Sep 26, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn (17) celebrates during the fourth quarter against Seattle Seahawks at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
After what seems an eternity since the Minnesota Vikings beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night football, in what can only be described as a bonkers game of two halves, it is finally time for me to again pick out some Vikings players to watch.
This time, it’s for another primetime matchup on Monday Night as the men in purple head to Soldier Field to take on Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears. The Vikings have had a torrid record in the Windy City since the turn of the millennium, winning only five times in 20 attempts.
They did win on their last visit to Chicago in Week 10 of last season, a low-scoring affair that saw the Vikings come out on top of a 19-13 game — also on Monday Night Football. To extend that winning streak to two, I’ve picked out the Vikings players to watch, which will be key to victory on Monday night.
This has been Kirk Cousins‘ best season in Minnesota, and the Vikings still sit with a record below .500, and the quarterback faces question marks over his future.
His form has dipped a bit in recent weeks, and the time is right for a big performance — one in front of the primetime television cameras, something he is often criticized for not doing.
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The Chicago Bears defense has been a problem for Minnesota in recent seasons. They are not an easy team to run the ball against, and their defensive front has had their way with the Vikings offensive line. They might not be the force they once were as Khalil Mack is on injured reserve and Roquan Smith and Akiem Hicks are questionable for the game.
It’s time for Cousins to step up and perform under the bright lights. With the Rams and Packers waiting, this is a must-win game.
As head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, Mike Zimmer has a 7-2 record against rookie quarterbacks. This week is game number 10 against Justin Fields.
The reason for Zimmer’s success against the rookies? The ability to disguise and bring pressure. Who is key to the defense being able to do that?
I wrote this week about the Hitman being as good as ever. If he plays as he did in the first half against the Steelers — the rest of the defense can follow his lead. The Vikings can confuse and suffocate Justin Fields. That’s how the Vikings win this game. They must maintain that for four quarters this week.
The last thing we need to do is avoid sitting off and playing soft — ever. But even more so this week against Fields.
The wide receiver room is looking sparse at the moment.
Dede Westbrook and Dan Chisena will miss the game on the reserve/covid-19 list. That’s a bigger blow to special teams than the offense, with Westbrook being the punt returner and Chisena one of the best gunners in the league. Adam Thielen is questionable with his high ankle sprain. Playing this week seems unlikely, but I thought that about Dalvin Cook last week.
It will be Justin Jefferson, KJ Osborn (the last of my Vikings players to watch), and Ihmir Smith Marsette at wide receiver, and maybe Adam Thielen. Two players were signed to the practice squad this week as emergency cover. I’m excited to see Smith-Marsette get involved. I was a big fan of the draft pick, but we haven’t seen much of him yet. He has one catch on one target for six yards — that’s one more target and catch than KJ Osborn got in his rookie season.
The first question: who will be returning punts? It could be either Osborn or Smith-Marsette. I’d plump for the rookie. Osborn wasn’t a success doing it last season, and I wouldn’t want to risk denting his confidence by asking him to do it again. If Thielen doesn’t play, you don’t want your WR2 fielding punts either.
So, Osborn’s role in the offense. The second-year man has shined with some big plays this season — like the big touchdowns against the Steelers and Panthers.
The next question, especially when he takes the field as the second receiver, is can he perform a volume role? He had three games of five or more catches early in the season but hasn’t done so since Week 6. If Thielen plays, one big play from two or three catches will be enough. If he doesn’t, Osborn needs to shoulder the “Thielen role” and make numerous plays and be a red zone threat, so the Vikings passing game doesn’t become too dependent on Justin Jefferson.
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