "We're glad to have him back. We're a long way from where we want to be. ... We have a long way to go, we want to continue to get better."

And how does Bridgewater feel about his own improvement?

"As I continue to play in this offense and continue to get reps, my confidence gets higher and higher," said the 2014 NFL All-Rookie QB. "We have such great guys on this team, such great leaders. They have confidence in themselves and I watch how those guys operate each day and it allows me to be a pro."

While the Vikings' 10 draft picks and rookie free agents try to find their way onto the final roster, there's almost a guarantee that all of them will get to work with Mike Priefer on special teams.

"I think every rookie for the most part is going to fit in," he said. "[Tight end] MyCole Pruitt has a chance, [wide receiver] Stefon Diggs has a chance to help us, [linebacker] Eric Kendricks has a chance to help us, [cornerback] Trae Waynes can help us if he's not playing a ton on defense. Any time those young rookies aren't starting on offense or defense, they have to come in and contribute."

One big area Priefer wants to improve is scoring on special teams. Cordarrelle Patterson had a great rookie year in 2013 returning kicks for scores but the Vikings didn't have a single special teams touchdown in 2014.

"That's going to be a focus this spring," he said. "I thought we did a good job with kickoff and punt coverage but we're still not consistent enough, in my opinion. We have two long snappers, Kevin McDermott is going to compete with Cullen Loeffler for the long snapper job, that will be a good competition going into training camp and we'll see what happens."

Former Wild President Tod Leiweke must be one of the most unique executives in sports. He's currently the chief executive officer of the Tampa Bay Lightning, which is playing for the Stanley Cup. This is less than a decade after he was at the Super Bowl as CEO of the Seattle Seahawks.

Leiweke left the Wild in 2003 to join the Seahawks and Vulcan Sports and Entertinment, that company also saw him work as president of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers in 2007, a role he served for a year. He stayed on with the Seahawks and Vulcan until 2010 when he joined the Lightning. He has also been an executive for the PGA Tour, the Vancouver Canucks and the Golden State Warriors.

An article in the Tampa Bay Business Journal this month highlighted the variety of his roles. "If it's not unique, it's certainly rare," Marc Ganis, president of Sportscorp Ltd., a consulting firm in Chicago, told the paper. "And it is even more unusual to move from the NFL, which is considered the premier league. He's a superior sports executive. He's truly one of the best executives in sports business."

Another superstar in the business, of course, is his brother Tim Leiweke, the president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment.