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Who's Excited? Patera
And the rookie head coach voiced mock surprise that his National Football League expansion team is rated a three touchdown underdog against the veteran Vikings. "How can they do that when we're both riding one-game winning streaks?" Patera chuckled. The Seahawks enter the 11 a.m. PST game at Metropolitan Stadium tied for third in the National Conference Western Division with New Orleans and Atlanta at 2-7 following their rousing 30-13 victory over the Falcons last Sunday in the Kingdome. Minnesota, meanwhile, is in its customary position atop the NFC Central Division with a 7-1-1 record. The Viks got by Detroit 31-23 last week. "I'm excited," said Patera, who came to Seattle after seven seasons as Minnesota's defensive line coach, where he helped build the Vikings' feared front four, the Purple People Eaters. "It's more fun when you look at the films and you see all those times when you were trying to tell those defensive linemen what you wanted them to do and they didn't do it," he said. "Now you're trying to exploit that and they don't look near as bad as they did." Patera said he welcomes the opportunity to match wits against his old boss, Minnesota Coach Bud Grant, but adds, "I'd feel better in a couple of years if we were a contender." When speaking of the Vikings, the first name Patera mentions is Fran Tarkenton, Minnesota's ageless quarterback. "Francis has the theory he doesn't mind throwing the ball anywhere," said Patera. "The idea you have to establish the running game to throw doesn't hold with Francis. He feels he can throw anytime. He feels they can gain more yards, do more things, be more of a threat with the pass." The key to defending Tarkenton and the Vikings' long line of capable receivers and running backs is patience, Patera said. "You can't concentrate on any one area because they'll beat you by going another way," he said.
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