MINNESOTA vs NEW ORLEANS
When: 12/25/2020 4:30 PM
Where:

TV: 4:30 PM
LINE: -7
PREDICTION: NEW ORLEANS , MINNESOTA

Oddsmakers currently have the NEW ORLEANS listed as -7 point favorites versus the MINNESOTA, while the game’s total is sitting at 51.

The New Orleans Saints are in the playoffs.

But they’ve lost two games in a row after winning nine straight. They have failed two weeks in a row to clinch the NFC South title. They have dropped from the No. 1 seed to the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

And now they get a reminder of the disappointing end to last season as they host the Minnesota Vikings in the penultimate game of this season on Christmas afternoon.

It was 51 weeks ago that the Vikings went into the Superdome and upset the Saints 26-20 in a wild-card game.

“Last year, we were flat and we played poorly,” Saints coach Sean Payton said.

New Orleans (10-4) is hardly panicking though. It’s still the No. 2 seed in the conference and can pass Green Bay with some help. It needs just one win or one Tampa Bay loss to clinch its fourth consecutive division title.

Nonetheless, Payton said, “this has got to be a bounce-back week.”

The Saints lost to Philadelphia two weeks ago to drop to 3-1 in the games that Drew Brees missed because of rib and lung injuries.

Brees returned last week and showed plenty of rust in the first half before finding some rhythm. Despite the slow start, the Saints stayed with the Super Bowl champion Chiefs before narrowly losing, 32-29.

“You want to be playing your best football going into the playoffs,” Brees said. “We understand that we’ve sealed a playoff spot. But, the most important factor right now is for us to win and win the division, and then, continue to kind of build on and ascend, going into the playoffs.”

New Orleans has lost back-to-back games for the first time since the first two games of the 2017 season, which also included a 29-19 loss to the Vikings.

“It’s been a long time since we lost back to back,” said safety CJ Gardner-Johnson, who was a sophomore at Florida when it last happened. “We’re not going to let that happen again.”

One thing the Saints likely don’t have to worry about happening again is a playoff game against Minnesota.

The Vikings (6-8) need to win their last two games and see Arizona lose its last two and Chicago lose at least once to qualify.

Minnesota’s injury-plagued defense had nine players on the injury report Tuesday, including star linebacker Eric Kendricks, who has missed the last three games because of a calf injury.

“I have seen some strides from the guys we’re playing with (on defense),” coach Mike Zimmer said.

The Vikings allowed the Bears’ David Montgomery to rush for a career-high 146 yards and two touchdowns last week in Chicago’s win.

With Brees less than 100 percent and All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas on injured reserve, New Orleans might be inclined to emphasize the run with Alvin Kamara and former Viking Latavius Murray.

Kamara has gained nearly 800 yards both rushing and receiving yards and has scored 15 touchdowns.

“We didn’t play very well against the run (against the Bears). We didn’t tackle very well,” Zimmer said. “Kamara’s obviously a great back. He’s got really, really good feet. He’s hard to tackle. They use him in more variety of ways. We’re just going to have to do a better job in some of the cutback and power runs than we did last week.”

Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, who had 132 yards and a touchdown against Chicago, and rookie wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who had eight catches for 104 yards, were both Pro Bowl selections this week.

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MINNESOTA vs DETROIT
When: 1/3/2021 1:00 PM
Where:

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: 3.5
PREDICTION: DETROIT , MINNESOTA

Oddsmakers currently have the DETROIT listed as 3.5 point favorites versus the MINNESOTA, while the game’s total is sitting at 53.5.

The season finale between the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions will not only lack drama, it will be played without the biggest star for either team.

Vikings All-Pro running back Dalvin Cook won’t travel to Detroit due to the death of his father James. Cook has rushed for 1,557 yards and 16 touchdowns while averaging 5.0 yards per carry.

Minnesota (6-9) was officially eliminated from playoff contention last week with a 52-33 loss to New Orleans on Christmas Day. The Vikings will try to avoid finishing the season on a four-game slide.

Detroit (5-10) has dropped seven of its last nine, including a 47-7 thrashing by Tampa Bay on Saturday.

Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins, who needs 140 passing yards on Sunday to reach the 4,000-yard mark this season, sees some value in collecting a Week 17 victory.

“We want to finish strong,” he said. “I heard this morning that it’s important we don’t use this as the last game of this year but as the first game of 2021. That will kind of help us to focus on where we’re headed and what we’re trying to build, trying to get 2021 started off on the right foot.”

Cousins has turned his season around after a slow start, throwing 21 touchdown passes compared to three interceptions over the last nine games. He was picked off 12 times during the first six games when Minnesota won just one game.

“I do look at it and see there was an improvement after the bye week in terms of turnovers but if you don’t have those turnovers earlier in the year, maybe you don’t start 1-5,” he said.

Cook will be replaced by a combination of Ameer Abdullah, Mike Boone and Alexander Mattison.

The Vikings’ run defense has fallen apart the last two games, allowing Chicago’s David Montgomery to rush for 146 yards and two touchdowns and New Orleans’ Alvin Kamara to pile up 155 yards and six touchdowns.

Detroit’s injury-riddled defense has allowed 30 or more points in the last five games. The Buccaneers could have easily scored more than 47 points last weekend if they hadn’t eased up and used backups most of the second half.

At least the Lions will have some semblance of a coaching staff for the finale. Due to COVID-19 protocols, a majority of the staff was forced to miss the Bucs game, including interim head coach Darrell Bevell.

“Very strange experience,” Bevell said. “I would probably use the word helpless, as you’re sitting there just watching it on TV. I really felt like I needed to be there. I wanted to be there.”

The Lions’ offense looked helpless as well after quarterback Matthew Stafford hobbled off during the first quarter with an ankle injury.

Bevell hasn’t completely ruled out Stafford for Sunday’s game, though it seems unlikely he’ll play. He’s also battling a rib injury and didn’t practice on Wednesday. If he can’t go, Chase Daniel or Daniel Blough would get the call.

“With Matthew, I think the best thing for him is he’s got the best feel and read for his body,” Bevell said. “So we’ll continue to progress like we normally do with him. Some of the other injuries are resolving, so we’ll see how this injury on his ankle resolves by the end of the week.”

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GREEN BAY vs MINNESOTA
When: 9/13/2020 1:00 PM
Where:

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: -3.5
PREDICTION: MINNESOTA , GREEN BAY

Oddsmakers currently have the MINNESOTA listed as -3.5 point favorites versus the GREEN BAY, while the game’s total is sitting at 46.5.

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MINNESOTA vs GREEN BAY
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, September 15, 2019
Where: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX.
LINE: Packers -3.
O/U: 44
PREDICTION: Packers 24, Vikings 23

Oddsmakers currently have the GREEN BAY listed as -3 point favorites versus the MINNESOTA, while the game’s total is sitting at 44.

The Green Bay Packers benefited from an impressive defensive performance to kick off the NFL season with a victory over the reigning NFC North champions. The Packers will look to defeat a division rival for the second time in as many weeks on Sunday when they host the Minnesota Vikings, against whom they are 0-3-1 in the last four meetings.

Green Bay’s stingy defense made up for a subpar performance from Aaron Rodgers, who essentially capped his one successful drive with a touchdown pass to tight end Jimmy Graham in a 10-3 win over Chicago on Sept. 5. The two-time NFL MVP traditionally has struggled versus the Vikings, throwing for one or fewer touchdowns in four of his past five healthy games against them. Minnesota’s Mike Zimmer sports a 4-4-1 mark in his last nine starts versus Green Bay, but those totals don’t add up to a successful game against Rodgers on Sunday in the mind of the defensive-minded coach. “I don’t really take much stock into that because each week’s a different week and each game that we play him is always a tough, competitive game,” Zimmer said. “… It’s a sleepless week for me.”

ABOUT THE VIKINGS (1-0): Dalvin Cook has received an unfortunate nickname for the scarcity of his appearances in his young NFL career, but the 24-year-old made a statement with his 21-carry, 111-yard, two-touchdown performance in Minnesota’s 28-12 victory over Atlanta. “We need the ‘White Tiger’ to be there for 16 games, right? He’s been special when he’s had the football in his hands, and we’ve got to have him out there,” quarterback Kirk Cousins said. The 31-year-old Cousins threw the ball a career-low 10 times against the Falcons and has been held to 215 or fewer passing yards in five of his past six games. Adam Thielen reeled in Cousins’ lone touchdown pass in the season opener while fellow wideout Stefon Diggs has scored in each of his last five games against the Packers, with three trips to the end zone highlighting last year’s season series.

ABOUT THE PACKERS (1-0): Pro Bowl wide receiver Davante Adams was optimistic in his assessment of Green Bay’s new-look offense under coach Matt LaFleur, with the team mustering 213 total yards and converting just two of its 12 third-down opportunities. “There’s nowhere (to go) but up,” said the 26-year-old Adams, who bids to record a touchdown in his fifth straight game against Minnesota after being limited to just four receptions for 36 yards versus the Bears. A sluggish ground game did the Packers no favors, as Aaron Jones and company rushed for 47 yards on 22 attempts for the second-lowest rushing average (2.1) in the league. Perhaps a return home can jump-start the 24-year-old Jones, as he has scored in three straight games at Lambeau Field and had 93 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown in last meeting versus the Vikings.

EXTRA POINTS

1. All 28 of Minnesota’s points in the season opener were scored off turnovers.

2. Packers LB Blake Martinez, who led the team with seven sacks last season, has averaged 10.8 tackles in his last four meetings with the Vikings.

3. Minnesota S Harrison Smith, who had a team co-leading nine tackles last week, has three interceptions and 1.5 sacks in his past four encounters with Green Bay.

PREDICTION: Packers 24, Vikings 23

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ATLANTA vs MINNESOTA
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, September 8, 2019
Where: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: -4
PREDICTION: MINNESOTA , ATLANTA

Oddsmakers currently have the MINNESOTA listed as -4 point favorites versus the ATLANTA, while the game’s total is sitting at 47.5.

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MINNESOTA VIKINGS vs SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
When: 8:15 PM ET, Monday, December 10, 2018
Where: CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

TV: 8:15 PM
LINE: -3.5
PREDICTION: SEATTLE , MINNESOTA

Oddsmakers currently have the SEATTLE listed as -3.5 point favorites versus the MINNESOTA, while the game’s total is sitting at 45.5.

The Seattle Seahawks saw any hopes of winning the NFC West evaporate when the division-rival Los Angeles Rams opened the season 8-0. The Seahawks’ playoff chances also appeared to take a major hit after back-to-back losses to both Los Angeles teams, but they have bounced back and carry a three-game winning streak into Monday night’s contest against the visiting Minnesota Vikings.

Seattle posted three-point victories over Green Bay and Carolina before routing San Francisco last week to vault into the fifth playoff spot in the NFC – one-half game ahead of Minnesota. “We need tough matchups with teams that really challenge us in many ways, and this is one of them, for sure,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told reporters of facing the Vikings. “So we’ve got to get it cranked up, have a good week and get ready to go for a big opportunity on Monday night.” Minnesota owns a one-half game lead over three teams for the last postseason berth after losing at New England 24-10 last weekend and now must fly to the opposite coast to face resurgent Seattle. “It comes down to other teams are in the hunt, other teams are fighting for their division title and whoever has the best four-game stretch,” Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins told reporters. “It doesn’t really matter what happened before.”

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Seahawks -3. O/U: 45.5

ABOUT THE VIKINGS (6-5-1): Minnesota has alternated losses and wins over its last five games, a stretch during which Cousins has thrown nine touchdown passes against six interceptions. Running back Dalvin Cook was effective against the Patriots, picking up 84 yards on nine carries, but he has not had more than 10 rushing attempts since the season opener as the Vikings continue to struggle to find balance in their offense. Wide receiver Adam Thielen has registered nine 100-yard performances and just as many touchdowns, but he was held under 30 yards for the second time in the last four games by New England. Defensive pressure is critical for Minnesota, which is 6-1-1 when it notches at least three sacks and 0-4 when it fails to record three.

ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS (7-5): Unlike Minnesota, the running game is a point of emphasis for Seattle, which features the top-ranked attack with an average of 148.8 yards and at least 32 rushes in eight of its last 10 games. “Because it’s the best way to not screw it up,” Carroll said. “That’s why the turnover issue is of paramount importance to us. It’s the most important thing that we taught.” Quarterback Russell Wilson is averaging only 226.4 yards passing but usually dials it up late in the season, and this year is no exception – he has 11 touchdown passes and zero interceptions over his last four contests. Linemen Frank Clark and Jarran Reed have combined for 16.5 sacks to lead a unit ranked ninth in scoring defense (21.6 points).

EXTRA POINTS

1. Seattle has won each of the last four matchups, including a 10-9 playoff victory in January 2016.

2. Thielen, who has made a league-high 98 catches, has recorded 48 receptions and five TDs in six road games.

3. Wilson has a 142.0 passer rating with eight TDs and zero interceptions in three career matchups versus Minnesota.

PREDICTION: Seahawks 26, Vikings 23

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MINNESOTA VIKINGS vs NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
When: 4:25 PM ET, Sunday, December 2, 2018
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

TV: 4:25 PM
LINE: -6
PREDICTION: NEW ENGLAND , MINNESOTA

Oddsmakers currently have the NEW ENGLAND listed as -6 point favorites versus the MINNESOTA, while the game’s total is sitting at 48.

The New England Patriots are coasting to another division title but will be banking that a return to Gillette Stadium will help raise their game as they jockey for seeding in the AFC postseason race. The Patriots are a perfect 5-0 at home but will play in Foxborough, Mass., for the first time since Nov. 4 when they host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon.

New England came off its bye week and avoided a second straight loss by pulling away in the second half for a 27-13 victory at the New York Jets, but the team expects a much stiffer challenge from Minnesota. “This has really been an impressive team to watch,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said of the Vikings. “Looks like to me they’re even better than they were last year. Really well coached defensively, as good as we’ll face all year.” Minnesota, which holds down the No. 5 seed in the NFC, shut down Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers last week and will look to do the same against another multiple MVP-winning quarterback in New England’s Tom Brady. “You’ve got to give respect where respect’s due,” Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen said. “Five Super Bowl rings, they’re in the playoffs every year and he’s a large part in the team winning. He’s the GOAT. We’ve got to go out there and play our best game to beat one of the best.”

TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Patriots -5. O/U: 49

ABOUT THE VIKINGS (6-4-1): Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs form one of the more lethal pass-catching tandems in the NFL, but Diggs did not practice Wednesday or Thursday, although he insisted he will play against the Patriots. Thielen is the NFL leader with 93 receptions and notched his ninth 100-yard game of the season after hauling in eight catches for 125 yards and a score against the Packers. Quarterback Kirk Cousins ranks fifth in the league with 3,289 yards to go with 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions, but expect Minnesota to try to get its dormant running game untracked Sunday. The Vikings had four sacks last week but star cornerback Xavier Rhodes (hamstring) is questionable.

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (8-3): New England slowly is getting healthy — rookie running back Sony Michel returned in the week before the bye, tight end Rob Gronkowski was back last week and running back Rex Burkhead is expected to rejoin the lineup Sunday for the first time since Week 3. Brady posted his highest passer rating (115.4) of the season against the Jets, throwing for 283 yards with a pair of touchdowns and zero interceptions. Michel rushed for a season-high 133 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries while Gronkowski had three catches for 56 yards and scored for the first time since Week 1. The Patriots are vulnerable to the pass, ranking 25th with an average of 269.7 yards allowed.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Thielen needs seven catches to join Rod Smith and Wes Welker as the only undrafted players with 100 receptions.

2. Brady needs two TD passes to eclipse Peyton Manning (579) for the most in league history (playoffs included).

3. Diggs has 31 catches for 322 yards and three TDs in his last three games.

PREDICTION: Patriots 27, Vikings 23

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DETROIT LIONS vs MINNESOTA VIKINGS
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, November 4, 2018
Where: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: -4
PREDICTION: MINNESOTA , DETROIT

Oddsmakers currently have the MINNESOTA listed as -4 point favorites versus the DETROIT, while the game’s total is sitting at 49.

After having their three-game winning streak snapped last week, the Minnesota Vikings look to get back on track when they begin a string of three straight division games Sunday against the visiting Detroit Lions. Minnesota occupied first place in the NFC North before a 30-20 home loss to New Orleans in Week 8 dropped it one-half game behind Chicago in the tightly contested division.

Adam Thielen made league history in the Vikings’ setback against the Saints, becoming the first player to record at least 100 receiving yards in eight straight games to start a season. Thielen, who leads the NFL in receptions (74 – most in his team’s first eight contests in league history) and receiving yards (925), has made a touchdown catch in each of his last five games. Detroit was attempting for a three-game winning streak of its own last week but dropped a 28-14 decision at home to Seattle. Matthew Stafford will need to find a new favorite target as the Lions, who are just one game behind the Bears in the NFC North, traded leading receiver Golden Tate (44 catches, 517 yards – both team highs) to Philadelphia on Tuesday.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Vikings -5. O/U: 49

ABOUT THE LIONS (3-4): Marvin Jones Jr. figures to become Stafford’s new main receiver, especially after his impressive performance last week. The 28-year-old, who is in his third season with Detroit after spending his first four with Cincinnati, made seven catches for 117 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to the Seahawks. T.J. Jones, who has just four receptions this season after registering a career-high 30 last year, also figures to see more action with Tate gone while defensive tackle Damon Harrison seeks another strong performance after recording seven tackles and a sack in his team debut last week.

ABOUT THE VIKINGS (4-3-1): Thielen’s eight straight games with at least 100 receiving yards ties the NFL record set in 2012 by Calvin Johnson of the Lions. He can join Atlanta’s Julio Jones (80, 1,029 in 2015) as the only players in league history with at least 75 catches and 1,000 yards in their teams’ first nine contests this week. Safety Harrison Smith, who has made an interception in each of his last two games, is the only player in the NFL with at least 20 picks (20) and 10 sacks (12) since he entered the league in 2012.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Vikings QB Kirk Cousins has thrown 16 touchdown passes and only four interceptions in his first season with the team.

2. The Lions signed LB Kelvin Sheppard, who intercepted Cousins twice on Dec. 31 while with the New York Giants, to replace Tate on the roster.

3. Minnesota ranks fifth in the league in rushing defense at 91.8 yards allowed per game while Detroit is 31st at 144.6.

PREDICTION: Vikings 33, Lions 20

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MINNESOTA VIKINGS vs NEW YORK JETS
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, October 21, 2018
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: 3
PREDICTION: NY JETS , MINNESOTA

Oddsmakers currently have the NY JETS listed as 3 point favorites versus the MINNESOTA, while the game’s total is sitting at 47.5.

Kirk Cousins will face the team he spurned in free agency last spring when he leads the Minnesota Vikings into a matchup with the host New York Jets on Sunday. The Jets offered a three-year, $90 million contract to Cousins in March, only to watch him sign with the Vikings for less money.

The 30-year-old Cousins has fit in nicely in Minnesota, averaging over 320 passing yards per game on the year and completing 76.1 percent of his passes during the team’s two-game winning streak. “The thing that I love about this guy is his passion for the game, his intensity that he has,” Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer told reporters of Cousins, who is averaging 382.7 yards on the road. “He’s come in here and taken charge as a leader.” Missing out on Cousins allowed the Jets to use the third overall pick on Sam Darnold, who has guided an offense that produced 76 points in back-to-back wins over Denver and Indianapolis. The rookie out of USC was 24 of 30 for 280 yards and two TDs against the Colts as New York held the ball for over 37 minutes in a 42-34 triumph.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Vikings -3.5. O/U: 46

ABOUT THE VIKINGS (3-2-1): Since allowing 38 points in a Week 4 loss at the Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota has given up a total of 38 during its two-game winning streak and it held Arizona to 268 total yards in last week’s 27-17 win. Opponents are converting an NFL-low 25 percent of third downs, the Vikings have scooped up six fumbles — tied for second overall — and defensive end Danielle Hunter is tied for the NFL lead with seven sacks. Cousins continues to find wideout Adam Thielen, who leads the league with 712 receiving yards and has a touchdown in each of his last three games.

ABOUT THE JETS (3-3): Darnold made his first appearance on an injury report due to an elbow issue he deemed minor, but the team is banged up. Wide receiver Quincy Enunwa (ankle) and defensive back Marcus Maye (thumb) are out and two of Darnold’s other targets — Robby Anderson (hamstring) and Terrelle Pryor (groin) — have missed practice time this week. Wideout Jermaine Kearse took advantage of increased opportunity against the Colts by snagging nine of his 10 targets for 94 yards.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Jets LB Darron Lee had a team-high eight tackles against the Colts and recorded his third interception, tied for the NFL lead.

2. Minnesota’s Latavius Murray ran for 155 yards last week in the absence of fellow RB Dalvin Cook (hamstring), who will miss his third straight game.

3. New York won seven straight meetings before a 30-24 loss at Minnesota in the previous matchup in 2014.

PREDICTION: Vikings 27, Jets 20

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ARIZONA CARDINALS vs MINNESOTA VIKINGS
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, October 14, 2018
Where: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: -10
PREDICTION: MINNESOTA , ARIZONA

Oddsmakers currently have the MINNESOTA listed as -10 point favorites versus the ARIZONA, while the game’s total is sitting at 43.

The Minnesota Vikings made a statement by avenging their NFC Championship Game loss last week and are bidding for their first winning streak of the season on Sunday when they host the Arizona Cardinals. The Vikings, however, would be wise not to overlook the Cardinals after being upended earlier this season by Buffalo, which also entered that contest as a double-digit underdog.

Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins continues to ingratiate himself to his new team’s fan base by completing at least 30 passes in his fourth straight game during last Sunday’s 23-21 victory over Philadelphia. “I think that’s fun for everybody on the outside, for people who follow this league to talk about, to discuss around the water cooler. But for me, I just want to do whatever it takes to win,” the 30-year-old Cousins told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Cousins completed a season-high 40 passes in a shocking 27-6 loss to the Bills on Sept. 23, a result that had many questioning if the Vikings had overlooked a foe that has struggled on offense this season. With that in mind, the Cardinals enter Sunday’s game at U.S. Bank Stadium with the NFL’s league-worst offense and rushing attack despite posting their first win of 2018 with a 28-18 triumph over San Francisco last week.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Vikings -10. O/U: 43

ABOUT THE CARDINALS (1-4): Josh Rosen recorded his first career win last week despite completing just 10 of 25 passes for 170 yards, with fellow rookie Christian Kirk reeling in his lone touchdown pass from 75 yards out. David Johnson posted his eighth career two-touchdown performance for Arizona, which nearly doubled its season scoring output despite being limited to just 220 total yards, 10 first downs and 49 offensive plays. Budda Baker had 16 tackles last week to increase his team-leading total to 36 while fellow safety Tre Boston notched his second interception in three weeks.

ABOUT THE VIKINGS (2-2-1): Adam Thielen leads the league in receptions (47) and third-down catches (14) while serving as the third player in NFL history with five 100-yard performances to start the season. Fellow wideout Stefon Diggs has done quite well in his own right, reeling in double-digit receptions in back-to-back contests. While the passing game is potent, Minnesota’s 31st-ranked rushing attack has yet to get off the ground as Dalvin Cook has missed two of the last three contests with a hamstring injury. Latavius Murray matched season highs in attempts (11) and yards (42) last week and faces a Cardinals rush defense that has yielded an NFL-high eight touchdowns and second-worst 142.4 yards per game on the ground.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Arizona WR Larry Fitzgerald did not score a touchdown in his previous five road games against his hometown team.

2. Minnesota DE Danielle Hunter has collected a sack in each of first five contests of the season.

3. Cardinals DE Chandler Jones earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors after recording a sack, forced fumble and recovery versus San Francisco.

PREDICTION: Vikings 31, Cardinals 13

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