NFL
By: Steve Rogers
What: NFL Football
Who: Minnesota Vikings (6-1) vs. Washington Commanders (4-4)
When: Sunday, November 6, 2022, at 12:00 pm central
Where: FedEx Field Landover, MD
Welcome to week 9. The Minnesota Vikings are taking a five-game winning streak on the road to our nation’s capital to face the Washington Commanders. Who are on a three-game winning streak of their own. For the Vikings this five-game winning streak has helped establish them as not just the front runners for the NFC North but realistically as one of the NFC’s top three teams. On the other side, the Commanders have seen their season bounce back to even .500 with their winning streak. Let’s take a look at each team’s latest victory last week. Starting with the Commanders who played the Indianapolis Colts. Taylor Heinicke got the start at quarterback in place of the injured Carson Wentz. At halftime, the Commanders were up 7-3. However, the Colts scored the next 13 points and took a 16-7 lead. The Commanders answered with a field goal to make it 16-10. Then on their final drive, Heinicke drove the team down the field, and with 22 seconds left he scored the game-tying touchdown. The Kicker made the extra point and they won 17-16. The Vikings were at home to face the Arizona Cardinals. It was a back-and-forth contest into the fourth quarter. The turning point was when the Vikings scored rushing touchdowns on back-to-back drives, assisted by a helpful interception to set up the offense with a short field. The dagger came when Kirk Cousins throw an absolute dime to K.J. Osborn running to the sideline in the end zone. The Vikings won 34-26.
The Washington Commanders find themselves at 4-4 this season. In what is turning out to be the NFL’s best division that’s good for fourth place. The Commanders struggled early on in the season compounded by some injuries. However, over the last few weeks, they have been playing better football. Here’s where things get interesting. Taylor Heinicke the current starting quarterback for the Commanders, he started his career as a backup slash preseason star in Minnesota. Heinicke used to throw balls to Adam Theilen and against Harrison Smith. This Sunday He will face off against his former team as the starter for the first time. His top receiving threat is none other than Terry McLaurin. McLaurin has 33 catches for 553 yards and 2 touchdowns. Heinicke and McLaurin seem to be developing good chemistry on and off the field. The Commanders are a lot like the Vikings they give up some big plays on defense but make just enough plays, in the end, to let their offenses take care of business on their side of the ball. The Commanders defense is missing some key pieces still like star defensive end Chase Young who is just starting to practice a year after an ACL tear. Young won’t be ready for this Sundays game against the Vikings. It should also be interesting to see what if any effect the news of the franchise being possibly up for sale has on the team this week.
The Minnesota Vikings may have hit a home run with the trade deadline deal for tight end T.J. Hockenson. That gives Kirk Cousins yet another target to find open downfield. On top of that Hockenson is one of only three players averaging over 15 yards per catch. The other two are his new teammate Justin Jefferson and the other is Tyreek Hill, good company especially when he’s a tight end! You like that! Did someone say Kirk Cousins? The same Kirk Cousins that was the former starter in Washington? Why yes one and the same he is making his triumphant return to Washington for the first time since becoming the Vikings starter with the league’s first ever-fully guaranteed deal. The reunions don’t end there as in fact Minnesota’s own head coach used to be the quarterback’s coach in Washington back when he was coaching a young Cousins.
The overlapping storylines intertwining for this game are almost as entertaining as the game itself. Both starting quarterbacks are facing their former teams. Both teams are on winning streaks. Both teams are winning games by 1 score or less. Both teams are winning late in 4th quarter. Plus a former quarterbacks coach returns as a new head coach on the rise. This game is shaping up to be a really tight contest, maybe even a slugfest. One thing is certain this game is gonna be decided in the fourth quarter. In the end, I think Kirk Cousins and all his weapons on offense get the job done 28- 24.
The Matchup Predictor is giving the Vikings a 57.2% chance to win. The spread has the Vikings at -3. The money line is -170 for the Vikings. The over/ under is at 43.5. I’m no expert but I think the over is the way to go in this one.
