Minnesota Vikings At Buccaneers: 3 Predictions For The Game
By Adam Carlson
On Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings are will take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at noon Central Time live from Florida. Both teams have struggled so far this year, the two teams have a combined record of 3-10 and will look to get back on track this season with a win.
This should be a hard fought game with some interesting things happening on both sides of the ball. Here are my three predictions from the Minnesota Vikings vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers game:
Oct 19, 2014; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) throws a pass before a game against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Teddy Bridgewater gets back on track. Yes, the Minnesota Vikings still has a struggling offensive line, but things will get easier for the rookie quarterback this week. The last two games, Bridgewater has faced two of the top pass rushes in the NFL (Detroit and Buffalo). This week, he goes up against the last ranked Buccaneers defense, who have just 9 sacks on the year. This should be his opportunity to find his rhythm this year. Look for 2 passing touchdowns and zero interceptions in this game.
Sep 14, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Lavonte David (54) gets the crowd pumped up during the first half against the St. Louis Rams at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Lavonte David will disrupt the Minnesota run game. Things have been pretty great for the Vikings run game since rookie Jerick McKinnon started getting more touches. David is currently tied for first in the NFL in stops against the run (25) and leads the league with 10 tackles for a loss. He is a freak of nature that just happens to be a linebacker, and Lavonte will look to feast on the Minnesota run game. For the first time in McKinnon’s career, he will get over 15 carries and not eclipse 100 yards rushing.
Oct 12, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Vincent Jackson (83) runs with the ball as Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith (22) defends during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. The Ravens won 48-17. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Vincent Jackson will see MANY balls thrown his way. Expect the Buccaneers to feature the tall, athletic wide receiver early and often. The team has already fielded a ton of calls inquiring about the availability of Jackson as far as a trade. Now, they can use this opportunity to try to get him a massive game to raise his already high stock. Expect him to be targeted 8 or more times in this game.
What do you think of these predictions? Do you have any that you’d like to add? Discuss them in the comments below.