5 things to know about the Vikings and Buccaneers for Week 14
By Dustin Baker
Tampa Bay is the best run-stopping defense in the business
And, this is nothing new. The 2019 Buccaneers were outstanding versus the run, but nobody realized it because the team’s quarterback was handing out interceptions like samples at Costco.
For the second consecutive year, Tampa Bay is the NFL’s top rushing defense. Last season, the Buccaneers allowed 73.8 rushing yards per game to opponents. That number is 74.2 yards per game this year. Let that be a lesson in consistency for teams looking to emulate Tampa’s success.
This tendency presents a problem for the Vikings. Admittedly, Minnesota runs the football to set up the pass. Truth be told, head coach Mike Zimmer would love nothing more than to run the ball 50 times against a team and leave the battle with a 20-7 or so victory.
That will not be on the menu this weekend. Dalvin Cook will likely be bottled up, and the aforementioned Kirk Cousins will need to throw the ball proficiently to nudge the Vikings to a 7-6 record.