Which version of Case Keenum will the Minnesota Vikings get in Week 4?

The quarterback has had two very different performances for the Minnesota Vikings during their games in Week 2 and Week 3.

Case Keenum will be making his third straight start under center for the Minnesota Vikings this week after the team announced on Thursday that the knee injury to quarterback Sam Bradford has still not healed enough for him to play.

Over the last two weeks with Keenum as their starter, the Vikings have lost on the road to the Pittsburgh Steelers and won at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The performance of the Minnesota quarterback in each of those games definitely had a noticeable impact on the final results.

In Week 2 against the Steelers, Keenum struggled to get the ball out quickly to the Vikings’ pass-catchers and finished the day completing 20 of his 37 passes for just 167 yards and no touchdowns.

Last Sunday when Minnesota took on the Buccaneers at U.S. Bank Stadium, Keenum looked like a totally different player. The Vikings were able to easily come out with a win thanks to their quarterback throwing for 369 yards and three touchdowns.

For this week’s matchup against the Detroit Lions, can Keenum keep up the high level of play he displayed out on the field last Sunday? Or will his performance go back to resembling something closer to what he did back in Week 2 in Pittsburgh?

Minnesota Vikings

Obviously, Minnesota would love for Keenum to play against the Lions on Sunday like he did last week, but his competition this weekend may make that a little more difficult.

Detroit’s defense has already forced a total of eight turnovers this year and will be looking for more on Sunday. The Lions’ defenders have also done well in getting to opposing quarterbacks, as the team has racked up eight sacks so far this season.

The Vikings did well in protecting Keenum last week, but they were also facing a very banged up Buccaneers defense. Their task will be more difficult this Sunday against Detroit.

Part of the reason for such a drastic change in Keenum’s performance from Week 2 to Week 3 was his ability to get the ball out much quicker. Regardless if he thought his receiver was open last Sunday, the quarterback wasted little time in the pocket and got the ball out so one of his teammates could attempt to make a play.

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Minnesota will need Keenum to continue keeping his faith in his pass-catchers this weekend against the Lions if they want to have a chance at a victory. But when he is throwing to two of the best young receivers in the NFL right now in Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen, there is not too much to worry about.