4 sneaky threats the Vikings must contain at the Panthers in Week 6

Chuba Hubbard – RB

Although the Carolina Panthers won’t have the services of Christian McCaffery once again, rookie Chuba Hubbard has proven capable of producing the goods from his small sample size in a professional environment. The fourth-round pick went over 100 rushing yards for the first time last weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles, so he’ll want to build on this positive momentum at Bank of America Stadium in Week 6.

Hubbard was one of college football’s most productive players in 2019 at Oklahoma State. A disappointing 2020 campaign caused his draft stock to plummet, but he does look like someone who can have a successful NFL career based on what we’ve seen so far.

The Minnesota Vikings run defense wouldn’t be classed as stellar, at least not yet. Mike Zimmer will also be without the services of Michael Pierce at the Panthers, so Hubbard will see this as another big opportunity to further enhance his credentials.

McCaffrey’s absence should enable the Vikings to open up things a little more defensively from a scheme perspective. But overlooking the potential impact Hubbard can make would be a mistake.

For all Carolina’s faults in pass protection, their run blocking isn’t that bad. This will be a battle worth monitoring closely throughout the contest.