Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Broncos RB Phillip Lindsay: Vikings 'Are Beatable Like Everybody Else'
Essential to any competitor is the engrained DNA that never allows them to give up. All the greatest athletes who rise to the top have the common trait of not knowing when they are beaten and playing 'til every ounce of hope and energy has left their bodies.
In running back Phillip Lindsay, the Denver Broncos possess exactly that type of personality, the one who always plays to win and never lies down. So this week the 'Tasmanian Devil' was in a typically bullish mood as he previewed his team's trip to visit the Minnesota Vikings.
Despite the line in Vegas pegging Denver as 10.5 underdogs, Lindsay isn't shaken.
“Well, you know, we just play ball," Lindsay said on Wednesday. "This is the NFL, on any given Sunday you can get beaten.”
As the oddsmakers expect the Broncos to be lambs to the slaughter, the team's Pro Bowl tailback is confident and re-energized coming off of the Week 9 win over the Browns. Minnesota presents a tough challenge, with Lindsay poised to go up against a very stout defensive unit. While he acknowledges the gravity of the challenge, he also sees a window of opportunity.
“They are a tough defense," Lindsay said. "They’re tough, very solid…..I’m not going to sit here and say they are the greatest on earth, they are beatable like everybody else.”
This statement likely could provide easy bulletin board material for Mike Zimmer’s outfit this week, but Lindsay is backing his own abilities and that of his teammates. By stirring up his own locker room, he is giving the Broncos a vote of confidence — that they can confidently lock horns with the league’s elite.
“For me personally I don’t fear nobody, that’s the way it should be,” he said.
Make no mistake, No. 30 has spoken to the heart of a locker room that believes it should have a better record than its current standing of 3-6. The trouble is, chest-beating rallying calls often receive brutal beat downs in the harsh NFL environment.
With that in mind, Lindsay was keen to offer up some further strategy and pointers for his new QB Brandon Allen on how to get the job done this Sunday,.
“Consistency," Lindsay said. "Just be himself like he was in the last game. Make plays, keep plays going and don’t be afraid to run when something opens up.”
As has been the recurring theme of their season, it’s highly likely that the Broncos will be involved in a tight defensive battle on Sunday, so the difference may well be an extended play on the back of the more mobile Allen.
Lindsay himself is focused on giving more to his team this season than even his rookie performance last year provided.
“Do I want to do better? Of course, at the end of the day, I’m just going to do what I can do and what’s there for me to help my team win.”
This team-first dedication is what has made the young Colorado kid such an instant hit with the fans and around the NFL so far. He will need to show even more if he is to lead his teammates to an unlikely road victory this Sunday.
But, you know what they say. On any given Sunday...
Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL and @MileHighHuddle.
