After their impressive win against the Green Bay Packers, the Minnesota Vikings (2-0) hit the road to face the defending NFC Champions. Last week, Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers (1-1) destroyed the San Francisco 49ers, 46-27. Minnesota’s fifth-ranked defense must find a way to slow last season’s top-ranked offense.
The Panthers are not a one-trick pony. Last week, Newton threw for 353 yards. Twelve of his 24 completions went to his twin towers, tight end Greg Olson and wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin. The two 6’5 pass catchers both put up over 100 receiving yards. Running Back Jonathon Stewart was out, but the Panthers running game continued to roll. Fozzy Whittaker gained 100 yards on 16 carries, averaging 6.3 yards a pop. Shaun O’Hara, analyst for the NFL Network, proclaimed that Carolina took top offensive line honors for Week Two. Facing a team with top-ten placings in both offense and defense, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer joked about dreading this week’s game-planning during Monday’s press conference.
Minnesota Vikings Week Three Keys to Victory
The last time these two teams played was November 30th, 2014, when the Vikings thumped the Panthers, 31-13. Since that game, both teams have shined (albeit one significantly brighter than the other). Carolina has won 22 of its last 25 games, including 14 straight wins at home. During that same time period, the reigning NFC North Champion Vikes went 15-8. Despite the undefeated start in 2016, Minnesota will have its work cut out for them in Charlotte.
Establish an Interior Running Game
Atrocious offensive line play continues to plague the Vikings, and remains an important key to victory for a second straight week. The “Minnesota Moving Company” ranks dead last in rushing offense and shows no signs of improvement. Tackle Matt Kalil, now on injured reserve, seems to have more hip issues than George and Barbara Bush combined. The two free agents brought in to solidify the line have yet to do so. That smash-mouth attitude Alex Boone promised to bring remains undetectable.
The Carolina defensive line is considered top shelf. Their pass rush is extremely good. Deficiencies in stopping the run, however, do exist. Charles Johnson and Kony Ealy are excellent defensive ends. Their defensive tackles, Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short, while good pass rushers, are not dominant run stuffers.
Joe Berger, Brandon Fusco and Boone must dominate against the Panther defensive interior. Should the Vikings become one-dimensional, the “Cats'” fierce pass rush will make them pay. Bradford was sacked four times and took ten hits against Green Bay. There is little evidence to suggest the Vikings offensive line will fare any better if they cannot move the football on the ground in Week Three.
Win the Turnover Battle
Last week, Newton threw an interception, placed two passes right in the hands of defenders that were dropped, and lost a fumble. It’s critical that the Vikings capitalize on the errors of the Panthers’ quarterback.
The Vikings currently rank second in turnover differential at plus-five. Their only turnover was an Andrew Sendejo miscue where he picked up a fumble and lost it moments later. Conversely, the Panthers are a plus-one; they forfeit the ball nearly as much as their ball-hawking defense takes it away.
The Vikings missed three opportunities to come up with Packer fumbles. Cris Collinsworth, NBC Sunday Night Football Analyst, suggested that Zimmer conduct fumble recovery drills all week. Hopefully, Coach Zimmer did just that. Any lost opportunities against the Panthers could doom the “Purple and Gold.” If the newest version of the Purple People Eaters secures fumbles and interceptable balls, they will snatch another improbable victory.
Torch the Rookie Cornerback
The Panthers opted not to re-sign Josh Norman, putting their faith in a rookie. James Bradberry continues his crash course in becoming an NFL cornerback this Sunday. Against the 49ers, Bradberry looked confused and distracted, giving up a 28-yard touchdown pass from Blaine Gabbert to Torrey Smith. Bradberry discusses his learning curve below:
“Nothing has come easy. It’s been difficult for me to continuously learn the playbook and make sure I’m doing my job at all times.”
The Vikings must design plays to draw single coverage from Bradberry. In his first Vikings start, Bradford lit up more experienced corners. Despite taking brutal punishment behind a porous offensive line, he continuously delivered strikes. He got the ball out quickly and showed effectiveness despite extreme pressure. Bradford needs to do all of this–and probably a little more–to put up big numbers against the rookie and come out of Charlotte with his second win of 2016.
Bradberry will square off against a good Viking receiving corps. Stefon Diggs earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his Week Two performance. He needs to provide an equally-impressive encore for the Vikings to have a chance. Adam Thielen continues to produce big third down catches in critical situations. Look for Laquon Treadwell to make some plays, as he likely spells an ineffective Charles Johnson.
Conclusion
The Minnesota Vikings win this game if they can do three things. First, run the ball effectively without an injured Adrian Peterson. Second, secure the gifts that Cam Newton provides to them. Most importantly, make Panthers fans long for Josh Norman as they watch their rookie cornerback unravel. Sunday can’t arrive fast enough.
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