The Minnesota Vikings breathed a sigh of relief after their Week 9 victory over the Indianapolis Colts and they should have an excellent chance to make it two wins in a row when they go to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars in Week 10.
The Vikings will be facing the second of their three-game sojourn through the AFC South. The Vikings will face the Tennessee Titans in Week 11 and they should be able to come away with an 8-2 record after that game.
But there's no reason to get that far ahead. As well as the Vikings have played this season, they should not look past any road game and assume success. If the Vikings are going to continue to stack wins, head coach Kevin O'Connell knows that quarterback Sam Darnold is going to have to avoid turnovers.
He threw two interceptions and lost one fumble in the win over the Colts. He was able to overcome those issues with three second-half TD passes, and there's no reason he can't better his performance against the defensively deficient Jaguars.
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The Vikings defense got back on track against the Colts, and defensive coordinator Brian Flores should have this unit fully prepared for QB Trevor Lawrence. However, the Minnesota offense must maintain possession of the ball and needs to hit three or four big plays if the Vikings are going to win this Week 10 game.
Justin Jefferson will exceed 100 receiving yard and score 2 TDs for Vikings
Justin Jefferson is the best receiver in football. He has excellent speed, dynamic moves and a hunger to put his imprint on every game. However, what makes him stand out is the ability to make the contested catch.
He is likely to have a field day against the Jaguars, as they rank 30th in points allowed at 28.0 per game and are dead last in passing yards allowed at 264.3 per game.
There is little chance that the Jaguars are going to slow down Jefferson, especially because Darnold has several other receivers who can also cause damage in Jordan Addison and tight end T.J. Hockenson. The likelihood is that Addison and Hockenson will open things up for the Vikings offense because the Jaguars may double-cover Jefferson at the start.
Once either of those two pass catchers make a play, the defense will likely stop doubling Jefferson and that will allow him to punish the Jaguars. O'Connell will make sure that Jefferson is used to his full capacity at that point.
Darnold has shown he is an accurate passer, 69.5 percent of his passes for 1,900 yards and a 17-7 touchdown to interception ratio.
Jefferson will build on his total of 48 receptions for 783 yards with 5 TDS and 15 plays of 20 yards or more.
Aaron Jones will rush for 85-plus yards and a TD
One of the biggest reasons the Vikings did not make the playoffs a year ago is that they did not have a suitable running attack to rescue the offense after quarterback Kirk Cousins was injured.
The Vikings went through several backup quarterbacks who were not able to provide the consistency or accuracy needed to give the team a winning record. At the same time, the running attack fell short and that's the primary reason the Vikings signed Aaron Jones away from the Packers in the offseason.
Jones is one of the most talented running backs in the league as a result of his speed, quickness and instincts. He combines those aspects with surprising power, and the results have been excellent throughout his career.
The only issue with Jones has been his ability to stay healthy. He has had one nagging hip injury this season, but he has rushed 565 yards and a 4.5 yards per carry average along with 2 rushing TDs.
The Jaguars are likely to be much more concerned with Darnold and Jefferson in the passing game, and that should give Jones the opportunity to deliver a number of big plays on the ground.
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