5 Bold Predictions: Minnesota Vikings vs. New England Patriots – Week 12
By Chris Schad
Smith and Hunter will each have a sack
With Cameron Dantzler, Akayleb Evans, and Andrew Booth Jr. all out in the secondary, the Vikings’ pass rush will have to be on its game come Thanksgiving night. Za’Darius Smith continues to lead the league with 56 pressures, and Danielle Hunter leads with 40, but they’ll have a tall task going up against the Patriots offensive line.
New England ranked sixth in PFF’s latest offensive line rankings, but there are areas where they can be attacked. Yodny Cajuste allowed a team-high five pressures in last week’s victory over the Jets, and the rest of the group ranks 12th collectively in pass-blocking grade.
In addition, Mac Jones ranks 38th among 39 qualifying quarterbacks with a 28.4 passer rating under pressure this season. The only quarterback that’s worse is Zach Wilson, who was benched by the New York Giants on Wednesday morning, but the Patriots have only allowed Jones to be pressured on 30.7 percent of his dropbacks.
It’s hard to find a great matchup for the Vikings in this game, but this might be their best shot. If Smith, Hunter, and the rest of the Minnesota defense can get into the backfield, they’ll have a chance to hang around in this game.