The Vikings Must Be Ready For A Slugfest Against Cardinals
Denny Simmons - via Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings return to U.S. Bank Stadium this Sunday to take on an enigmatic Arizona Cardinals team. In my opinion, the Cardinals are one of the more interesting teams in the league. The first two things that come to mind when thinking of them are Kyler Murray’s independent study clause, which would have prevented him from playing Call of Duty when he should be going through game film, and Jonathan Gannon’s infamous “Do you have fire in your gut?” motivational speech. If you can even classify that as motivational.
When he says "you got fire in your gut?" it is the least fire-in-your-gut line of all time. What a goober. https://t.co/tlBdJZCoEk
— Jason Moore (@jasonffl) September 1, 2023
Based on these two core memories of the Cardinals, they don’t come across as a team that should be feared. Yet, they’re 6-5 in the NFC West and a half-game behind the Seattle Seahawks for first place in the NFC West. The Arizona Cardinals have a borderline top-5 rushing offense, ranking sixth in the league in rushing yards under offensive coordinator and old friend Drew Petzing, who served as an assistant coach for Mike Zimmer’s Vikings back in the day.
Last week, the Cardinals only rushed for 49 yards as a team in their loss against the Seahawks. Given the fact that running the football has become a key part of the Cards’ offensive identity, they’ll be looking to re-establish their dominant rushing attack against a vulnerable Vikings run defense.
It doesn’t help that Minnesota will be without one of their best run defenders after placing Ivan Pace Jr. on injured reserve. Minnesota signed former first-round pick Jamin Davis for some additional inside linebacker depth, but that’s still a major hole in the defense. Without Pace, the Vikings’ will be physically tested against the Cardinals.
While the Cards don’t have an elite running back like Saquon Barkley or Derrick Henry in the backfield, James Conner is no slouch. Conner is a formidable north-south runner who is well on his way to surpassing 1,000 rushing yards on the season. Conner currently has 705 yards through 11 games and 5 rushing touchdowns, and he’ll be playing against a Minnesota Vikings interior defensive line that has played fine as a collective, but lacks high-end talent outside of Harrison Phillips.
Arizona also boasts two talented big-bodied wide receivers. Michael Wilson is the Cardinals’ primary red zone threat at wide receiver, and at 6-foot-2, he’s somehow the second-shortest receiving option starting in the Cardinals offense. Marvin Harrison Jr. was selected with the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft, and he was widely considered to be a generational talent by evaluators, standing at 6-foot-3 and possessing a rare blend of speed, route running, and body control.
However, the player that poses the biggest threat to the Vikings’ defense is tight end Trey McBride. This is a guy who is coming off his second 100-yard performance of the season, and he’s arguably one of the NFL’s best young tight ends. The 6-foot-4 McBride is very similar to T.J. Hockenson. Both possess good height and size and are underrated athletes, but their technical skills are what stand out. They’re great route-runners, routinely finding holes in zone coverage, and they both have sure hands.
All in all, the Cardinals have three receiving options who are able to impose themselves on a defense, and the biggest concern for Sunday is that they’ll use their size and physicality to assert their dominance. Pace, isn’t particularly tall, but he has that dawg in him, and that motor is hard to replace. While the Vikings still have Blake Cashman, who is a great middle linebacker, they’ll be even more reliant on journeyman linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, who is also playing through a minor shoulder injury.
Grugier-Hill is a really interesting player. If you only looked at PFF stats, it would appear that he’s struggled this season with a lowly 43.8 overall grade. However, he’s one of the players on this roster who exemplifies Kevin O’Connell’s favorite quote: “Be at your best when your best is required”. It seems like whenever the Vikings are missing an inside linebacker, Grugier-Hill comes out of nowhere and balls out. Kamu had a two-game stretch early in the season where he picked off C.J. Stroud and Jordan Love in consecutive weeks.
KAMU GRUGIER-HILL INTERCEPTION FOR A SECOND CONSECUTIVE WEEK #skol
pic.twitter.com/LATqTyfskn— SuperHawkeyeFan (@superhawkeyefan) September 29, 2024
The biggest key for the Vikings this week will be to avoid getting punked on their home turf against a Cardinals team that will be looking to increase their level of physicality after a disappointing loss against a division rival. The Cards have a lot of big-bodied receivers along with a physical running back and a mobile quarterback who can extend plays and do damage with his legs. The Vikings need to set the tone early on defense and make these desert birds feel like they’re in Minnesota in December, far, far away from their natural habitat.
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