Matchup No.1
Vikings pass rush vs. Russell Wilson
The Russell Wilson that Minnesota is going against is certainly not the Russ of old, but there is still gas in the tank for the Denver QB. The calling card for Wilson for years was his incredible ability to evade pressure and extend plays, and while he is not at peak running level, the ability to extend plays is still there for Russ, and the Vikings need to take note of that.
With the Vikings' blitz-heavy defense, this leaves defensive backs on an island, with the main goal that the pass rush gets to the opposing quarterback quickly and either gets a sack or forces the opposing QB to make a bad decision.
With Wilson's ability to move around and extend plays at a high level, it's important that the Vikings' pass rush for Minnesota really gets home and gives Denver's quarterback no time to escape the pressure.
The longer that Russ extends the play, the easier it is for coverage to break down, and Denver can move the ball. Minnesota really needs to key in on keeping Wilson from moving around and making magic happen, and if they can do that, getting a win gets much easier for Minnesota.