Domo: Now reunited on Vikings, Shurmur still a big Bradford fan

PAT SHURMUR is as close to an expert on Sam Bradford as there is.

He was his offensive coordinator in St. Louis in 2010 when Bradford, the first overall pick in the draft that year, was the league's offensive rookie of the year.

He was his offensive coordinator here last season after Chip Kelly acquired him from the Rams for Nick Foles, a second-round pick and a case of smoothies.

And now, he's the tight ends coach for the 5-0 Vikings, where Bradford happens to be the starting quarterback.

The Vikings, who will face the Eagles Sunday at the Linc, acquired Bradford in early September after their quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater, suffered a season-ending knee injury.

They gave up their 2017 first-round pick and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2018 for Bradford that could end up being a third (if the Vikings reach the NFC Championship Game this season) or even second (if they win the Super Bowl and Bradford takes 80 percent of the snaps).

It was a ballsy move by Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, who once traded a second-round pick to the Eagles for backup quarterback A.J. Feeley when he was the Dolphins' GM.

But ballsy is what you have to be when you feel the Super Bowl window of opportunity is open and you've just lost your quarterback less than two weeks before the start of the season.

Before he pulled the trigger on the deal, Spielman consulted several people inside and outside the organization, including Shurmur.

"They had put together a list of (potential) guys," Shurmur said. "Sam was one of them.

"Initially, I didn't know Sam was an option. But it was brought up that he might be available. That's when I was able to tell them about my experiences with him in two places."

If Spielman had any reservations about making the deal for Bradford, who has torn his left ACL twice, Shurmur allayed them.

"I was able to explain what his year looked like last year in Philadelphia," Shurmur said in a telephone interview. "Basically, I told him that, early on, Sam was healthy enough to play, but didn't really have his legs back yet (from his second torn ACL the previous summer).

"It took him a while. But as the season went on, he got better and better. There's reasons why we won or lost games last year. But I could see his performance getting better every week.

"After that, he finally had an offseason where he didn't have to focus on the (knee) rehab. He could focus on his total body development. So, while I wasn't around him last spring, I felt fairly certain he would be coming into this year about as healthy as he's ever been."

Bradford's 97.4 passer rating over the last nine weeks of the season last year was the eighth best mark among quarterbacks in the league. He set single-season franchise records for completions (346) and completion percentage (65.0) despite an NFL-high 50 drops by his receivers.

With Shurmur as the Eagles' interim head coach after Kelly's firing, he completed 30 of 38 passes in the Eagles' season-ending, 35-30 win over the Giants.

"He was on full display in that last game," Shurmur said. "I tried to give him the stuff that he was good at. He rewarded us with a heckuva game throwing the football. It was a disappointing season overall. But for one day, it was fun."

Bradford, who arrived in Minneapolis eight days before the Vikings' season opener, is learning his fifth different offensive system in seven NFL seasons. Football isn't rocket science, but it isn't Keeping Up With the Kardashians, either.

Norv Turner's offense is considerably different than the other four Bradford has played in. He had to learn new concepts and new terminology. And he had to learn it fast.

He didn't play in the Vikings' Week 1 game against Tennessee (a 25-16 win), but has started the last four and hasn't looked like a guy feeling his way around.

Bradford enters Sunday's game against his former team ranked second in the league in passer rating (109.8) among qualified QBs. He leads the league in completion percentage (70.4) and has six touchdown passes and no interceptions in 125 attempts.

"Sam is one of the smartest players I've ever been around," Shurmur said. "He may be the hardest worker I've ever been around.

"He has a feel for the game and he understands the position. It was just a matter of him associating himself with our terminology and practicing and getting used to the receivers he would be throwing to.

"Certainly we had to speed it up (because of the short prep time). There were elements of our offense that we knew he'd be familiar with because of the things he did last year in Philadelphia and in previous years. So he grabbed onto those concepts while he was learning new ones."

The Vikings also have incorporated some things from Kelly's offense, including tempo, and from Shurmur's offense when Bradford played for him as a rookie in St. Louis.

"When you go through an (expedited) process like this, you have to meet the quarterback halfway," Shurmur said. "We talked a lot to him about the things he's best at and the things that he likes.

"In a situation where if there's four or five different choices of a play, we were able to ask Sam which ones he liked. I think I was able to help him decode what they sound like here."

Bradford has managed to play well despite a string of crippling injuries to the rest of the offense. Running back Adrian Peterson tore his ACL in Week 2. Without Peterson, the Vikings basically have no running game. They are averaging just 2.9 yards per carry on the ground.

The offensive line is a MASH unit. Both of the Vikings' starting offensive tackles - Matt Kalil (hip) and Andre Smith (triceps) - are on injured reserve. Left guard Alex Boone has missed time with a hip injury.

Wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who caught nine passes from Bradford for 182 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings' 17-14, Week 2 win over Green Bay, missed the last game with a groin injury and is questionable for Sunday.

For now at least, the Vikings don't need a lot from Bradford. They have one of the league's top defenses. The Vikings have given up just 63 points in their first five games. Their pass rush already has produced 19 sacks. They have forced 12 turnovers. Opponents have a 55.5 completion percentage.

"When you play good defense," Shurmur said, "if you find a way to just get positive plays and not make negative plays, stay manageable on third down and don't give the other team the ball, then you give yourself the best chance to win."

Bradford has been quickly embraced by his new teammates in Minnesota.

"Sam's a baller," tight end Kyle Rudolph told reporters recently. "You can see him getting more and more comfortable now. Not only at the line of scrimmage, but in the huddle as a leader of this offense and of this team. Guys kind of gravitate towards his energy now."

Said Shurmur: "Players in the locker room, they embrace whoever's in there (at quarterback). But who Sam is as a player and a person is very obvious to the players here, just as it was in Philadelphia.

"When you're a player, here are the things you look at. You want a guy who can go out on the field and perform well, which Sam has done.

"Behind the scenes, you want a guy who is constantly working at it. If you miss a throw (in practice), in between sets you go and practice that throw. Those are the things you see with Sam. As you go through the week of preparation, you look at how a guy handles himself. That's what Sam does well."

Bradford has missed 29 games in his career because of injuries, most of them due to his two ACL tears in 2013 and 2014. Despite the lack of a running game to keep pass-rushers on their heels, despite the loss of both of his offensive tackles, Bradford never flinches in the pocket. He has made a number of throws, including the game-winning touchdown pass to Diggs against the Packers, with a rusher in his face.

"There's a blurry line between what it is to be tough and what it is to be injured," Shurmur said. "When you watch Sam play, he stands in there and makes some really fine throws, even if he knows he's about to get hit. You saw that in Philly and you've seen it in the games he's played so far with us.

"I've seen his toughness on display since his first year in the league. When he was a rookie, we weren't a great team. And yet, we fell just a few plays short of winning the division with him as the quarterback. He played every stinkin' snap against some really, really fine defenses that kicked the crap out of him."

@Pdomo

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