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Veteran quarterbacks. Elite running backs. Talented defensive lines. New head coaches. The and share all of these things. What they don't share, however, is an overall trajectory. Indianapolis is barely clinging to playoff life at 4-8-1, with interim Jeff Saturday captaining a ship ripe for yet another reset under center. Minnesota, meanwhile, is fresh off a stinging defeat to the rival but has an NFC North title still within reach, not to mention po sible home-field advantage to start the postseason.After failing to clinch the division against Detroit, the Vikings will return home for Week 15's matchup, Ja'Marr Chase Jersey and a win against the Colts would give them what they mi sed out on last Sunday. The NFC's No. 1 seed may well be out of reach now that the are 12-1, but Kevin O'Connell's squad is getting peak performance from and his top target, , entering the final four-game stretch of the season. Do the Colts have what it takes to pull off an upset, potentially delaying the Vikings' NFC North supremacy once again? Or is this a decidedly get-right spot for the home team?Either way, it should be a good one. Here's everything you need to know ate:Saturday, Dec. 17|Time:1 p.m. ETLocation:U.S. Bank Stadium (Minneapolis)TV: NFL Network |Stream:NFL+Follow: Odds: Vikings -4, O/U 47.5 Featured Game | Minnesota Vikings vs. Jake Browning Jersey Indianapolis Colts Moneyline Spread Total MIN IND Throw, throw, throw. That should be the game plan for Saturday and Co. Not because has been afforded premium protection or slung the ball so well to demand it, but because literally no team is giving up more through the air than the Vikings. Often content to sit back and play it safe under coordinator Ed Donatell, Minnesota is surrendering an average of almost 290 pa sing yards per game. Worse yet, they're banged up on the back end, with both and nursing injuries. Ryan may be on the fast track to retirement, but he's topped 350 pa sing yards three times this year, and his trio of top targets -- Jr., , -- are all capable of making plays downfield. Stanley Morgan Jersey IND WR #11 TAR107REC76REC YDs755REC TD2FL1 The workhorse that he is, will -- and should -- maintain a big role for the Colts offense. But everything the Vikings are doing on "D" -- or, more precisely, what they're doing -- suggests Indy should attack them vertically, early and often. Minnesota also hasn't been particularly nasty off the edges, ranking 17th with 30 sacks on the year, so Ryan may have enough time to let Pittman and Co. win deep. If not, Campbell is well-equipped for short-area targets that lean on his speed after the catch.And here's the kicker: if the pa sing lanes are there and Ryan, 37, proves off the mark, perhaps gifting the Vikings a turnover, the Colts should be prepared to thrust into the lineup. Already we've seen Indy willing to shuffle and reshuffle the QB spot this year, but Foles is the only arm in their stable yet to see significant run. He also has Kevin Huber Jersey a knack for chucking it deep, which might be exactly what this game requires. (And that's saying nothing of his history against the Vikings, who were on the wrong end of his aerial a sault with the Eagles years ago.) You have to push the ball against Minnesota, regardle s of who starts under center.O'Connell should be doing the polar opposite of what the Colts should be doing. In other words, keep the rock on the ground. The one thing, besides defense, that's really flopped for Minnesota as of late is the run game. Why lean on it here, then? Firstly, because the line should be reinforced with both and set to resume their starting spots after injury. Secondly, because while the Colts boast a top-10 defense, they've proven quite vulnerable against the run, ranking 21st in that category. Limited to 16 touches against Detroit, should be primed for a breakout on home turf. NYJ RB #33 Att213Yds950TD8FL2 Indy has a tough "D," which has enabled the team to stay competitive despite a battered, sinking offense, but without patrolling the middle, the Colts are giving up more than 126 rushing yards per game, which is even worse than the Vikings. In their last three outings, they've surrendered 160+ and three scores to the combo of and , 150+ and two scores to a quartet, and 130+ and one TD to the Eagles' and .Feeding Cook should also help the Vikings maintain production through the Drew Sample Jersey air. Cousins has topped 35 pa ses in each of his last three starts; going into this Saturday matchup, with one le s day of rest, O'Connell could stand to scale his workload back in an effort to be more balanced and efficient. Put it this way: if the ground game is reestablished, the threat of Cousins using his signature play-action to find Jefferson in key spots will only intensify. The Colts are stingy in the secondary, ranking eighth against the pa s, but it's a lot easier to score on them if you're wearing them down up front and on the ground.Prediction: Vikings 26, Colts 22
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发表于 2023-10-26 09:47:20