The Minnesota Vikings hold their destiny in their own hands with the remaining three games of the NFL season. Sitting at 12-2 and with a playoff spot secured, Minnesota needs to win out in their final three games to win the NFC North and even ensure the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff race.
The final three games for the Vikings are a gauntlet, and it all begins this upcoming Sunday against the 8-6 Seattle Seahawks.
Minnesota may catch a break in this upcoming matchup, as Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith is questionable to play after suffering an injury against the Green Bay Packers last week.
The Vikings would then be in line to play backup quarterback Sam Howell, who looked abysmal in his relief of Smith, going 5-of-14 for 24 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception.
No matter who is at quarterback this weekend, the Seahawks are a talented team on both sides of the ball, and they should not be taken lightly.
If Minnesota hopes to take another step toward the top seed in the NFC, what problems will they need to fix before their matchup with Seattle?
Problems the Minnesota Vikings must fix before Week 16 vs. the Seattle Seahawks
1. Poor interior protection
The middle of the Vikings' offensive line is a glaring issue. Blake Brandel, Garrett Bradbury, and Dalton Risner are failing at an alarming rate, and they are about to go up against one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL in Seattle's Leonard Williams.
The Vikings will have a handful in trying to deal with Williams, and they need to figure out a way to at least limit his impact against the Minnesota offense.
Obviously, better line protection is easier said than done, but Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell and the team's offense need to devise a plan.
Do they need to roll quarterback Sam Darnold out more to evade interior pressure? Or use fullback C.J. Ham and tight end Josh Oliver as extra protection? Maybe even check out the free agent market just to see if there is anyone worth giving a tryout.
Whatever the potential solution, the Vikings need to leave no stone unturned, as their abysmal line play is going to hurt them come playoff time.
2. Get Cam Robinson under control
Vikings left tackle Cam Robinson had by far his worst game this past game against the Chicago Bears. Robinson was called for four pre-snap penalties on Monday night, accounting for 40 percent of the penalties that Minnesota picked up against Chicago.
Robinson was also beaten a few times off the edge, potentially from being in his own head due to his penalty issues in the game.
Before this past Monday, Robinson had been a great trade acquisition for the Vikings. While there was never an expectation that he would replace star left tackle Christian Darrisaw on a production basis, Robinson was able to hold his own since being brought over from the Jacksonville Jaguars a few weeks ago.
Hopefully, this past game can be chalked up as an outlier because if he continues to play like he did against Chicago, the Vikings will be in trouble moving ahead.
3. More Dallas Turner
This may sound like a broken record for every Minnesota fan out there, but rookie edge rusher Dallas Turner needs to see the field more on defense.
Turner brings a spark to the Vikings' pass rush every opportunity he gets, and if you put him out there alongside Jonathan Greenard, and even Andrew Van Ginkel as well, Turner should turn heads.
Turner seems to have begun hitting his stride in recent weeks, as his ability to get to the quarterback is showing up more and more with each matchup.
Turner was a first-round pick for a reason, as he was one of the most productive edge rushers during his time in college, and his physical abilities tested incredibly well come draft time.
With production to back his physical prowess, Turner's first-round draft grade was no fluke, and it shows more and more each week.
Minnesota has had great edge rushing production this season without needing to force Turner in as a key contributor right away. But it's becoming more apparent with each game that he is ready to make some noise in the NFL.