Vikings vs. Rams 2014 game preview: Can Shaun Hill rise to occasion?

St. Louis and Minnesota square off in Week 1, hoping to get off to a quick start.

Sep 7, 2014, 2:45 PM UTC

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Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Vikings and St. Louis Rams will kick off their respective 2014 NFL seasons on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Mo. Both teams come in hoping to make an unexpected playoff run, a place the Rams have not reached since 2004. Minnesota made the postseason in 2012, only to be rudely sent home by the Green Bay Packers in the wild card round.

Neither is expected to compete for its division title, with St. Louis facing a brutal uphill battle in the NFC West and Minnesota having to deal with the likes of the Chicago Bears and Packers in the NFC North. Still, a good start and a dose of confidence can do wonders, especially in the NFL where the complexion of a 16-game schedule can change rapidly.

Meet the Vikings

After a battle throughout training camp and the preseason, Vikings rookie head coach Mike Zimmer decided to roll with Matt Cassel as his starting quarterback. Cassel played a majority of the snaps last year for Minnesota and struggled some, throwing 11 touchdowns against nine interceptions. Rookie Teddy Bridgewater is the backup, with Christian Ponder now the third-string quarterback.

Regardless of who plays under center, the offense's focal point remains Adrian Peterson. Perhaps the best back in football, Peterson rushed for 1,266 yards on 4.5 yards per carry in 2013, despite every team stacking the box to stop him. With former reserve Toby Gerhart gone, Peterson will take on an even more extensive load.

On defense, Minnesota has to be much improved if any hope of the playoffs can be realistic. The Vikings were 31st in total defense last season, largely due to teams throwing for 287.2 per game against them. Minnesota added corner Captain Munnerlyn to the secondary along with drafting pass-rushing linebacker Anthony Barr in the first round. With corner Xavier Rhodes entering his second year and a head coach steeped in defense, Vikings fans are hoping that is enough to make a large difference.

Meet the Rams

St. Louis took a major hit in its third preseason game when starting quarterback Sam Bradford tore his ACL for the second consecutive year. With Bradford out for the season, head coach Jeff Fisher is turning to veteran Shaun Hill. Hill has bounced around, playing with the Vikings, San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions over 13 years. He will need to revive a dormant offense which lakes playmakers, sans Tavon Austin in the slot.

One player who needs to have a nice 2014 is tight end Jared Cook. Cook came over to the Tennessee Titans via free agency to reunite with Fisher and did well, catching 51 passes for 671 yards and three touchdowns. With the wide receivers still lacking much punch, Cook needs to be a weapon.

Defensively, St. Louis is stacked in the front seven with NFC-sack champ Robert Quinn, Chris Long, Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers and James Laurinaitis up front. Few teams, if any, can boast that kind of depth in the front seven. The pressure will have to get to the quarterback frequently because the secondary is still a work in progress. Janoris Jenkins is the most experienced corner, with rookie Lamarcus Joyner looking to make an immediate impact as well.

Injuries

The big name for the Vikings is defensive end Everson Griffen. He’s listed as questionable with an illness, and missed practice on Thursday. He was also very limited in Friday’s practice. Still, he’s expected to play, though there’s always a chance he doesn’t. Zach Line, Michael Mauti and Brandon Watts are all listed as out, with the rest of the injuries being minor.

For the Rams, the big name is cornerback Trumaine Johnson. He’s got a knee injury and is officially out for the game, which is significant given that he’s a starter opposite Janoris Jenkins. Aside from Johnson and Barrett Jones, who is also out, the Rams are in good shape, with four players listed as probable and one player, Eugene Simms, listed as questionable.