The 2019 season has not started as the Minnesota Vikings hoped it would. Through the first four weeks of the season, Minnesota is 2-2 and is in last place in the NFC North. The team already has two divisional losses as well.
Coming off of a defensive battle against the Chicago Bears, the Vikings will rebound against the New York Giants. Despite the Giants winning two games in a row, the odds are stacked in Minnesota's favor.
#4 No bark, no bite
The Vikings are 11th in run defense this season, allowing 94.2 rushing yards per game. Opposing ball carriers average just 3.7 yards per attempt against Minnesota. Those numbers are meaningless for a player like Saquon Barkley, who is averaging 6.4 yards per carry and can shred the best defenses. However, Barkley won't be available for the Week 5 matchup. He's still recovering from a high-ankle sprain.
In the superstar's stead, Wayne Gallman will make his second start this season. Against the Washington Redskins in Week 4, Gallman averaged 3.5 yards per carry and 118 yards from scrimmage. He's not a bad running back, but the Vikings are more than equipped to handle him.
With the fear of a Barkley breakout game gone, Minnesota is clear to focus on neutralizing New York's other offensive weapons.
#3 Sack artists incoming
After missing five games last season and turning in his lowest sack total since 2013, Everson Griffen has returned to form this year. While he only has two sacks so far, he's been breathing down quarterbacks' necks all season. Sometimes, he's just one step away from getting a sack when the quarterback lets the ball fly. Even then, Griffen's presence has added an extra element to Minnesota's talented defense.
Griffen's partner in crime, Danielle Hunter has also started the season strong. Hunter, who posted 14.5 sacks last season and was a Second Team All-Pro, has three sacks in 2019. Including 2019, Hunter and Griffen have combined for 82 sacks since Hunter entered the NFL in 2015.
Even interior defensive lineman, Linval Joseph, who had a poor season last year by his standards, already has two sacks. His single-season career-high for sacks is four, but it looks like he'll smash that this year.
New York's offensive line has been stingy this season. They've only allowed seven sacks, but Minnesota will be the unit's toughest challenge this season.
#2 Daniel Jones vs. Minnesota's defense
In his first career start, Jones lit up the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have the 31st pass defense in the NFL. Coming off of that impressive win, in which he posted a 112.7 passer rating, Jones promptly threw two interceptions against the Redskins.
His passer rating against Washington was 78.0, which is more along the line of what you'd expect from a rookie. However, those kinds of mistakes will prove fatal against the Vikings.
The Redskins have the 18th-best pass defense in the NFL, but Minnesota has the ninth-best. Washington has allowed the second-most points to opposing teams while Tampa Bay has allowed the third-most. In comparison, the Vikings' defense is tied for 26th in points allowed.
Jones will have to make decisions quicker than he has in his previous two games. While avoiding the pass rush, he'll have to feel out Xavier Rhodes and All-Pro safety, Harrison Smith. This is the kind of matchup where I expect Smith to bait the quarterback into throwing multiple bad passes. Jones might be a promising rookie, but he's in over his head this time.
#1 Dalvin Cook will serve up a special performance
Cook is second in rushing yards this season with 410, trailing Christian McCaffrey by one yard. Cook is also tied with Mark Ingram for the lead in rushing touchdowns with five. No player has matched Cook's four runs of 20 or more yards so far. Needless to say, it's been an incredible start to the season for the third-year running back.
In the first three games of the season, Cook averaged 6.58 yards per carry and averaged 125 rushing yards per game. His averages only fell because the Vikings played the dominant Bears defense in Week 4. Most defenses aren't able to contain Cook though. Chicago is the exception, considering their defensive line and linebacking corps are stacked.
The Giants are 19th in run defense this season, allowing 109.8 rushing yards per game. As a team, the Vikings are averaging 155.2 rushing yards per game, the third-most in the NFL. Cook has already torched Oakland and Atlanta, the 16th and 18th run defenses respectively, this season. He should have no problem running all over the Giants.
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