Vikings Week 8 Preview + NFC North Rundown
The NFC North has shaped into one of the tougher divisions in the NFC this season. The Minnesota Vikings (5-1), Green Bay Packers (4-2), and Detroit Lions (4-3) all have a legitimate shot of claiming the division crown. The Chicago Bears (1-6) will need to go on a tear in the second half of the season to contend.
The Lions have been better than most expected, but once again Aaron Rodgers and the Packers appear to be the biggest threat to Minnesota’s chances of winning the division. Green Bay struggled a bit early in the season, but their offense has come on as of late. The Packers have been great at stopping the run this season, but have struggled against the pass all year. They are one of the better teams in the league, and it will be an exciting second-half race to the finish.
The Vikings defense has been primarily responsible for Minnesota’s great start. They currently rank 1st in the league with 279.5 yards allowed per game and 2nd with just 14 points allowed per game. The offense will need to be better however. Through 6 games, Minnesota has only eclipsed 30 points one time.
The loss of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and running back Adrian Peterson certainly have a lot to do with this. Sam Bradford has performed decently in Bridgewater’s stead, but the running duo of Jerrick McKinnon and Matt Asiata has failed to consistently make up for the absence of future hall of fame candidate Peterson.
An elite defense should continue to make up for what has been lacking on offense, and the same should be true when the Vikings take on the Bears in Chicago on Halloween night. The Bears rank dead last in the NFL with just 15.9 points per game, which could mean a long night for quarterback Jay Cutler. He is set to return for Chicago after missing multiple weeks due to injury.
Cutler has always been prone to throwing interceptions, and an elite Vikings secondary should feast on his mistakes. Minnesota cornerback Xavier Rhodes figures to render top Chicago receiving option Alshon Jeffery invisible for most of the night, and Chicago offers little else in the way of receiving threats.
As long as the defense can keep Chicago off the scoreboard, the Vikings offense will have to do just enough. Chicago’s defense is middling at best, and could be exploited by wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Two touchdowns and a field goal should be enough for the defense to hold. A Minnesota Vikings win would be a huge step towards staying ahead of the ever present Green Bay Packers, and it shouldn’t be too hard to accomplish.
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