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NFC Game Of The Week
New York Jets at Minnesota Vikings
Jets: If the saying “anyone can be defeated on Any Given Sunday” isn’t believable now, look no further than what happened in East Rutherford, New Jersey in week four. Give the Denver Broncos all the credit in the world for having a game plan and more importantly, sticking to it. Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph made life miserable for the green and white on Sunday afternoon. He made it very difficult for them to gain yards. When you look at the Jets two wins this season, they have an identity and that’s to grind football games out. At this point in his career, Aaron Rodgers isn’t the guy we once saw in Green Bay. It’s been great seeing him back on the field after the injury last season and he’s shown flashes of the guy he was with the Packers. I’m talking about making all the throws, still being able to move around in the pocket and sometimes out, but most importantly, his Achilles has held up which is the positive. In the week two win against the Titans, Aaron threw the ball 30 times. A week later against the Patriots, he threw the ball 35 times. Against Denver last week, he had 42 pass attempts and the Jets weren’t able to get the running game going. Throwing the ball a little over 30 times a game should suffice for Rodgers. They want to establish the run and let the defense handle the rest. I’ll just come right out and say it. They haven’t been as good as advertised. To be honest, nothing has impressed me, but there’s still a lot of football left to be played. On Sunday morning, they will play across the pond against the most surprising team in the league.
Vikings: They continue to silence the doubters and win games. They handled the San Francisco 49ers once again for another year, but it was week three against the Houston Texans that made me pay closer attention to them. They didn’t just squeak by them, they dominated them. Against the Green Bay Packers in week four, they got out to a strong start. The offense got what they wanted and when they wanted, then the defense did the rest. In this 4-0 start, the Vikings have two MVPs. The first is Sam Darnold. How’s he been able to be so successful you ask? He has a plethora of weapons and he knows how to use them all. You don’t see him forcing the ball to Justin Jefferson. Jordan Addison has been in on the fun as has Jalen Nailor. He’s taking what’s in front of him. The other MVP is the Defensive Coordinator, Brian Flores. This was one of the worst defenses in the league at one time. Now, Brian has elevated the confidence levels with this unit. I said this with the Alabama Crimson Tide on Monday Evening Quarterback and I’ll apply this same message with these Vikings. I’m not happy with how they looked on Sunday against Green Bay. When you are up by 21 points well into the third quarter, you don’t take your foot off the gas. Don’t get away from what you the lead and has you in control. The Packers surged back into that game, but Minnesota made one more play when it mattered. In all honesty, they had their first bad half of the year and still maintained the victory. Through four games, this is the best team I’ve seen in the NFC. This Sunday, they’re in London taking on the Jets.
Jets X-Factor: Will McDonald IV– Someone had to replace the production that Jermaine Johnson left on the field, but he’s done for the year. That’s where Will has stepped in. I remember watching him with the Iowa State Cyclones and in the right system, he could flourish in the NFL. I like the instincts he plays with. I remember a play against the Titans in week two. He was lined up as if he were a Linebacker, then he dropped back as if he were a spy, and then pursued the Quarterback. Will is also a great open-field tackler.
Vikings X-Factor: Jordan Addison– I enjoyed watching him in college and I was excited for him to get to the NFL. Along with Justin Jefferson, he and Jordan form a solid duo at Sam’s disposal. When you watch this young Wide Receiver, he has great hands, runs crisp routes and the body control he plays with is next level. Jordan is sneaky fluid meaning he can sneak behind the coverage and you’d never know because of the attention Justin commands. He can also save underthrown passes from hitting the ground or being turnovers.
Final Thoughts: Aaron Rodgers has his share of history playing against the Vikings from his Green Bay days. One team continues to impress me (the Vikings) while the other is a group I’m still trying to get a feel for (Jets). Watching that game on Sunday against the Broncos, they threw so many looks at Rodgers. If Denver can do that, what makes you think Minnesota won’t? Aaron was hit 14 times and sacked four times. I’ve had questions about this Jets Offensive Line coming into this season. One matchup I’ll be watching is Sauce Gardner covering Justin Jefferson. This will be a must-see TVโthe best Wide Receiver in the game against an elite corner. I strongly feel Sam will enter this game with a chip on his shoulder. The Jets selected him third overall, then traded him away. Look at him now. The Vikings defense has done it with takeaways and I expect them to get after Aaron as often as possible. This will be the best pass defense Minnesota has seen all year as the Jets are ranked second against the pass. I’m expecting some defense to be played by both teams. Kevin O’Connell got his first win as a Head Coach against Rodgers and he’ll get another one. I like the Vikings across the pond.
Prediction: Vikings 24, Jets 19
