Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals vs Minnesota Vikings: Key Matchups

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Cardinals look to get their record over .500 for the first time in the 2016 season versus the Minnesota Vikings.

The Arizona Cardinals were chic pick to win the Super Bowl before the 2016 season began, based on the explosive offense they displayed in 2015, an opportunistic defense that was among the league’s best at forcing turnovers, and some solid free agent additions in the offseason. Things haven’t gone as expected, however.

A 1-3 start put the team behind the eight-ball, but they are on the road to recovery, and back in the race for the playoffs, sitting two games behind the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West. They’re also, at 4-4-1, squarely in the middle of the wild card race.

Today’s matchup sees the Cardinals take on one of the other

teams that could wind up in the hunt for a wild card spot, and one that is trending downward. The Vikings began

the season red hot, but are in the midst of a four-game losing streak. During that period, they’ve failed to score more than 20 points a single time, and haven’t held an opponent under that same number of points.

The Cardinals need a win this week, and some key matchups will determine which team takes a big step towards the postseason, and which team will need a lot of help in order to get there. This is a very important game, that neither team can afford to lose.

There are a few key matchups that will likely determine the outcome of today’s game. Here’s a more in depth look at the ones that matter the most if the Cardinals want to get their fifth win of the season.

Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Carson Palmer needs to have a good game against a good Vikings defense.

In terms of raw passing yardage, the Cardinals are a top ten team in the NFL. This doesn’t tell the whole story, though. Palmer still has the big arm that can make a game-changing play, but his play has been inconsistent overall. A closer look shows a problem.

Palmer is 10th in the league in passing yards, despite missing a game, with 2444 yards, but his other numbers aren’t as impressive. He currently sits 17th in touchdown passes (11), 21st in completion percentage (62.5%), and 28th in QBR (51.2). He’s in the top ten in interceptions thrown with eight, and he missed a game.

On the other side of the ball, the Vikings defense has been very good. They rank fifth in passing yards given up, third in passer rating allowed, and they have as many interceptions as they have touchdowns allowed, at ten. They’re also tied for 11th in sacks, with 22. Cornerback Xavier Rhodes is as stout a defender as the league has to offer, while Terence Newman is a savvy veteran who is rarely caught unawares. Trae Waynes is their third corner, and while he makes some mistakes, he can also make big plays.

If the Cardinals want to be in this game, they’ll have to get a consistent effort from Palmer, who can’t make poor decisions and force the ball into coverage. He can still put up big-time totals, but can’t make the big mistakes.

Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

David Johnson and the running game have to get going.

Arizona is in the bottom half of the league in terms of rushing yards as a team. Johnson has been terrific, and is fourth in the NFL in rushing yards, tied for second in rushing touchdowns, and fourth in yards per game. His 4.3 yards per carry isn’t quite as impressive, but there’s no doubting that Johnson is doing his part.

No running back can carry the load alone, but behind the second-year starter, it hasn’t been pretty. Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington are the only other running backs on the team with more than 10 carries on the season. Both are averaging less than four yards per carry.

The other big factor in the running game is the offensive philosophy the team employs. They tend to lean more heavily on Palmer and the passing game, and less on the run. The Cardinals are 18th in the league in rushing attempts, meaning Bruce Arians and the coaching staff might be holding back the running game as much as any defense.

For its part, the Vikings run defense is very good. They rank in the top ten in yards allowed on the ground (873), yards per game allowed (97.0), and rushing touchdowns allowed (4). Minnesota defensive tackle Linval Joseph has been a big part of the reason the Vikings run defense has been solid.

If the Cardinals can establish the ground game, it will open things up for Palmer, and they can make the Vikings offense have to play catch-up, something they haven’t done well so far this season.

Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Getting pressure on Sam Bradford will disrupt the Vikings offense.

When Teddy Bridgewater went down with an injury before the season started, most assumed that the Vikings were in trouble. A trade for Sam Bradford was generally seen as desperation, but he has played pretty well overall.

Minnesota has done a good job in not requiring Bradford to throw it 40 times per game. The Vikings are 24th in passing attempts on the season. When he does throw it, he’s been efficient at it, completing nearly 70% of his passes, and posting 11 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions.

Where he is vulnerable at, is to a good pass rush. The Vikings have struggled to protect him for most of the season, and it shows. He’s been sacked 24 times, and didn’t even play in week one. The left tackle spot, manned by TJ Clemmings, has been especially egregious, but the line as a whole has been bad.

Arizona’s pass rush has been good again in 2016, and the signing of Chandler Jones has proven to be a good one. Jones leads the team with seven sacks, and Markus Golden is right behind him with six, while the team has 24 total sacks, good for eighth in the league.

The Vikings offense has struggled after starting the season 5-0. One of the biggest reasons is a porous offensive line that has kept Bradford on the run. Arizona needs to keep that trend up.

Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Patrick Peterson vs Stefon Diggs could be one of the more fun matchups on Sunday.

There aren’t many NFL fans who don’t know who Peterson is, and how dominant he can be on any given Sunday. Coming into 2016, there weren’t as many who were aware of Diggs, and his potential.

The second-year receiver out of Maryland flashed what he could do last year, but has gained national attention for what he’s doing in 2016. Despite playing in an offense that had to change quarterbacks to start the season, and that doesn’t throw it a lot, Diggs ranks fourth in the league in receptions and 11th in receiving yards.

Peterson has been terrific this season as well. Opposing quarterbacks have shown a healthy respect for him, largely avoiding him. He does have two interceptions this season. He has less experience covering from the slot, so Diggs may spend a significant amount of time there this week.

If the Vikings hope to have a chance, the must get Diggs going. The Cardinals will counter by having Peterson follow him where he goes. Peterson is one of the best cornerbacks in the game, and this is a key matchup.

Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Arizona’s receivers have to help Carson Palmer out by catching the ball.

A quarterback can only succeed if the guys on the other end of the passes are able to haul them in. Palmer has had some potential big plays dropped by his receivers this year, and it has definitely hurt.

The biggest offender is former first round selection Michael Floyd, who has had several drops, and at the worst times. He’s also having maybe his worst year since his rookie season, on pace for lower yardage totals and number of catches and targets since that first year.

He is coming off of his best game this season. He had a season-high number of catches and yards last week against the San Francisco 49ers. The Vikings are a better defense, though, so he’ll need to be on his game if he wants to contribute.

If Floyd can play up to his potential, with his combination of size and skill, he would make a huge difference, not just in this game, but in the season. He was drafted to be a number one receiver, and needs to play like it.

Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

The Cardinals seem to have the advantage.

There is plenty of reason for Arizona Cardinals fans to be excited going into this game against the Vikings. The Vikings are in the midst of a four-game losing streak, while the Cardinals have rebounded after their start, going 3-1-1 in their last five games.

In addition, they match-up pretty well at several key places. On offense, the Cardinals

More from Raising Zona

have the more explosive potential, and ability to score. On the other side of the ball, Arizona’s pass rush could see a lot of success against an offensive line that has been under siege all season.

Most analysts favor the Cardinals in this game, but if Diggs gets going early, and the Minnesota line can protect Bradford, it could be a close game. Either way, it’s an important game for both teams, and a loss makes it much harder for either team to realize their goal of making the playoffs, and in Arizona’s case, it may cost them the Super Bowl shot that many people saw for them going into the year. Both teams desperately want this win, and these match-ups will be the ones to watch in determining who comes out on top today.

This article originally appeared on

share

Get more from Arizona Cardinals Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Arizona Cardinals

National Football League