While most NFL teams use the final two games of the preseason to fine-tune their plans for the season opener, the Minnesota Vikings are starting from scratch.
Injuries to their starting running back and center caused the Vikings to make significant adjustments to their lineup. Now they head into Friday night's preseason game against the San Diego Chargers needing to establish some continuity with the revamped group. The biggest changes have come on the offensive line. Four-time Pro Bowl center Matt Birk has a torn labrum in his left hip. He was cleared to play this season with painkilling injections, but the team declined his request to guarantee his salary for 2006 in exchange for him forgoing surgery.
The questions surrounding Birk's availability caused coach Mike Tice to declare backup Cory Withrow the starter for the opener against Tampa Bay on Sept. 11. He also moved Adam Goldberg from starter at left guard to backup at both guard spots and center; right guard Chris Liwienski to his natural position at left guard; and made rookie Marcus Johnson the starter at right guard.
Friday's game will be the first live action for the new unit.
"We need to solidify what we're doing up front," Liwienski said. "We got the five guys, hopefully, in the five positions that are best going to help us win now. It's just a matter of everyone working together and coming together over these last two games."
Running back Michael Bennett's strained neck also prompted Tice to declare Mewelde Moore the starter for the season opener, though Bennett insists he'll be ready by then.
The Chargers have their own concerns, with first-round draft pick Luis Castillo out with a foot injury and safety Bhawoh Jue questionable because of a back injury.
Jue is battling Jerry Wilson for the starting spot at free safety, one of several close competitions going on as the preseason winds down.
"We have a number of guys that we're looking at and we're anxious to give them a chance to step forward and show us the skills," coach Marty Schottenheimer said. "We have a pretty good idea, but none of that is etched in stone at this point in regard to their performance level."
The Chargers' other first-round pick, linebacker Shawne Merriman, is pushing incumbent Ben Leber for the starting spot at outside linebacker. Merriman has been hindered, however, by holding out the first week of training camp. He made his preseason debut on Sunday and had three tackles.
Schottenheimer said he figured to play his starters for about a quarter because of the short turnaround between Sunday's game against St. Louis and Friday night's game in Minneapolis.
"Given the fact that we're coming off a short week and we had a whole half for our starters in our last ballgame, we're probably looking at a quarter and then see where we are," he said.
One starter who will not be playing is tight end Antonio Gates. After signing a six-year contract on Tuesday, Gates will serve the first game of a three-game suspension that includes the opener against Dallas for missing a team-imposed deadline to report to training camp.
Tice said Vikings starters would see more playing time to give them a chance to jell and shore up the running game, which has been somewhat of a disappointment in the first two preseason games.
"You can't work out running game timing issues in shorts," Tice said. "It just can't happen. We're working hard on things, we've addressed a lot of things. I think the changes we made in the offensive line will help a lot."
Tice will also be closely watching Aaron Elling and Paul Edinger, who are neck-and-neck in the competition for the kicking spot.
"Aaron's doing what he needs to do, I'm doing what I need to do and the coach is going to make a decision on who he wants to keep," Edinger said. "Right now, we're both making it hard on him."
Injuries to their starting running back and center caused the Vikings to make significant adjustments to their lineup. Now they head into Friday night's preseason game against the San Diego Chargers needing to establish some continuity with the revamped group. The biggest changes have come on the offensive line. Four-time Pro Bowl center Matt Birk has a torn labrum in his left hip. He was cleared to play this season with painkilling injections, but the team declined his request to guarantee his salary for 2006 in exchange for him forgoing surgery.
The questions surrounding Birk's availability caused coach Mike Tice to declare backup Cory Withrow the starter for the opener against Tampa Bay on Sept. 11. He also moved Adam Goldberg from starter at left guard to backup at both guard spots and center; right guard Chris Liwienski to his natural position at left guard; and made rookie Marcus Johnson the starter at right guard.
Friday's game will be the first live action for the new unit.
"We need to solidify what we're doing up front," Liwienski said. "We got the five guys, hopefully, in the five positions that are best going to help us win now. It's just a matter of everyone working together and coming together over these last two games."
Running back Michael Bennett's strained neck also prompted Tice to declare Mewelde Moore the starter for the season opener, though Bennett insists he'll be ready by then.
The Chargers have their own concerns, with first-round draft pick Luis Castillo out with a foot injury and safety Bhawoh Jue questionable because of a back injury.
Jue is battling Jerry Wilson for the starting spot at free safety, one of several close competitions going on as the preseason winds down.
"We have a number of guys that we're looking at and we're anxious to give them a chance to step forward and show us the skills," coach Marty Schottenheimer said. "We have a pretty good idea, but none of that is etched in stone at this point in regard to their performance level."
The Chargers' other first-round pick, linebacker Shawne Merriman, is pushing incumbent Ben Leber for the starting spot at outside linebacker. Merriman has been hindered, however, by holding out the first week of training camp. He made his preseason debut on Sunday and had three tackles.
Schottenheimer said he figured to play his starters for about a quarter because of the short turnaround between Sunday's game against St. Louis and Friday night's game in Minneapolis.
"Given the fact that we're coming off a short week and we had a whole half for our starters in our last ballgame, we're probably looking at a quarter and then see where we are," he said.
One starter who will not be playing is tight end Antonio Gates. After signing a six-year contract on Tuesday, Gates will serve the first game of a three-game suspension that includes the opener against Dallas for missing a team-imposed deadline to report to training camp.
Tice said Vikings starters would see more playing time to give them a chance to jell and shore up the running game, which has been somewhat of a disappointment in the first two preseason games.
"You can't work out running game timing issues in shorts," Tice said. "It just can't happen. We're working hard on things, we've addressed a lot of things. I think the changes we made in the offensive line will help a lot."
Tice will also be closely watching Aaron Elling and Paul Edinger, who are neck-and-neck in the competition for the kicking spot.
"Aaron's doing what he needs to do, I'm doing what I need to do and the coach is going to make a decision on who he wants to keep," Edinger said. "Right now, we're both making it hard on him."
