Mahomes or Moore? Vikings Preparing for Both Chiefs Quarterbacks

[Viktor]

Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer detailed the challenge of trying to game plan with the opposing starter is unknown.


“It’s a challenge, obviously. I think you’ll have calls based on their offense that you feel good about,” Zimmer said. “Then you’re going to have other calls based on that quarterback, other calls based on this quarterback, so you kind of put together your base plan and then you have plans for if he plays and if he doesn’t play.


“I don’t know number of [extra] hours [of preparation required], but it’s all part of it,” Zimmer added. “Part of it is showing the players so they understand the difference in the two players. Part of it is them understanding the things each guy can do better. It’s a challenge, but it’s the NFL.”


In the first six games of the season with Mahomes, the Chiefs offense averaged 422 yards and 28.7 points per game. The Chiefs had 337 yards of offense and scored 24 points in Sunday’s loss to Green Bay.


While the numbers seem to show the offense is more explosive with Mahomes at quarterback, which is understandable when comparing an MVP to a player who a guy who was a high school football coach in Southern California when he was signed by the Chiefs two weeks before the start of the 2019 season.


Still, Zimmer expects Reid’s play-calling and Kansas City’s basic offensive principles to remain the same.


“It really didn’t change too much,” Zimmer said of the Chiefs offense when Mahomes was out. “The base offense is still pretty much the same.


“[Moore] played a little bit against Jacksonville [in the season opener], I believe,” Zimmer added. “And he played a little bit [at] Denver? So, there’s some tape on him. It hasn’t changed too much. Some of the things that he does are obviously different than Mahomes.”