Minnesota Vikings vs St. Louis Rams: 5 keys to victory

The St. Louis Rams will be coming to Minneapolis to take on the Minnesota Vikings on November 8, 2015. Here are the five keys to the team’s success.

Minnesota will have another tough task on their hands following two big division wins the last two weeks. This time, it will come in the form of fellow NFC defensive tough guys, the St. Louis Rams. The two teams are nearly identical on paper this year, but one team will walk out of TCF Bank stadium and winner on Sunday, and another will walk out the loser.

Here are my 5 keys to success for the Minnesota Vikings:

Contain the Rams defensive line. St. Louis has one of the most stout defensive fronts in the NFL. They are tied for the 4th fewest yards allowed per carry in the NFL this season (3.7), have only allowed three rushing touchdowns on the season, and are #6 in fewest yards allowed per game (328.1). This will be their toughest test since the Broncos.

Oct 4, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) runs for a touchdown during the second half against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos won 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Find a way to get Adrian Peterson going. Minnesota Vikings fans have big expectations for the former NFL MVP. In fact, we can sometimes be disappointed even when the star running back gets only 100 yards. However, the key for Peterson is to grind out first downs until he can break a long run. That’s how Peterson will have to view Sunday’s contest.

Make Todd Gurley pedestrian. Let’s be absolutely honest. The Minnesota Vikings aren’t going to be able to shut down Gurley completely. However, as is the case with most star players, you can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him. Gurley is looking like the most promising rookie running back in a long, long time.

Have Teddy Bridgewater complete a high percentage of passes. While I was talking about containing Gurley, the Rams will likely have a similar plan for Adrian Peterson. That means that, like the last two weeks, the offense could rest with the throwing arm of the Minnesota Vikings quarterback.

Win the special teams war. Honestly, the Vikings and Rams offense and defense could very well cancel each other out. It could come down to the third phase of the game that makes the big difference between a win and a loss. Last week, Sherels got a special teams TD. Could it be Cordarrelle Patterson‘s turn?

Those are my five keys to success for the Minnesota Vikings against the St. Louis Rams. Do you disagree with any of my points? Have some points of your own to make? Let us know in the comments below.

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