5 Bold Predictions: Minnesota Vikings vs. Denver Broncos — Week 11
By Chris Schad
The Minnesota Vikings will try to build some momentum heading into their bye week, but a shorthanded roster leaves plenty of questions.
At this point in their season, the Minnesota Vikings are really looking forward to their bye week. That’s not to say we would know any of them personally, but the Vikings are banged up heading into their matchup with the Denver Broncos on Sunday and as a team that has had to wait the longest for their bye week (which will come in Week 12), it’s a given that they’ll be looking for some time to heal up.
That is amplified with four Minnesota starters already being ruled out for Sunday’s game against Denver, which means that more players will have to step up.
The good news is that Denver is having a rough season. The Broncos enter Sunday with a 3-6 record and they are already veering toward “evaluation for next year” mode. John Elway‘s chosen arm, Joe Flacco, has been placed on injured reserve with a neck injury and his other chosen arm, rookie Drew Lock, who began practicing this week, is still sidelined with a thumb injury.
Still, the Vikings will have their hands full against a Vic Fangio defense that used to torment Minnesota while he was the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears. While Fangio doesn’t have Khalil Mack at his disposal, a strong Denver secondary headlined by Chris Harris and the pass rush of Von Miller figures to be two obstacles the Vikings will have to overcome to get a victory.
Sunday’s game will begin a stretch where Minnesota will play four of their final six matchups at home. So what could happen when the Vikings and Broncos meet at U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 11?