Off to a roaring 5-1 start, the Vikings face two below .500 teams before facing the mighty Bills. Will they continue their streak of sloppily taking out the trash, or is this a trap week? Or finally a blowout week?




Injury Report

Vikings
DE Bullard - Questionable


Cardinals
RB Connor - Out
LG Garcia - Out
C Hudson - Out
CB Matthew - Out
LT Humphries - Questionable
CB Murphy - Questionable
K Prater - Questionable
RB Williams - Questionable

Line: Vikings -3.5 (75% of bets on Cardinals)
Super Sim Calculated Line: Vikings -4


*My Thoughts*

The Cardinals have had a rough season so far, and the offense is not where it should be with the amount of money and years Arizona has handed out to Kingsbury and Murray. Most games they are a complete no-show in the first half, and have to rally in the second half just to put points on the board. Murray simply hasn't been the same player that he was in the first half of 2021, as his accuracy has dropped off and teams have been cracking down on his scrambling. Still, with the way our defense is giving up yards, the Cardinals will have plenty of chances to score points. It'll mostly be through the air, as their running game has been rough outside of QB runs. Conner is out and Williams likely won't play, but Eno Benjamin, a 2020 7th rounder, has shown some burst as he's averaging 4.6 yards per carry.

The main problem has been a bad offensive line, and I can't quite remember the last time I saw a unit with one above average player, and all below average and abysmal players. DJ Humphries is a solid blindside blocker who has been elite this year as a pass blocker. Beachum is a middling RT who is usually better in the run department. The main problem has been the interior, which has been ravaged by injuries, but it was poorly constructed in the first place. They acquired two 2nd round busts that Vikings fans should be familiar with - Cody Ford and Will Hernandez. Both appear to be in line to start, but they are both bad run blockers, while Hernandez is servicable against the pass while Ford is horrid. Hudson wasn't playing well before getting hurt, and they brought in a 1st round bust to fill that spot in Billy Price. He rebounded with the Giants last year after being unplayable with the Bengals, but he's still not good. Their interior is literally is reunion of IOL prospects we scouted, except they all stink!

At receiver, the Cardinals looked to have a lethal duo with Hopkins and Hollywood Brown, but the later suffered a foot injury and won't be back til late December. Hopkins looked great last week and will be a problem for whichever CB he goes up against, and he could play in the slot. I'd try to get Peterson on him, but the Vikings usually keep their CBs on one side. Rondale Moore is a speedy athlete, but he's been ineffective at anything other than flat and screen passes. He did have a career game against us last year. Robbie Anderson is a wildcard, he has the ability to be a quality deep receiver but has problems with drops - he had a 4 drop game against us last year! Zach Ertz isn't what he used to be, but he's not bad and could have a big day against our LBs in coverage. I wonder if 2nd rounder McBride might start to get more usage.

On defense, the Cardinals are 27th in points allowed and are filled with average players. Their run defense has been clutch, and this year it's been lead by fourth year breakout Zach Allen, whom after three disappointing seasons is dominating. PFF still likes Watt, but he's not close to what he was in his prime, though he is still a great run defender. The others on the DL are not notable, and mostly stuff the run over bringing an interior rush. Arizona's pass rush has been feeble this year, with Watt leading with 2.5 sacks. They miss Chandler Jones (though he's not doing much for the Raiders), as Markus Golden is a nice player but not good enough to be a #1 pass rusher. Zaven Collins has split some time at edge rusher (a la what we dreamed Anthony Barr could be) and has been fine, with 2 sacks and 8 pressures. The depth consisting of Dimukeje and Gardeck (who has played well in a small sample size) is not going to get it done against the big boys. Isaiah Simmons has been an average LB, but nothing close to what he was hyped up as a prospect coming out of Clemson.

The CB group is incredibly vulnerable, while the safeties are very solid. Byron Murphy is a solid starting CB in a zone scheme, but doesn't have the speed to go up against most receivers 1-on-1. Meanwhile, Marco Wilson has been getting shredded in coverage, but they have no depth behind him. Hamilton is a career backup who is getting his first extended chance (in his 7th year!) and has held his own reasonably well, but with CB being a problem for years, they've simply continued to neglect it. They do have a special player in Budda Baker, of whom I think PFF undersells. He's a Harrison Smith type who can be a force in the box and blitz a bit, but can cover deep downfield if need be. Jalen Thompson is highly underrated, as a solid coverage safety and an elite tackler.

Prediction: Vikings 31, Cardinals 26

It is about time the Vikings put 30+ up on a team, and the Cardinals are a prime candidate. However, I think their offense clicks against our defense and mounts a second half comeback that falls short. When push comes to shove, the Vikings should win this one in the trenches with the weaknesses on their OL and their inability to rush the passer. Arizona will need to blitz, thus allowing our receivers to get open, while the Vikings should be able to get to Murray with their front four. I fully expect a 3 to 7 point victory with the way the Cardinals play in the second half of games.

Any thoughts?