The Minnesota Vikings will try to rebound on Thursday night when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
After last week’s loss, the season may be a lost cause for the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings have spent all season trying to convince everyone that they’re a good team. They’ve blown leads. They’ve lost to Cooper Rush. They lost to the Detroit Lions, who hadn’t won a game in 364 days.
And yet, they’re somehow in the middle of the race for a playoff spot.
With several teams around them, the Vikings have a chance to stay in the hunt against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Like the Vikings, the Steelers appear to be on the verge of their own changes but are also fighting for a playoff spot.
A good motto for the 2021 Vikings has been to expect the unexpected but here are five bold predictions for a primetime showdown.
Jefferson will have a 200-yard game
The Vikings pride themselves on running the ball and playing great defense. With neither of those principles panning out, Minnesota’s best chance for survival is throwing the ball to Justin Jefferson.
Jefferson has been on a roll over the past month, snatching 32 passes for 577 yards and three touchdowns in his last four games. With Dalvin Cook questionable with a shoulder injury and Adam Thielen out with a bad ankle, Jefferson should be the main method to move the ball.
The question is whether the Vikings will actually apply it to the field. Kirk Cousins has repeatedly opted to play it safe when throwing the ball. Even when Jefferson is open or has a chance to make a play, Cousins could check down due to Cover 2 or “cloud” coverage, making the Vikings offense less potent.
In the end, getting Jefferson the ball should be the top priority for the Vikings. If they’re able to do it, he should be in for a big night.
Pittsburgh will get sack Cousins five times
Last week, the Vikings went into overdrive before the game even began. With Christian Darrisaw out with a bad ankle, Mike Zimmer and his staff decided to change three positions rather than just slide Rashod Hill into Darrisaw’s spot.
The results weren’t as bad as you would think, with Kirk Cousins pressured on just 26.5 percent of his dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus. But it wasn’t a long-term solution either.
Oli Udoh was the star of this gong show, allowing four pressures in the loss to Detroit. Only Ezra Cleveland had more, and some of his pressures could have been caused by Udoh’s struggles. Mix in a couple of false starts on Udoh and you have a mess on your hands.
With Darrisaw out against the Steelers, things could get ugly. T.J. Watt is tied for fourth among qualifying edge defenders with a 10.5 pass rusher efficiency rating and Cameron Hayward is fourth among interior defensive linemen with 43 pressures on the season.
While Garrett Bradbury, Mason Cole, and Brian O’Neill were fine, the gaping hole on the left side could be a big problem, resulting in Cousins winding up on his back.
Roethlisberger will turn back the clock
There used to be a time when Ben Roethlisberger was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. His resume as a two-time Super Bowl champion has reserved a place in Canton, but coming into Sunday’s game, he looks like a quarterback that has hung on for too long.
Enter the Vikings’ defense.
The Vikings have struggled mightily and just handed an NFC Offensive Player of the Week award to Jared Goff. Although they’ll get Patrick Peterson, Anthony Barr, and Eric Kendricks back, it may not be enough to help the holes in their secondary.
With Bashaud Breeland lost and Xavier Woods struggling, several players don’t look like themselves. If they’re unable to figure it out, it could mean a vintage night for Roethlisberger.
There will be a hostile environment at U.S. Bank Stadium
For years, opposing teams have felt the wrath of the fans at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings play better at home, and with this game holding playoff implications, the fans will be ready to go for a Thursday night matchup.
The only problem is that they may not be hostile toward their opponent.
Last week’s loss to the Lions was like a kick in the groin. Losing to a team that hadn’t won in nearly a calendar year and making Jared Goff look like Tom Brady is one way to upset the fans. But it was just the latest in a series of fireable offenses for a team fading out of the playoff picture.
The Vikings’ best way to avoid this is by getting off to a fast start. But their recent history suggests that chants of “Fire Zimmer” could fill the stadium. That could create an interesting dynamic for a team that seems to tense up when the going gets tough.
Pittsburgh will edge out Minnesota on Thursday night
So why would I feel confident in the fans turning on the Vikings? Because they always seem to do the wrong thing at the wrong time.
Whether it’s a bad play call on a fourth down or chasing points with two-point conversions, the Vikings can’t get out of their own way. That’s why they haven’t been able to blow out teams during the Zimmer era and why every game comes down to the final possession.
At this point, Viking fans might be just waiting for the season to end so that a new regime can begin. It’s a lot like people who fast forward to the end of the season in Madden just so they can play around in the offseason. Only there are five more weeks of this to go.
Going up against a coach with two Super Bowl rings and a .500 season with Duck Hodges under his belt, it’s hard to imagine the Vikings coming away with a win. Then again, the Vikings have found a way to restore hope, so maybe they’ll surprise everyone one more time.
Prediction: Steelers win 21-18