The Minnesota Vikings have been one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2024 NFL season. Minnesota is 7-2 heading into Week 11 and is only one game behind Detroit in the NFC North divisional race. Nobody predicted that the Vikings would be this good in the offseason, especially after rookie QB J.J. McCarthy went down for the season with an injury.
The Vikings have earned their wins on the backs of a perplexing and aggressive defense paired with a consistent offense that is prepared to attack opposing defenses in a number of different ways.
Next up for the Vikings is a cupcake of a matchup against the Titans. Tennessee has looked like one of the NFL's worst teams this season, and it is unlikely that they pose much of a threat to Minnesota.
Can the Vikings take care of business and put away a lowly Titans team? Or will they fall victim to a dreaded “trap game”?
Below we will explore three bold Vikings predictions ahead of their Week 11 matchup against the Titans.
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Vikings QB Sam Darnold puts up incredible stats, but suffers two costly turnovers
Sam Darnold is having the best season of his career in Minnesota.
The Vikings basically picked Darnold up off the scrap heap and turned him into a good starting QB in the NFL. Minnesota's coaching staff deserves a lot of credit for finally getting the most out of Darnold.
Darnold has done a solid job of managing the Vikings offense and guiding them to win after win. I believe that he is in for his best game of the season against the Titans.
My prediction: Sam Darnold will have his best statistical game of the season against a reeling Titans defense. For reference, Darnold's best game this season came against the Colts where he threw for 290 yards with three touchdown and two interceptions. Let's say that Darnold goes over 300 passing yards for at least three touchdowns. However, he will also commit two costly turnovers that will help the Titans hang around longer than they deserve to.
Justin Jefferson torches the Titans' secondary for his best game of the season
If Sam Darnold is going to have a good game, that is most likely going to benefit Justin Jefferson.
Jefferson is having a great rebound season after struggling with injuries during the 2023 campaign. He has hauled in 53 receptions for 831 yards and five touchdowns through nine games played. This is even more impressive considering that the Vikings offense is no longer exclusively “throw the ball to JJ and see what happens.”
Don't get me wrong, Jefferson is still the best player on the offense. But he is now shares the spotlight with Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones and does not need to play superhero every single game.
His stats are also impressive because of the number of near misses on what would have been touchdowns or huge receptions. Jefferson is truly one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, even if the stats don't blow you out of the water.
Defending Jefferson is a tall task for any NFL defense. It should be particularly difficult for a Titans team that has a solid secondary, but still gives up a ton of yardage.
My prediction: Justin Jefferson will have a fantastic game against Tennessee, going over the 1,000 receiving yard mark for the season and scoring multiple times. That means he will have at least 169 receiving yards and at least two receiving touchdowns to go with them. If that happens, there's no way that Minnesota loses this game.
Jonathan Greenard and the Vikings defense completely shut down the Titans' offense
The Titans are in for a rough afternoon as they go up against the vaunted Vikings defense.
Brian Flores and the Vikings have secured multiple wins this season with their smothering defense. This has even earned Brian Flores some buzz as a potential head coach candidate for the offseason. Minnesota loves to show pressure on almost all downs, which makes it difficult for opposing QBs to determine when pressure is coming, and from where.
Honestly, it doesn't really matter whether the Titans play Will Levis or Mason Rudolph. Either way, they are in for a bruising.
The key for Minnesota will be slowing down Tony Pollard, who is the most important player on Tennessee's offense. If they can routinely stop the run on the way to the QB, I don't believe the Titans will have many answers.
My prediction: Jonathan Greenard logs two sacks and the Vikings defense limits the Titans to fewer than 300 total yards in a lopsided victory.
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