The Minnesota Vikings want to be contenders. If they want to make that dream a reality, they need to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
The Jaguars have struggled to a 2-7 record this season. They’re on the verge of firing head coach Doug Pederson, don’t have many weapons on offense, and reportedly won’t have Trevor Lawrence due to a shoulder injury.
Jacksonville has reached rock bottom, and the Vikings’ job will be to kick the Jaguars while they are down. With a winnable stretch of games in November, Sunday’s contest could be a great place to start building momentum for the stretch run. In this article, we’ll make three bold predictions and focus on how they can help Minnesota beat Jacksonville in Week 10.
1. Justin Jefferson’s hot streak will continue
Justin Jefferson was making an impact in the early stages of the year, scoring a touchdown in four of his first five games. But he didn’t really feel like himself due to the types of passes he was receiving.
While his effectiveness was similar to a power hitter who hits .230, Jefferson has turned it on over the past two weeks, catching 15 passes for 252 yards. He now draws another advantageous matchup against the Jaguars secondary.
Tyson Campbell is Jacksonville’s top corner and will likely draw the assignment to contain Jefferson. But the Vikings move Jefferson around the formation to create matchups, which means 30-year-old Ronald Darby could also be staring at No. 18 at some point. A double-team also seems likely, but Darnell Savage and Andre Cisco aren’t exactly coverage mavens as the Jaguars have allowed the second-highest explosive play rate through the air this season.
There’s a chance that all of the Vikings' pass-catchers — from Jordan Addison to T.J. Hockenson — could have a big game Sunday, but Jefferson stands out as having the most potential impact. Sunday could result in a big game through the air for Sam Darnold and an even bigger game for Jefferson.
2. The Vikings will miss at least one kick attempt
The Vikings placed rookie kicker Will Reichard on injured reserve this week, leaving him on the sideline for at least the next four games with a quad injury. But while losing Reichard, who is 14-of-16 on field goals and has made all 23 extra points, is a big blow, it may not be as big as the absence of long-snapper Andrew DePaola.
You may never have noticed DePaola, as a long-snapper only draws attention through his mistakes, but he is one of the best in the NFL as a three-time Pro Bowl selection and former All-Pro.
Perhaps DePaola’s broken hand would have been easier to stomach if Reichard wasn’t injured, but the Vikings are turning to Parker Romo as his replacement. Romo has a big leg and made 17 of 19 field goals, including a 57-yarder, with the XFL’s San Antonio Brahamas in 2023, but he’s eventually starting over, just as the Vikings are with long-snapper Jake McQuaide.
That could lead to a few uneasy moments that leave Vikings fans a little anxious when they line up for a field goal or extra point on Sunday.
3. The Vikings defense will force at least three turnovers
The last time the Vikings saw Mac Jones, he was shredding Ed Donatell’s defense on Thanksgiving 2022. But with Donatell long gone, he’ll have tough sledding against Brian Flores’s unit on Sunday.
The Vikings rank second in the league with 17 takeaways, but the Jaguars are tied for 10th with 12 giveaways. While Minnesota has also given the ball away 13 times, it finds itself at an advantage going against a team that was coughing up the ball even with Lawrence at quarterback.
This should give the Vikings defense, which is expected to get linebacker Blake Cashman back from a turf toe injury, a lot to smile about heading into Sunday’s game and give Minnesota an easy victory as it kicks off a winnable three-game stretch.
Prediction: Vikings 27, Jaguars 10