The Minnesota Vikings will be tested again on Sunday when they travel to face the Washington Commanders. At 6-1, the Vikings have established themselves as contenders in the NFC and may have cemented that status with the acquisition of T.J. Hockenson.
The Commanders have won three straight games, however, and with former Vikings camp arm Taylor Heinicke leading the way, this could be a trap game at FedEx Field.
It’s always hard to predict how the Vikings will do, but here are five things you can count on.
Kirk Cousins’s return to Washington
The biggest storyline coming into Sunday’s game is Cousins making his first trip back to D.C. since he left as a free agent following the 2017 season.
Playing into Cousins’s favor is a Washington secondary that has struggled this year. The Commanders are allowing 6.4 net yards per attempt this season – 14th in the NFL – and top corner William Jackson III was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline.
Cousins downplayed his homecoming in his weekly media session, but there’s a chance he has some nerves. In any case, he should have a big afternoon through the air.
The Washington defensive line being a big problem
The Vikings dodged a bullet as Chase Young will miss Sunday’s game as he recovers from a torn ACL, but Washington has enough depth to create a challenge in the trenches.
According to Pro Football Focus, Jonathan Allen ranks seventh among interior defensive linemen this season with 26 pressures and Daron Payne ranks 12th with 23 pressures. By contrast, Ed Ingram leads all guards with 28 pressures allowed and Garrett Bradbury is fourth among centers with 13 pressures allowed.
With Montez Sweat on the outside, the Vikings will have to find a way to protect Cousins or risk having the dreaded “Bad Kirk” game.
T.J. Hockenson getting involved in the red zone
It’s unclear how much Hockenson will play on Sunday after being acquired from the Detroit Lions earlier in the week, but one of the areas he can make an immediate impact is in the red zone.
At 6-foot-5, Hockenson is a massive target for the Vikings’ passing offense and already has three touchdowns this season. In addition, Hockenson could be a target on some of the short dump-offs Cousins has been throwing to Johnny Mundt and Irv Smith Jr., and Hockenson has the athleticism to turn them into big gains.
The Vikings currently rank fifth in the NFL by scoring on 66.7 percent of their red zone drives and the addition of Hockenson should make them more effective – even if he plays just a handful of snaps.
Za’Darius Smith getting after Taylor Heinicke
Washington’s defensive line figures to have success on Sunday but so could the Vikings’ pass rush. PFF listed Washington 29th in their Week 8 offensive line rankings.
That means great things for Smith, who leads the NFL with 8.5 sacks. With the Vikings willing to move him throughout the formation, the reigning NFC Defensive Player of the Month could have another big day.
With the Vikings’ secondary preoccupied with stopping Terry McLaurin, a pass rush will be vital to their chances of winning on Sunday.
Another one-possession victory for the Vikings
At this point, the Vikings are physically incapable of deciding a game by more than one possession. The good news is that they’ve found a way to be on the right end of those games this season.
The Commanders are tougher than they appear, but this is a game the Vikings should be able to win. If their defense gets after Heinicke and Cousins can keep his emotions in check, it should be a victory – albeit a low-scoring one.
Prediction: Vikings 24, Commanders 17
