Vikings already prepared for Quinn

On Wednesday, the Browns — or sources close to the Browns — let it be known that Brady Quinn will start Sunday’s season-opening game at home against Brett Favre and the Vikings.

Are we surprised? Not really, since Quinn was the favorite of the majority back in March. But the delay was, well, odd — if that’s what you want to call it.

Our own Michael Lombardi did a great job this morning explaining why the delay in announcing a starter has no effect on the Vikings and defensive coordinator Leslie Frasier because the Minnesota defense — which finished the 2008 season as the sixth-ranked defense in the league — would have stuck to its game plan regardless of the situation.

And with Quinn under center instead of Derek Anderson, the Vikings can lean on their core coverage and put Quinn in some tough situations.

We have to understand that the Vikings are a Tampa 2 football team. They believe they can play Cover 2 — with a seven-man front — and use their cornerbacks as the eighth and ninth defenders on the edges. This is crucial to the success of any Cover 2 defense against the running game, and it’s the exact reason why Antoine Winfield got paid this summer, despite his age, as he is still one of the best Cover 2 corners in the league.

APThe Vikings paid Antoine Winfield handsomely this summer because he is a big key to their Cover 2 defense.

Corners — physical corners — who can jam receivers at the line of scrimmage and set the edge versus any outside run in the Tampa 2 are tough to find, and Winfield does this as well as anyone in the league.

Add in the fact that Kevin and Pat Williams are more than an ideal fit for any seven-man front because their size and ability to penetrate the line of scrimmage while eating multiple blockers allow the Vikings linebacker to run freely to the football.

The safeties fill the alleys after they drop to their landmarks (outside edge of the numbers), and on paper, this Vikings defense should be able to handle the Browns’ running game playing Cover 2 — which will put Quinn in situations that will not benefit the Browns and their passing game.

The premise behind any Cover 2 is to force the quarterback to throw underneath, or to hit the checkdown receiver out of the backfield — because there’s a tent, or a cover on the field. The MLB runs the middle of the field, and what’s called Cover 2 actually becomes a form of Cover 3 — with the MLB acting as a middle-of-the-field safety.

Quinn does struggle with accuracy when he throws the football down the field, and to hit the intermediate-to-deep routes against a Cover 2, the ball needs to be on time and it needs to be thrown into tight windows — between zone defenders who have their feet planted and their eyes on the quarterback.

Sure, this sounds too simple (and it usually is on paper), but the Vikings defense is going to be the Vikings defense with Quinn in the game, and if the Browns don’t establish a running game early — and put their quarterback in manageable third-down situations — the Vikings can sit back and do what they do best — play Cover 2.

Think about it: The Vikings have been preparing for this game since March when they started their film study, and I would bet that the first thing they did in OTAs last spring install was to walk through Cover 2 responsibilities.

Yes, you can switch quarterbacks any day of the week, but your defense doesn’t change — regardless of who’s under center.

Follow me on Twitter: MattBowen41

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