NFL
By Steve Rogers
The Minnesota Vikings blew their first opportunity to clinch the division. Last week they went to Detroit and took a loss to the Lions. Missing key pieces on defense, like Harrison Smith and two offensive linemen, Christian Darrisaw and Garrett Bradbury, were major factors in why that game went the way it did. The Vikings have a short week to turn around and play the Indianapolis Colts at home on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022, at 12:00 pm central. This will be the second chance for the Vikings to get to 11 wins and, in doing so, wrap up the NFC North division.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts come in with a less-than-impressive 4-8-1 record. They have fired their head coach Frank Reich and hired interim head coach Jeff Saturday. Saturday is doing the best he can to audition to actually keep the Colts head coaching job long-term. Why not? He knows the game as a player. He won super bowl XLI with the Colts and was selected to five pro-bowls and four All-Pro teams. I think he has an excellent chance to really take over here and establish a new culture in the locker room. If you had asked me in August who would lead the league in rushing, I was convinced that Jonathan Taylor would run away from even Derrick Henry for this year’s rushing crown. Taylor quietly has 861 yards on 192 carries. That’s good for an average of 4.5 yards per carry. After a failed attempt at Carson Wentz leading this team at quarterback, the Colts have turned to veteran slinger Matt Ryan a.k.a. “Matty Ice.” Then a few weeks ago, they benched him for Sam Ehlinger. That decision probably ended Reich’s tenor as the head coach. This team has yet to figure out its own identity and who they want to be. It’s hard to win in the NFL with an identity and idea, let alone not having either. This team is looking to make it to the offseason and maybe have better luck next year.
Minnesota Vikings
Here we are, the second to last home game this year for the Vikings. The first of two consecutive games on Saturdays. Health has been a concern over the last couple of weeks as some injuries and illnesses have seen some starters miss games. However, it’s good to hear that the offensive line will be back at full strength, at least with its starters. Center Garrett Bradbury is back, along with tackle Christain Darrisaw. That should help in the run-and-passing game this week against the Colts front.
That’s why Dalvin Cook should have a better game this week than he did in Detroit. Cook only needs 50 yards to break another 1000-yard season. This could possibly be another big game for Cook, maybe 125 yards on the ground. If they can make better use of him in the screen and dump off short passing game, where he gets the ball in space, he could have another 50 yards receiving. Now he’s been doing it all year. Justin Jefferson is still set on getting to 2000 yards, and he only needs 500 more with four games to play. He needs to average 125 yards a game. Not possible, you say? Well, consider this he’s averaging 115 yards per game up to this point. So Jefferson only needs to average ten more yards per game. That’s one extra first down per week than he’s already doing and always wanting to do more. With the way, he’s been playing and his determination, there’s no doubt in my mind that he won’t get there.
In a much-needed roster move to help provide depth to the cornerback position. The Vikings have signed to their active roster CB Kalon Barnes. Barnes was the 242 pick in this year’s draft by the Carolina Panthers. He’s a 6 foot 186-pound corner from Silsbee, Texas. He played at Baylor from 2018 -2021. Barnes had 53 solo tackles and 69 total tackles. He had 17 pass breakups, 3.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, a sack, and one forced fumble. The biggest reason to be excited is Barnes ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash time at the 2022 NFL Combine with a blazing 4.23 seconds. If he can learn from the school of Patrick Peterson on how to be a pro bowl cornerback, then we may have found a diamond in the rough.
My Prediction
After last week when even 425 yards passing by Kirk Cousins wasn’t enough to get the win in Detroit and Jefferson setting the franchise record for receiving yards in a single game with 223. They will come home and continue to click on all cylinders. These two are developing the kind of connection that Payton Manning had with Marvin Harrison or Reggie Wayne. The Vikings O line was missing Darrisaw and Bradbury, both of whom will be back this week. That only strengthens the time Cousins will have to find Jefferson downfield. It will also be opening holes for Cook to explode thru and make more defenders look silly with ankle-breaking cuts. The Colts have not been explosive on offense, which is exactly what this Vikings defense needs is a team that hasn’t been moving up and down the field at will. I think the Vikings have too much firepower on offense. I think the Viking’s defense with Harrison Smith back will be better on defense and be able to at least force a couple of three-and-out punts from the Colts offense. Cousins will throw for at least 300 yards with two or three touchdowns. Cook will have 150 total yards and at least one touchdown. Jefferson will have another dominant game with 160 yards receiving and a pair of scores. The Vikings win their second game by double digits for the first since week one against the Packers. The final score will be 34-20. Skol Vikings!
