5 Bold Predictions: Vikings vs. Saints – NFC Wild Card

Vikings will run for 150+ yards

The Vikings running game started off the season as one of the best ground attacks in the league. Through the first 11 games of the season, Minnesota boasted one of the NFL’s top rushers in Dalvin Cook and had a great backup plan in rookie Alexander Mattison. With the Vikings’ duo leading the way, Minnesota averaged 142.4 rushing yards per game before their Week 12 bye.

In a Week 13 game against the Seattle Seahawks, however, Cook suffered a chest injury and the next week, Mattison rolled his ankle in a Week 13 win over the Detroit Lions. The result was a dip in production and the Vikings averaged 113.2 yards on the ground in the final five games.

Part of that was an effort on the Vikings to get their two backs healthy for the postseason and with Cook and Mattison receiving three full weeks off, they should be ready to go against a Saints defense that boasts the league’s fourth-ranked run defense, but has some holes that could help out the ground attack.

Both Marcus Davenport and Sheldon Rankins are out for the season, meaning that the main impact player in the Saints front seven is Cameron Jordan. While the Vikings offensive line is capable of putting together a big rushing performance against a stout front, the Vikings can run away from Jordan and try to challenge others such as Demario Davis (who ranks 20th in run-stop percentage among front seven defenders according to Pro Football Focus) and Malcom Brown (32nd in run-stop percentage).

By no means is this a perfect matchup, but it’s one the Vikings will have to take advantage of to come away with the victory. The Vikings should be able to find chunk plays on the ground, however, making the job for Kirk Cousins and the passing game that much easier.