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On the road against a team that has forced 10 INTs and 9 forced fumbles. Yikes. I don't like this game at all. Has all the hallmarks of a loss for Minnesota. Not saying they will lose, just seems like one that they've notoriously have had trouble with. Would love to see Zimmer do his thing as far as rewriting the normal Viking's script and get the win in the Meadowlands.
JMO, but this is a season barometer game for me as a dumb fan: win and I'll truly feel they are back and have moved on from that head scratcher against Buffalo. Lose and its going to be an up and down season with a win here and a loss there toward mediocrity.
p.s. Do you know that Kirk Cousins has been under more pressure than any QB in the NFL so far? I just read that. Not great. That's going to catch up to Minnesota if they can't get it figured out.
It's one of those games that just doesn't feel right...these road games against AFC teams we don't know very well tend to feel that way.
But the Jets are really banged up. We'll know more when the injury report comes out today, but they will definitely be without their best receiver, Enunwa, and their best safety, Maye. Half their receivers and half their secondary will either be on the bench or playing hurt. If the Vikings can't take advantage of that, not to mention a rookie QB, then we're in big trouble.
Turnovers and getting consistent pressure on Darnold will be the key. Nothing really new about that script, but when we do those things we win.
Minnesota (3-2-1) at N.Y. Jets (3-3)
1 p.m. ET (FOX)
This might be my new favorite rivalry in the NFL and that's all because of Kirk Cousins, who chose to play for the Vikings over the Jets this offseason. Although I don't know this for a fact, I'm pretty sure that made him the first person in the history of the world to choose to live in Minneapolis over New York City. The crazy thing about the Cousins situation is that he basically used the Jets as leverage to get a better deal with the Vikings. It was like watching the football version of a bad Lifetime movie, which is actually kind of ironic because Cousins made a documentary of his free agency that kind of looks like a bad Lifetime movie.
Quote:Based on that video, we now know that the Vikings originally offered Cousins a total of $75 million over three years and that number got bumped up to $84 million to make it more competitive with the Jets' $90 million offer. Cousins then signed with the Vikings at $84 million, which means he decided he would rather lose out on $6 million than play for the Jets. I mean, as far as insults go, "I would rather lose out on $6 million than play for your team" is definitely in the top three. Think if a friend said, "I would rather lose out on $6 million than hang out with you." If that happened, that friend probably wouldn't be your friend anymore.
The good news for Cousins is that I don't even think Jets fans hate him for all of this and that's because the team ended up with a quarterback anyway, in the form of Sam Darnold, who is kind of like Cousins, but $54 million cheaper.
The irony in all of this is that the Jets defense might be Cousins' worst nightmare. Not only are they tied for second in the NFL with 10 interceptions, but they've also forced nine fumbles, which I'm only mentioning because Cousins fumbles more than anyone. Well, technically he ranks third in the NFL in fumbles, so I guess he doesn't fumble more than anyone, but he does fumble a lot.
Not only are the Jets going to be out to get Cousins, but I'm thinking they'll also be inspired by the return of defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers, who missed the past 10 days with an undisclosed serious illness.
The pick: Jets 23-20 over Vikings
Yes games like these tend to scare me. Especially so far this year. Last year it wouldn't this year I've yet to find my confidence. If the win to go 3 straight the confidence will grow. As you stated it's that head scratcher Buffalo game. That has given me a hangover I've yet to shake.
A Brief Look At Vikings/Jets History
The limited history between the teams has been rather one-sided.
These two non-conference opponents have both been around for quite a while, but they haven’t faced each other many times over the years. This will be only the 11th matchup between the two teams. Before the current scheduling formula ensured that no teams would go more than three seasons without playing each other in the regular season, the Vikings and Jets once went almost twelve full years between games. As you’ll see, the small sample size has been largely in favor of one team.
As always, all numbers are brough t to you by the invaluable Pro Football Reference.
Games between the Vikings and the Jets: 10 (all in the regular season)
All-time record: Jets, 8-2
Total Vikings points scored, head-to-head: 172 (17.2 points/game)
Total Jets points scored, head-to-head: 250 (25.0 points/game)
Longest Vikings winning streak vs Jets: 1, twice
Longest Jets winning streak vs Vikings: 7, 15 October 1979 to 11 October 2010
Most recent Vikings road win in series: Never
Most recent Jets home win in series: 11 October 2010 (final score 29-20)
Biggest Vikings road win in series: Never
https://www.dailynorseman.com/2018/10/16...ad-history
As I said earlier this week, if history is still a prognosticator in the NFL...Hopefully the Vikings pull off what no other Viking team has ever done - win one on the road vs The Jets.
Quote: @purplefaithful said:
A Brief Look At Vikings/Jets History
The limited history between the teams has been rather one-sided.
These two non-conference opponents have both been around for quite a while, but they haven’t faced each other many times over the years. This will be only the 11th matchup between the two teams. Before the current scheduling formula ensured that no teams would go more than three seasons without playing each other in the regular season, the Vikings and Jets once went almost twelve full years between games. As you’ll see, the small sample size has been largely in favor of one team.
As always, all numbers are brough t to you by the invaluable Pro Football Reference.
Games between the Vikings and the Jets: 10 (all in the regular season)
All-time record: Jets, 8-2
Total Vikings points scored, head-to-head: 172 (17.2 points/game)
Total Jets points scored, head-to-head: 250 (25.0 points/game)
Longest Vikings winning streak vs Jets: 1, twice
Longest Jets winning streak vs Vikings: 7, 15 October 1979 to 11 October 2010
Most recent Vikings road win in series: Never
Most recent Jets home win in series: 11 October 2010 (final score 29-20)
Biggest Vikings road win in series: Never
https://www.dailynorseman.com/2018/10/16...ad-history
As I said earlier this week, if history is still a prognosticator in the NFL...Hopefully the Vikings pull off what no other Viking team has ever done - win one on the road vs The Jets.
Thanks...I guess??
Are the Vikings good enough to win the NFC North? Will they be able to go deep into the playoffs? Games like this help answer those questions. If they can't beat a good, but far from great team like the Jets, then we simply know the Vikings aren't that great either.
If the Vikes are a serious playoff contender, they certainly win this game.
Quote: @HappyViking said:
Are the Vikings good enough to win the NFC North? Will they be able to go deep into the playoffs? Games like this help answer those questions. If they can't beat a good, but far from great team like the Jets, then we simply know the Vikings aren't that great either.
If the Vikes are a serious playoff contender, they certainly win this game.
Honestly, I think it won't be close. Yes, I know our history with them. Yes, the Jets have won two straight. Yes, the Jets have forced a lot of turnovers (while playing mostly poor defense)...but considering how banged up they are, and specifically WHERE they are banged up (receivers and secondary), the Vikings really should blow them out. The only way I see the Jets winning is if they somehow get Isaiah Crowell another 200 yard game (possible) and the Vikings line (like against Buffalo) doesn't protect Cousins AT ALL and he turns the ball over as a result (also possible, especially since with Diggs's shadow Trumaine Johnson hurting and center-fielder Marcus Maye out, the Vikings will probably try to resurrect their drop-back, deep passing game).
Quote:
The good news for Cousins is that I don't even think Jets fans hate him for all of this and that's because the team ended up with a quarterback anyway, in the form of Sam Darnold, who is kind of like Cousins, but $54 million cheaper.
If this isn't bulletin board material, I don't know what is. I'm kind of hoping he can hang about 6 TDs on them Sunday.
Darnold: 59%, 9 TDs, 7 INTs, 1300 yards
Cousins: 71%, 12 TDs, 3 INTs, 1900 yards
Apparently this writer's definition of "kind of like" means "both play football".
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