What the Redskins Have to do to beat the Vikings

One team that has definitely exceeded expectations this year is the Minnesota Vikings. They will be clashing with the Washington Redskins this Sunday. Both teams have been going downhill lately. But I'm going to focus on the Redskins and what they will have to do to win. 

     In the red zone they have to convert with touchdowns at least 50% of the time. They can't just come away with a field goal every time. Red Zone scoring will be especially tough this week. But even the dominating Vikings defense has some holes in them. We saw it a couple weeks ago. Jordan Howard[Bears running back] completely annihilated the Vikings defense, so we know they aren't flawless. Howard rushed for 153 yards and a touchdown in that game. One of the best teams in the NFL lost to one of the worst teams in the NFL. So I don't think the Redskins winning is a long shot at all. I think that once the Redskins get down into the red zone, they have to stay with the run game because they tend to pass a lot once they are in the red zone. Robert Kelley has been their most productive running back this season with Matt Jones being very inconsistent. He is very hard to bring down and so far the Redskins have done a good job of utilizing him. His yards after contact has been amazing. That is part of the reason why he is averaging 5 yards per carry. 

     The Vikings running game has been struggling a lot. So the Redskins defense will force them to pass a lot. Once that starts happening, they have got to put pressure on Sam Bradford. A good match up to watch will be Stefon Diggs vs Josh Norman. Diggs is probably the NFL's fastest wide receiver while Norman is one of the leagues best cornerbacks. Norman had a frustrating week before the bye, being penalized 5 times. He also got fined for criticizing a ref. Both wide receiver and corner back are 6 feet tall. I think Stefon Diggs has speed over Norman, but as long as Norman keeps Diggs out of the middle of the field, he will be okay. Norman is a very physical cornerback, and I think in this matchup, being physical will be an advantage. 

The Redskins have to control the line of scrimmage. Blocking for Kirk Cousins will be very critical. Trent Williams just got suspended for 4 games and they will be weak at the left tackle position. 

We know that this Vikings defense is one of the best with taking the ball away, so it will be key for Kirk Cousins to not throw any interceptions. I think if he throws 1 or more interception, they lose, and if he throws no interceptions, they win. 

Prediction: Redskins 20, Vikings 14