Sports One of the supreme matchups of the NFL weekend capabilities two teams which may possibly maybe be real contenders within the NFC.
The Vikings are coming off a bye following a victory over the Jets in London. We know what the Vikings defense is via five video games: It can maybe well blitz all day (MIN leads the NFL in blitzes with 106). And which implies that, the Vikes lead the league in pressures and stress price (32.6%).
Jared Goff has historically struggled with stress up the center, and what has made Minnesota’s blitzes so effective is Brian Flores disguising where the blitz is coming from. The counter, for positive, is that the Lions have the pinnacle offensive line within the league, and towards the blitz, Goff will have alternatives for explosive plays down the sphere with Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown in a single-on-one matchups with the Vikings corners.
For Minnesota, I will’t earn over the two conferences final year when Kevin O’Connell faced the Lions. Detroit gained every, however the Vikings had a ton of success offensively, involving up and down the sphere. Gash Mullens threw for 411 yards with out a flee recreation, but he furthermore threw four picks. The Vikings furthermore threw for 7.6 yards per play in a December loss.
Within the rematch within the closing week of the season, the Vikings rang up 448 yards of offense (6.4 yards per play) in a single more loss. Mullens threw for 396 yards and Justin Jefferson dominated again (he had 18 catches, 333 yards and two TDs all over every video games).
Sam Darnold is an enhance from Mullens, and we’ll uncover if Aaron Jones is motivate from the hip injury. Without him, the Minnesota offense seemed pedestrian within the 2d half of towards the Jets.
In case you’re thinking that the Vikings are the side, and that you simply must must earn out in front of the futures market, the Minnesota schedule is amazingly favorable going ahead. It can maybe well for definite be appreciated in no decrease than its next four video games, and probably successfully into December.
If the Vikings uncover here, they’ll have the inner discover on the No. 1 seed within the NFC.
PICK: Vikings (-120) to uncover outright
Jason McIntyre is a FOX Sports actions having a guess analyst who furthermore writes in regards to the NFL and NBA Draft. Sooner than arriving at FOX, he created the internet pages The Sizable Lead. Speak him on Twitter @ JasonRMcIntyre .
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