5 Bucs players the Vikings should be most concerned about this week

Jason Pierre-Paul – DE

The Vikings have had some costly turnovers in recent games. They lost a fumble against the Dallas Cowboys, gave up two strip-sack scores to the Carolina Panthers, and tossed a pick-six against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

A big reason Minnesota made these blunders was because of the pressure the offensive line allowed upfront. The Vikings couldn’t block the substandard defensive lines of the Cowboys, Panthers, or Jaguars and the Bucs’ pass rush is on another level.

Tampa Bay’s defensive line is far superior to those groups and Jason Pierre-Paul is the edge rusher Minnesota is going to need to be the most focused on.

Despite being in the league for a decade, Pierre-Paul is still playing at an elite level. This guy already has 8.5 sacks on the season and he is as explosive as ever coming off the edge.

The Vikings should look to keep two bodies on him as often as possible. That could come from straight-up double teams with the guard and tackle or it could also come in the form of having a fullback or tight end assigned to him on every snap.

Kirk Cousins needs to have a quick internal clock on Sunday. He needs to get the ball out quick or Pierre-Paul will be bearing down on him. Three-step drops and a lot of shotgun formations will need to be utilized to neutralize the pass rush of the Bucs.

If Minnesota can’t stop him or slow him down, Pierre-Paul could make some game-deciding plays this week.