Storylines of Vikings Week 8 Matchup vs. Cardinals

Couple of individuals envisioned the Minnesota Vikings to come out of their 7 days 7 bye with a 5-1 report and an simple direct in the NFC North. The Vikings host the Cardinals on Sunday in an try to raise the gap in the division.

Rusty or Rested?

The video games in 7 days 6 and Week 8 are exactly 14 times apart, and therefore, the bye week can have two attainable results. A final result of not enjoying a recreation is generally a rested staff. The Vikings unveiled their Wednesday personal injury report with just one particular name on it. Rookie wide receiver Jalen Nailor had a hamstring injuries but still managed to get in a complete practice. All other gamers on the 53-gentleman roster are wholesome and ought to be rested.

Nonetheless, the bye week can also have a distinctive result, as the group could be rusty. The players may possibly need to have a few performs to get back again up to velocity. In the last 12 seasons, the Vikings only managed to earn a few game titles and misplaced 9. Head coach Kevin O’Connell copied a whole lot of his strategy from his previous workforce, the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams missing after their bye 7 days in 2021 towards the Inexperienced Bay Packers. Granted, the Packers have been hard to defeat and gained 13 video games in the common period.

A different aspect is that the momentum could be stopped. O’Connell’s Vikings have won four consecutive online games, and the momentum does not generally go on immediately after the bye 7 days, just like the 2016 Vikings proved. They gained their first 5 games. Just after the bye week, they only experienced a 3-8 record. The Vikings have to get back into rhythm and up to velocity early in the activity.

Which Cardinals Staff will Exhibit Up?

The Cardinals can show a different confront on any offered Sunday. They are absolutely able of offensive fireworks, but there is a person trouble. They cannot do it continually. Just previous week, the Cardinals scored 42 factors against the Saints. It was their initially and only time scoring much more than 30 details in 2022. Arizona also eclipsed 400 yards on offense just at the time this season, in their Week 2 comeback gain towards the Raiders.

In 2021, the Cardinals scored additional than 30 details in 9 video games and had at minimum 400 yards in seven game titles. They also commenced 7- into the year in advance of they fell off a cliff and pulled off a victory in just four of the previous ten video games. The 11-6 staff lost in the wild-card round in Los Angeles against the Rams.

In the offseason, the franchise did not make any massive moves but regressed and started the season 3-4, which offers them a document of 7-10 in the previous 17 typical season video games. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury signed a agreement extension in the offseason but is currently considerably on the sizzling seat. The offense is 15th in yards and details, when the defense is 27th in points. If the Vikings’ offense essential a sport to unleash the O’Connell offense thoroughly, it is this 1. The two groups performed in a shootout past calendar year, and it is when yet again the most likely situation.

Made up of the Star WRs

Both of those teams have a celebrity extensive receiver on their team. Justin Jefferson is third in the league in getting yards and has already had his bye 7 days. He is also leading the league in yards given that he entered the league in 2020. JJ also eclipsed the 100-garden mark in 4 of the six game titles. Only the Eagles and the Lions contained him, but Jefferson bounced back in a large way with 3 consecutive 100-garden game titles.

DeAndre Hopkins, in the meantime, experienced six seasons with more than 1,000 yards. He has been one particular of the most perilous weapons in the NFL for almost a 10 years, despite a large amount of subpar participate in from his QBs. In the very last year, he struggled with accidents for the to start with time in his job. In 2022, Hopkins was suspended for the first 6 online games and designed his debut very last 7 days from the Saints. He caught 10 passes for 103 yards. The Vikings have to gradual down the receiver to win the match.

Janik Eckardt is a football enthusiast who likes figures and stats. The Vikings grew to become his favored team in spite of their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, enjoys watching sitcoms, and Common rock is his music style of preference. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt