The Vikings head into Nashville after struggling to conquer two AFC South foes in consecutive weeks. Much can be gained from sharing intelligence between these two quadrennial foes. Tennessee is mired in an arduous two-win campaign that contains spurts of three-game losing streaks between wins.
Both teams head off to face eternal division rivals after their meeting on Sunday afternoon. Can these noisy Norsemen from the North conclude their raiding party into the South with a sweeping victory over the mythical Titans’ offense?
Noisy Norsemen and Mythical Titans Meet In Week 11
Vikings Offense vs. Titans Defense
The most critical matchup is the unfortunate cornerback who aligns against Justin Jefferson. According to Dennard Wilson, that individual could be rookie Jarvis Brownlee, Jr. He will have the mountainous task of keeping up with one of the league’s best receivers. Tennessee must devote bracket coverage with safety help over the top, but they cannot use too many resources on one receiver.
Minnesota’s number two, Jordan Addison, is a budding talent that will also require attention. Expect Darrell Baker, Jr, and Roger McCreary to switch off if the Vikings decide to move pieces around. The linebackers and safeties must be aware of the threat that tight end T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones present as physical downhill athletes. Running back Cam Akers signed recently after somehow returning from two Achilles injuries. He’s a medical marvel that has succeeded after devastating injuries.
Tennessee must put pressure on Minnesota’s weakened offensive line, which lost star left tackle Christian Darrisaw to injury early in 2024. The Vikings subsequently traded for Cam Robinson, a familiar foe to Tennessee. It will be a reunion for former Jacksonville teammates as Arden Key will line up against him. However, the essential matchups to watch will be on the right side.
Right guard Ed Ingram is Minnesota’s lowest-rated lineman, earning a 54.0 overall score from PFF. If Jeffery Simmons can continue his excellent form, it should be happy hunting for Big Jeff. Harold Landry will have a tough time against right tackle Brian O’Neill. It could be a long day for Minnesota if Tennessee’s interior can pressure Sam Darnold.
Tennessee Offense vs. Minnesota Defense
Tennessee’s offensive line has a challenging task ahead of it with Brian Flores’ stop unit. Big ticket signing Johnathan Greenard leads the team in sacks with seven. Linebacker turned star EDGE rusher Andrew Van Ginkel broke out in Miami last season but has continued his great run in Minnesota. He has six sacks and two interceptions on top of 38 tackles.
Facing the two gargantuan talented sack masters will be rookie standout J.C. Latham and a coterie of right tackles. Leroy Watson won’t likely play after missing two practices this week. The benched starter Nicholas Petit-Frere will probably start in Watson’s place, with a chance of John Ojukwu playing there. Will Levis and Tony Pollard could have a long day if the Vikings’ interior duo of Harrison Phillips and Jerry Tillery can cause problems against Peter Skoronski and Dillon Radunz?
Minnesota presents a formidable secondary that features Byron Murphy, Harrison Smith and a revitalized Stephon Gilmore. They could clamp down on the less-than-ideal trio of Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd and Nick Westbrook-Ihkine. Second-year linebacker Ivan Pace, Jr is well on his way to making himself into one of the best UDFA stories ever. Tyjae Spears returned to action last week after missing time with a hamstring injury. Camryn Bynum and Josh Metellus are also standouts, so the mythical Titans offense are limited in how they can attack this defense.
Odds and Ends
Minnesota leads the all-time series by a margin of 9-5. These two teams have played one another on an Olympic cycle since the 2004 season. They have played six times since the Oilers transitioned to the Titans, with the Vikings winning four of the six.
Since the 2004 season, the Vikings have led the average scoring margin with a 24 to 17 advantage. The crossover of players between the two franchises isn’t plenty, but they have a few stars between the two. Several Hall of Fame athletes, like Archie Manning, Dave Casper, Steve Hutchinson, Warren Moon and Randy Moss have crossed paths.
Uniforms
UNI NEWS: It's gonna be Mono-Navy uniforms for the #Titans for Sunday's home game against Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/3iwE19fwWE
— Titans Uni Tracker (@TitansUni) November 13, 2024
Referee Referendum
Referee for Vikings at Titans — Clete Blakeman
https://t.co/PytAtMFXSH #MINvsTEN pic.twitter.com/g0EAAuhr8N— Fᴏᴏᴛʙᴀʟʟ Zᴇʙʀᴀs🇺🇦 (@footballzebras) November 12, 2024
Clete Blakeman’s crew previously officiated the contest between the Titans and Dolphins, which resulted in Tennessee’s first win this season. Through nine games this season, his staff has called three double-digit penalties: offensive holding, false start and defensive pass interference. Offensive holding and false start are the most prevalent, with 26 and 22, respectively. Both teams’ offensive lines must be on the lookout for his crew, especially Minnesota, as 17 of the 26 have been called against the visitors.
This officiating group has been prolific in handing out penalties. They have called 143 accepted penalties with 20 declined. They are second among the league’s 17 crews in accepted penalties. If the current trends hold to form, we will witness a lot of profligate air time from Blakeman and irate coaches. Coincidentally, he called the 2020 edition of Vikings vs Titans.
Betting
The book at BetMGM has Minnesota as a six-point favorite with a money line of -110. The over/under total has been set at 39.5. Minnesota is 6-3 against the spread, while the Titans are 1-8 in the same category. The Vikings have gone under six times in nine games. Tennessee has a record of 5-3-1 against the over/under totals, including going over three times in the past four contests.
Recommendation: Expect the Noisy Norsemen to go silent on the under, stifling the Titans’ mythical offense in week 11. Minnesota will likely dominate the proceedings, but Darnold has been reverting to old Darnold form lately.
Main Photo Courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea – Imagn Images
