Bold Prediction No. 1
Marcus Davenport will record a pair of sacks
Marcus Davenport was beginning to draw the ire of Vikings fans after missing the first three games with an ankle injury, but he had a solid debut, collecting three pressures and a sack in the win over the Panthers.
Minnesota had originally planned to limit the 27-year-old’s snaps in order not to aggravate the ankle, but Kevin O’Connell admitted that Davenport looked so good that they let him play more snaps than anticipated, and he could be in for another strong game against the Chiefs.
Kansas City's offensive line has undergone an overhaul in the last couple of seasons. While they have solved the problem with Creed Humphrey at center and Joe Thuney at guard, left tackle has been a revolving door as the Chiefs signed Donovan Smith to replace Orlando Brown Jr. last offseason.
The results haven’t been great, as Smith ranks seventh among tackles and ninth among all offensive linemen with 14 pressures allowed – the same number Ed Ingram has allowed for the Vikings this season.
Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores admitted that changing things up will be key to containing Patrick Mahomes, but Davenport should line up against Smith for most of the game. If Davenport can exploit that matchup, it should mean good things for the Vikings’ pass rush.