Minnesota Vikings vs Denver Broncos: 5 keys to victory

The Minnesota Vikings are set to take on the Denver Broncos in their week 4 NFL match-up.

This game will feature two hungry teams that are working hard to establish themselves as contenders following some hardship. Denver is currently 3-0 and look like a team that is built on a dominating defense and just happens to have former MVP and Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning on offense. Meanwhile, the 2-1 Minnesota Vikings are still making a case to the league that they are the real deal and not the team that showed up during their last road game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Each week, I like to give you guys my 5 keys to success. These are the 5 things that I think are essential in the Minnesota Vikings walking away with a win during the contest on Sunday evening. Here they are, in somewhat of a particular order:

Sep 27, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) throws the ball during the third quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. The Broncos win 24-12. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Get to Peyton Manning. Rattling the future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback will be difficult, but rushing Manning into throws and not letting plays develop downfield will be important in containing the Denver pass game. If given time, the 39-year-old passer can pick apart any defense in the NFL, and Minnesota would be no different.

Solid play from T.J. Clemmings. Peyton Manning is the most important man in this game. Second, might be rookie T.J. Clemmings. He’ll be asked to help contain one of the most explosive pass rushes in the NFL. More specifically, he’ll get a close look at the dynamic and terrifying Von Miller, who will be the biggest test yet for the young offensive tackle.

Sep 27, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman

Mike Harris

(79) in the first quarter against the San Diego Chargers at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Win the war in the middle of the offensive line. I was just going to write “Get a huge game from Adrian Peterson” but that’s not specific enough. Minnesota needs to establish the run up the gut to keep the defense honest and limit blitzing on the corners. Both Kalil and Clemmings already have their hands full, and making Denver play the inside run can buy Teddy Bridgewater more time.

Tight coverage from the Minnesota Vikings cornerbacks. Having Xavier Rhodes available for this game should help. but there are still some amazing players that are receiving options for Denver. If the pass rush stalls, it will be up to the secondary to make Peyton stay in the pocket.

Dec 28, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings kicker Blair Walsh (3) kicks a 37 yard field goal as punter Jeff Locke (18) holds in the first quarter against the Chicago Bears at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Outplay Denver on special teams. This shouldn’t be too tough with specialists like Cordarrelle Patterson and Marcus Sherels, as well as solid punting from Jeff Locke, but the real question will be if kicker Blair Walsh can prove that he can make longer kicks on the road.

Those are my five keys to success for when the Minnesota Vikings play the Denver Broncos at 3:25 pm central time on Sunday, September 4, 2015. Make sure to check your local listings for time and availability.

In the meantime, let me know what you think the Vikings will have to do to beat the Denver Broncos in the comments below.

Next: Minnesota Vikings 2015 Game By Game Previews

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