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By Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 11, 2000
MINNEAPOLIS -- With fingers crossed, the Vikings imagined themselves 5-0 despite young quarterback Daunte Culpepper. Not in their wildest dreams did they envision being 5-0 because of him.
"This is where we expected to be," coach Dennis Green said.
Green was confident Culpepper was good enough to fit into a system that seems to tolerate quarterbacks more than it needs them. Somebody has to get the ball to Randy Moss, Cris Carter and Robert Smith, and it never seems to matter whether it's Brad Johnson, Randall Cunningham or Jeff George.
But Culpepper was so effective in his first five starts that the Vikings are finding themselves leaning on him more than carrying him.
In Monday night's 30-23 victory over Tampa Bay and its tough defense, the Vikings offense was shaky and inconsistent and needed the benefit of two Tampa fumbles. But when it came time for big plays, it was Culpepper hitting two touchdown passes and running for a touchdown. When explaining the rough spots, Green found himself cautioning:
"Everything is not Daunte. He's just one player. He can't snap the ball and catch the ball and throw the ball at the same time."
Culpepper has added a dimension that no Vikings quarterback has offered since Fran Tarkenton was running around as the original scrambler. Unlike Tarkenton, Culpepper runs with authority and more size than any mobile quarterback in NFL history. As a result, the Vikings are more versatile than the were in 1998, when their explosive offense set a league scoring record of 556 points and they finished 15-1.
Culpepper's first touchdown pass Monday night, a 26-yarder to tight end John Davis, was made easier because Culpepper's 27-yard touchdown run on the first play made Tampa Bay's linebackers wary.
"Daunte does a great job of executing the play that's called," Green said.
It doesn't sound like much unless you're a Bears fan. After taking a 10-point lead against the Vikings before losing their season opener in the Metrodome, the Bears have traveled in such an opposite direction that it's difficult to figure out how they are going to cross paths again Sunday night at Soldier Field.
No doubt Culpepper has an advantage with Moss, Carter, Smith and a solid line.
"I feel we can throw the deep pass, the intermediate passes; Robert can run it, or I can run it," Culpepper said. "That's a lot for defenses to get ready for."