The Arizona Cardinals are traveling to face the Minnesota Vikings in a match-up that has some significant playoff implications. After the Vikings started the season with five consecutive victories, they have lost four in a row. For the Cardinals, every week feels like a must win, and this game is no different. With a win and help, they could be sitting as the sixth seed or fall as far as the 13th. With such an important game, what does Arizona need to do for the win?
Arizona Cardinals Week 11 Keys to Victory
Win the Turnover Battle
Two of the league’s top defenses are facing off in this matchup. The Cardinals and Vikings are both in the top three of total defense and scoring defense in the league. The turnover battle will be critical to give each offense as many opportunities as possible to get points on the board. The Cardinals lost the turnover battle against an awful San Francisco 49ers team, and it almost cost them the game. They will not have the same luck against a much better Viking team.
Stop the Run
The Vikings passing offense is unique in this league. Pro Football Focus recently broke down the Vikings passing game in great detail. The major takeaway was that despite the high amount of seven step drops Sam Bradford takes, his depth of target is still very short. This slow developing, short yardage game is good at moving the chains if the offense is on schedule. If the Cardinals defense can keep the Vikings in third-and-long situations, they have a chance to disrupt the Minnesota offense.
Connect on the Deep Pass
The deep pass was a staple of the Cardinals offense last year. In 2016, the big pass play has been virtually nonexistent. With John Brown getting his sickle cell symptoms under control and the re-emergence of Michael Floyd, the passing game can get back on track. Trying for the deep pass does not mean the Cardinals should get away from running the ball. David Johnson still needs to be the focal point of the offense, but stretching the field will open up the run, as well as the intermediate passing game.
Larry Fitzgerald
Sunday’s game is a homecoming return for Larry Fitzgerald. He is a native of Minnesota and was a ball boy for the late Dennis Green‘s Vikings in the ’90s. There was concern that he would not play after tweaking his knee on a play that sent him head over heels against the 49ers. When coach Bruce Arians addressed the media on Monday, he was clear that Fitzgerald would do everything he could to make the trip Minnesota. It is safe to assume that Fitzgerals will be locked in and focused on this match-up.
Final Notes
The return of Tyrann Mathieu to the field will be significant as well. After rehabbing from a shoulder injury over the last two weeks, he should be ready to go. The rest may have also given his knee time to get back to full strength. He implied to the media this week that it was time for him to remove the knee brace that he has worn since returning from his second ACL injury of his career. The Cardinals also placed LB Gabe Martin on IR with a knee injury. Martin was contributing significantly on special teams and will be missed.
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