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The Minnesota Vikings and the Washington Redskins face off on Thursday night to kick off Week 8 of the 2019 NFL season. There are a lot of storylines surrounding this game, including Case Keenum playing his first game in Minnesota since the Minneapolis Miracle. Don't let those storylines distract you from who is the better team in this matchup.
The Vikings should have no issue beating the Redskins, so let's break down four reasons why.
4. Case Keenum
The storylines are about Case Keenum returning to Minnesota, but that is actually one of the key reasons the Vikings should have no issue in this game. The stats haven't been terrible for Keenum this year, as he has thrown for 1,123 yards, nine touchdowns, and four interceptions.
Even with the stats not looking bad, he hasn't done enough to be a difference-maker. Against a Dolphins defense who hasn't slowed down anyone, he only managed 166 yards.
Keenum also made it clear after the Vikings moved on and signed Kirk Cousins that he believed he should have been given another year in Minnesota.
He is going to want to prove a point in this game, which means he is going to take some chances he probably shouldn't against a really good Vikings' defense. Don't be surprised if he throws two or more interceptions in this game.
3. Dalvin Cook
Dalvin Cook is being overshadowed a little bit right now by Kirk Cousins' play, but he is having a special season. On the season, Cook has rushed for 725 yards, which is the most in the NFL. In the Vikings' last game against the Detroit Lions, he had 25 rushing attempts for 142 yards and a couple of touchdowns.
He has a juicy matchup this week against a Redskins defense that is giving up 134.4 yards per game on the ground. The Vikings will no doubt feed their star running back and he should break a couple of long runs in this one.
This feels like a game where Cook should rush for at least 150 yards and a score.
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2. Vikings Coaching
The Vikings have a big advantage with coaching on both sides of the ball. On defense, Mike Zimmer knows exactly when to dial up the blitzes and will keep the Redskins' offense off-balance for the entire game.
The defense is going to be strong, but the biggest advantage in coaching is with offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski.
After being predictable to start the season, Stefanski is in a groove and has been keeping defenses off balance. The Vikings are averaging 40 points per game over the last couple games and a big reason has been the change in play-calling.
1. Kirk Cousins
Who would have thought after the first couple of weeks of the season that Cousins would be a positive X-Factor in a game? Cousins has had three of his best games as a Viking in a row and that should continue in this game.
The one big change for Cousins is that he is trusting his receivers. Early in the season, Cousins was waiting for guys to be wide open before making the pass. In the last couple of weeks, he has trusted the receivers to make the plays and it has resulted in better production.
Cousins is going against the 21st ranked defense and should be in line for another big game.
