The Viking Age
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5 keys to victory: Minnesota Vikings vs Indianapolis Colts in week 15

By Adam Carlson

Dec 11, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton (13) and quarterback Andrew Luck (12) celebrate a second half touchdown against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 11, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton (13) and quarterback Andrew Luck (12) celebrate a second half touchdown against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 1, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon (21) scores in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Dallas Cowboys beat the Minnesota Vikings 17-15. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 1, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon (21) scores in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Dallas Cowboys beat the Minnesota Vikings 17-15. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

#5. Run the football effectively

Yep. Here it is again. Time to talk about how bad the Vikings run game is. Minnesota hasn’t reached 100 rushing yards in a game since week 4, and that is one trend that needs to come to an end as soon as possible.

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That number might be within reach for Minnesota against the Colts, who give up the 9th most yards on the ground per game (115.4) and are tied with the Bengals for the 5th most yards per carry given up (4.5).

The bad news is that the Colts are stingy with rushing touchdowns. They tie for 9th place for fewest touchdowns allowed on the ground with 9. However, the good news is that they have given up 77 first downs on the ground, giving hope that Asiata can pound out some of those short yardage situations.

While this might look like a decent situation, it also might be the last time the Vikings take the field without running back Adrian Peterson during the 2016 season, which could give a huge boost to the struggling ground offense of Minnesota.

Next: Adrian Peterson returns to practice

The Minnesota Vikings take on the Colts at noon central time on Sunday, December 18, 2016. This should be another hard-fought game for the Vikings, who are hoping to stay in contention for a playoff spot and the division title.

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