Vikings breakout quarterback Case Keenum learned the team's offense 2 years faster than normal by taking thousands of reps on VR

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January 11, 2018 4:26 PM

Case Keenum was relentless off the field, studying the Vikings offense with the help of VR so that he was prepared to make the right reads.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Case Keenum had a career season in 2017, taking over the starting quarterback spot after beginning the season as a backup.
Keenum helped learn the Vikings' offense by taking thousands of repetitions with VR, according to ESPN.
Veteran quarterbacks said it used to take them three years to be fully comfortable in an offense while Keenum mastered it in just one season.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Case Keenum had a career season in 2017 as he commanded the starting position once he got a chance, never relinquished it, and now has his team one step away from the Super Bowl.

Though Keenum was slated to be the backup, he took over when Sam Bradford got hurt, then played too well to turn the reins over to Teddy Bridgewater once he got healthy.

According to ESPN's Courtney Cronin, Keenum, who has played on three teams in five years, got a leg up on the competition by using VR to learn the Vikings' offense. According to Cronin, Keenum took over 2,600 reps via VR, helping him mentally run through all of the Vikings offensive plays off the field.

There seemed to have been a true mental advantage for Keenum, who in addition to practice and game experience, got used to seeing the same plays over and over, knowing what to expect. Cronin noted that Keenum's QBR under pressure was the best in the NFL season, a possible effect of all of the VR training.

STRIVR CEO Derek Belch said other quarterbacks said that Keenum mastered an offense quicker than they ever did.

Keenum's biggest test yet will come in the NFC title game against the Philadelphia Eagles, but from the sounds of it, Keenum will be mentally prepared for anything the Eagles throw at him.

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