Questions Answered: Rams-Vikings Playoff Prediction, 1st Order of Business in Offseason, Cam Akers
The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today is the January 10th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Questions Answered: Rams-Vikings Playoff Prediction, 1st Order of Business in Offseason, Cam Akers
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
Q: Who will win on Monday in the Vikings’ playoff game?
Answer: Vikings over Rams, 27-21.
Sam Darnold will rebound — like he has all season — while Minnesota’s defense will fluster Matthew Stafford, unlike Week 8 when Stafford hung out in the pocket like a cocktail party. Los Angeles’ defense isn’t elite, so Minnesota should be able to put up 24 points or more.
Meanwhile, Rams-Vikings has turned into a faux home game for the purple team, as the venue switched to Arizona because of California wildfires. Arizona has a strong Viking fan presence, and those folks will be out in droves at State Farm Stadium.
Unless Minnesota looks flat again — yes, this is a Darnold talker — Kevin O’Connell will defeat his old employer for the first time and move on to play the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or Washington Commanders.
Q: What’s the top offseason priority for Minnesota?
Answer: Well, Minnesota will have several items to address, including possibly hiring a new defensive coordinator if Brian Flores skedaddles, Harrison Smith’s retirement or return, the quarterback choice between Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy, and free-agent decisions on safety Camryn Bynum and cornerback Byron Murphy.
But the first business item is probably Kevin O’Connell’s extension. The Vikings’ brass will likely lock that in sometime in February, attaching O’Connell to Minnesota for the next several years.
We say O’Connell’s new deal.
Q: Will Cam Akers play an increased role against his old team on Monday?
Answer: Akers had a sweet gallop against the Detroit Lions last weekend, which almost went the distance for a touchdown. In fact, it was one of the only good things to happen on offense all night.
However, we believe Aaron Jones will be prominently featured against the Rams. Akers will grab some relief touches, but it should be the Jones show.
Not for nothing, we hope Akers returns in 2025 as RB2 or RB3. Hopefully, Minnesota doesn’t have to trade for him in three consecutive years.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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