5 Bold Predictions: Minnesota Vikings vs. Arizona Cardinals – Week 2
By Chris Schad
Watt will have more sacks than Jones
Coming into Sunday’s game, the Vikings’ biggest focus will be stopping Chandler Jones. The Cardinals’ edge rusher had a career day against the Titans and did so against three-time Pro Bowler Taylor Lewan. While Tennessee chose to leave Lewan one-on-one with Jones, it’s unlikely the Vikings will do the same with Rashod Hill.
That could stop Jones from getting to the quarterback but could also leave a perfect opportunity for J.J. Watt.
With 101 career sacks, Watt knows how to get to the passer. Although his 4.5 pass rusher productivity rating ranked 94th among qualifying edge rushers last season, he posted that number on a Houston defense that had nobody around him.
The interesting part is the Cardinals didn’t use Watt on the edge against Tennessee. Instead, he was used on the interior, which could be a big problem for the Vikings.
Ezra Cleveland and Garrett Bradbury allowed seven pressures against the Bengals and Zimmer noted that communication along the line was a big deal. If Bradbury struggles to identify what the Cardinals are doing, that could lead to a big day for Watt and another rough afternoon for the offensive line.