It seems hard to believe, but the Minnesota Vikings have just two games remaining this season.
Minnesota travels to Miami this week for the season's final road game. The Vikings (6-8) are 6-3 outside the NFC North this season. They are 2-5 on the road.
The Dolphins (7-7) are fighting to get into the playoffs in the AFC. They are 3-3 at home with games against Minnesota and the New York Jets remaining.
For the Vikings, coach Mike Zimmer has stressed a strong finish to his team and continuing the work put in during Zimmer's first season. He has credited his team's effort throughout the season. Even as the likelihood of the playoffs diminished, Minnesota has been competitive in each game.
Here are five things to keep an eye on during Sunday's game:
1. Another test for the reworked line
Zimmer praised the Vikings' offensive line after last week's game at Detroit, saying the game was "probably" the best the line had played all year. Minnesota is doing so with replacement at left guard, right guard and right tackle.
Left guard Charlie Johnson has been declared out again, which means Vladimir Ducasse will make another start. Joe Berger has solidified the right guard position after Brandon Fusco was lost earlier this year and Mike Harris has been filling in for Phil Loadholt at right tackle.
The performance last week was against Detroit's talented defensive line. Miami features another strong start, with a pair of speed pass rushers on the outside. Left end Cameron Wake is one of the league's best pass rushers and he has 9.5 sacks this season and will be facing Harris. Olivier Vernon plays right end. He has 6.5 sacks and will be facing Minnesota's Matt Kalil.
Miami also features a rotation inside with tackles Randy Starks, Jared Odrick and Earl Mitchell. The onus will again fall on the Vikings' offensive line in giving quarterback Teddy Bridgewater time to find receivers and opening holes in the running game, which has stagnated without rookie Jerick McKinnon.
2. Run and stop the run
Once a run-first team, Minnesota hasn't been able to get on track since losing McKinnon, the surprising rookie who is leading the team in rushing. The Vikings have been held under 100 yards rushing as a team the past three games.
Matt Asiata showed some power-running last week but ended up with just 36 yards rushing. As the leading rusher the past three games, Asiata has finished with 52, 54 and 36 yards, averaging 3.2 yards per carry. Coaches said Asiata will continue to see the bulk of the work in the final two games.
Miami had one of the league's best run defenses until the last few weeks. The Dolphins have allowed an average of 192.3 rushing yards in the past four games.
Of course, the Vikings' defense has struggled against the run, as well. Miami ranks 22nd in the NFL in run defense. Minnesota is 23rd. Last week against Detroit, the Vikings allowed 80 yards rushing, the first time in five games they had held an opponent to under 120 yards.
Dolphins running back Lamar Miller has 829 yards rushing and potentially has a chance at the first 1,000-yard season of his career. Yet, he has only one 100-yard game this season and has been held under 60 yards in the past four games.
3. Reunion for Bridgewater
Bridgewater had his third straight game with a 70 percent completion rate and second straight with at least 300 yards passing last week. The Vikings put the game in Bridgewater's hands with Detroit featuring the league's best running game. Bridgewater passed the ball 41 times, the third time he's had at least 40 pass attempts in a game.
The Miami native returns home this week for his first game in Miami since high school. Bridgewater faces the league's No. 4 pass defense. Can Bridgewater further his progression and continue to carry the Vikings' offense against one of the league's best pass defenses?
The Dolphins get their pass rush from Wake and Vernon and have coverage on the back end from Brent Grimes, who has five interceptions, and Cortland Finnegan.
4. Home-cooking and familiarity a help?
Bridgewater isn't the only Florida native heading back home. Cornerback Xavier Rhodes hails from Miami, too. From nearby come kicker Blair Walsh (Boca Raton), Jabari Price (Pompano Beach) and cornerback Josh Robinson (Sunrise).
Walsh's game back home could be interesting. Walsh has missed five of his last six field-goal attempts, including having one blocked and coming up short on a desperation 68-yard attempt. Walsh says the struggles haven't affected his confidence. Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer said the misses are likely more mental than mechanical.
Walsh will be outside where he's had some issues, but will be back in the warm weather of Miami. But maybe a return home gets Walsh headed in the right direction.
There's plenty of familiarity between the two teams.
Miami coach Joe Philbin was with Minnesota receiver Greg Jennings in Green Bay. Grimes got his NFL start under Zimmer in Atlanta. Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards had two stints as a linebackers coach for the Dolphins, hired away from Miami by Minnesota. Dolphins defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle coached under Zimmer in Cincinnati.
5. An extended look
With the news that rookie linebacker Anthony Barr will have knee surgery, Gerald Hodges will get an extended run to build on heading into the offseason. Hodges started three games for Chad Greenway earlier this season at one outside linebacker spot and Sunday will be his third start in place of Barr on the other side.
Hodges has some speed and is a physical player. He led Minnesota in tackles last week against Detroit, tying a career-high with nine tackles. Despite limited playing time, Hodges is eighth on the Vikings in tackles this season. He's had nine tackles in back-to-back games.
A fourth-round draft pick last year, Hodges could put himself into the teams plans as a starter heading into next season if he flashes, depending on the status of veteran Chad Greenway, who has one year remaining on his contract with an $8.8 million salary-cap hit.
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