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The Minnesota Vikings enter Week 9 of the 2022 NFL season looking for their sixth win in a row as they face the Washington Commanders at FedEx Field. A win here can solidify their hold in the NFC North and keep them within striking distance of first place in their conference. Here are our Minnesota Vikings Week 9 predictions as they take on the Commanders.
When the Vikings play the Commanders in Week 9, the main goal is to silence their naysayers by notching win No. 6. Remember that the Vikings are the second-best team in the NFC, and yet they haven't really gotten much respect. Their only loss so far, in fact, has been to league-leading Philadelphia. In Week 8, the Vikings defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 34-26. Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook, and Alexander Mattison all rushed for touchdowns. Now, they have a new weapon in TJ Hockenson. The Vikings are more dangerous than ever.
Meanwhile, the Commanders improved to 2-0 under quarterback Taylor Heinicke following a thrilling 17-16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. The veteran quarterback guided Washington on a 9-play, 89-yard drive late in the fourth quarter before diving into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown to secure the victory. It'll be interesting to see how this resurgent Commanders unit performs against the visiting Vikings.
With all these in mind, here are our four bold predictions for the Minnesota Vikings in their Week 9 game against the Commanders.
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4. TJ Hockenson plays and makes an impact
Former Detroit Lion TJ Hockenson is the Minnesota Vikings' new tight end. That is a very good thing. We expect him to immediately take over as the starting tight end. Take note that incumbent TE Irv Smith Jr. has been placed on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain that will keep him out for the next 8-10 weeks.
Hockenson could be a difference-maker for an already impressive offense. Recall that he surpassed 100 receiving yards in his debut NFL game in 2019 despite being a generally disliked decision with the No. 8 overall pick at the time. He didn't surpass 100 yards again until this season when he produced one of the top ten performances in NFL history for a tight end (179 yards against the Seahawks).
Right now, Hockenson enters Minnesota averaging around 56 yards per game. He has scored three touchdowns this season and is coming off a pedestrian 38-yard outing against the Eagles in Week 8.
Hockenson is an excellent route runner who understands how to position himself as a large target. We expect him to have good chemistry with QB Kirk Cousins, and Hockenson should score his first touchdown as a Viking in Week 9.
3. Za'Darius Smith finds Taylor Heinicke for a sack
Za'Darius Smith was nothing short of amazing in his Week 8 performance against the Cardinals. Smith recorded four pressures, three sacks, and three quarterback hits, according to PFF. Those are crazy good.
Smith took full advantage of the fact that the Cardinals offensive line focused almost exclusively on stopping Danielle Hunter. Arizona threw frequent double teams Hunter's way, but that left some gaps that Smith was all too happy to exploit.
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As of this writing, Smith is tied for the league lead in sacks with 8.5 this season. Keep in mind, however, that he has been limited in practice due to a knee injury. Still, we see him playing against the Commanders and finding Heinicke for one more sack.
Za'Darius Smith is on ANOTHER LEVEL this season
NFL Rank
Tackles for Loss 13 1st
Sacks 8.5 t-1st@zadariussmith | @Vikings pic.twitter.com/9JyP3qRC5b— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 31, 2022
2. Kirk Cousins balls out for 300+ total yards in return to FedEx Field
During the Vikings' win against the Cardinals in Week 8, QB Kirk Cousins completed 24-of-36 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns. He finished with a passer rating of 103.0, which was his third-best of the season. He also ran for a 17-yard touchdown to start the scoring on the afternoon.
Cousins now leads the Vikings to his old haunts in FedEx Field to face his former team and their 29th-ranked pass defense. That probably means we should be ready for a huge performance from Cousins. He will also have a new weapon in Hockenson in addition to old reliables Justin Jefferson, KJ Osborn, and Adam Thielen.
We have Cousins going for 300+ total yards and two touchdowns.
1. It'll be close, but the Vikings will survive
With each victory, the Vikings have climbed the standings and numerous power rankings. However, we have to remember that just one of their wins has come against a winning team. That was against Tua Tagovailoa-less Dolphins. Does that mean Minnesota isn't as good as many people think? Not necessarily, but up against a rejuvenated Commanders squad on the road, the Vikings will have an interesting challenge.
The Vikings offense is good, but their defense has some holes. In fact, they have the NFL's fourth-worst pass defense DVOA rating, surrendering a staggering 262.1 yards via the air per game. That's No. 26 in NFL. Commanders QB Taylor Heinicke will likely exploit that. This could be a shootout, but the Vikings should still come out on top.
