Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings Game Preview

 

   Coming off of a big win at home against the San Diego Chargers, the Washington Redskins head into Minneapolis Minnesota to take on Adrian Peterson and the Vikings.  Both teams have a short week ahead of them, having played in the 1:00 p.m. slot on Sunday.  A lot of people see Minnesota's 1-7 record and assume this ones in the bag.  Well if those same people watched the game against the Cowboys last Sunday, I think they'd reconsider that assessment.
   The Vikings come in allowing 395.1 yards of total offense per game.  Sounds rough.  That is until you hear that the Redskins allow 398.8 yards per game.  However, the Redskins are accumulating an impressive 407.6 yards per game, while Minnesota is only racking up 316.8.  While those numbers are quite different, the teams themselves... not so much.  Both are led by a dominant running game, with stud running backs in Alfred Morris and Adrian Peterson and have lethal pass rushers like Jared Allen and Ryan Kerrigan.  Both teams have struggling passing games even though RG3 seems to be turning the corner a bit.  Anyone expecting a blowout should be prepared to be let down.
   Saying all that, this game is definitely a winnable one for Mike Shanahan and the Redskins.  But having only played a mere 4 days prior to the Thursday night kick, there isn't much time for either team to add any new wrinkles in their game.  Both teams will come out and do what they do best.  For the Redskins, that starts with Alfred Morris and the run game.  Likewise, you can expect the Vikings to come out with a heavy dose of AP, early and often.  If the Skins aren't careful, they may become only the 2nd team to lose to Minnesota this year.

*Brian's 3 Keys to the Game*

1. Commit to stopping the run - Easier said than done.  The key to defeating the Vikings is to take down their leader.  That is without a doubt the great Adrian Peterson.  While AP isn't going to rush for 2000+ yards this year, make no mistake, he can take over a game at any point.  The Redskins must commit to stopping him and making Christian Ponder beat them.  Put 8 in the box, send safeties, and for god's sake, TACKLE!!!  If Peterson goes for 150 and 2 TD's..... game over.
2. Mix up the Offense- OK.  I know what everyone is thinking.  Run Morris.  Run Morris... then run him again!  While it is important to establish the run game, Minnesota's defense is allowing 391.1 passing yards per game.  That's good for 29th in the league.  RG3, Pierre Garcon and Jordan Reed should be licking their chops for this opportunity to put up some numbers.  It's actually possible that the passing game could open up the running game and holes for Morris.  Crazy right!!  The Skins must mix up their play calls to keep the Vikings defense guessing.
3. Don't kick to Cordarrelle Patterson! - We all know about the Skins special teams struggles.  They do not want to be introduced to the Vikings young rookie sensation on Thursday night.  Patterson recently tied the NFL record when he returned a kickoff 109 yards for a touchdown.  Impressive doesn't do him justice.  He already has two TD returns this season.  If the Redskins don't watch it, he'll have three.  Kai Forbath needs to do some leg workouts and just kick it out of the end zone every time!

    Looking forward to Thursday, I'm hoping the short week doesn't come back to hurt the Skins.  Injuries, lack of preparation, and fatigue all play a part in making quick turnarounds like this a tough win for any team.  Going on the road into a hostile environment never helps.  If the Redskins can keep the mistakes to a minimum, slow down AP, open up the offense, and not allow a special teams debacle, I believe they have what it takes to go into Minnesota and eek out a much needed win to get back in the hunt for the NFC east.

Brian Smith
Shades of Red