Kansas City Chiefs don’t match up well against Minnesota Vikings
The Kansas City Chiefs take on the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium, and on paper, the Vikings most definitely have the edge.
Even if Patrick Mahomes was suiting up and taking the field on Sunday against the Vikings, I wouldn’t feel good about this match-up. That’s because the Vikings present a lot of different problems for a Kansas City Chiefs team that is desperate for a win after dropping three of their last four.
First, let’s tackle the Vikings defense. Here’s how Minnesota ranks in different categories defensively:
- Overall Defense – 5th
- Passing Defense – 8th
- Rushing Defense – 26th
Okay the numbers are a bit confusing because while 26 looks bad, that particular stat (per NFL.com) actually is good. They’re behind the Bucs, Saints, Ravens, Patriots, Texans, and Bears when it comes to rushing yards allowed. In other words, they’re considered the seventh best run defense in the league.
More from Kansas City Chiefs
- How to Bet on the Chiefs vs. Cardinals in NFL Preseason Week 2
- The 3 Most Intriguing Games on the Chiefs’ Schedule
- DraftKings + FanDuel Kansas Promos: INSTANT $150 Bonus Plus Two Chances to Win!
- Fan-Favorite Locks Up Chiefs Roster Spot With Stellar Preseason Performance
- DraftKings NFL Kansas Promo: Bet $5 on Chiefs vs. Saints, Win $150 Bonus!
The Chiefs are an offensive juggernaut and we saw that even without Mahomes, they’re able to score points. The worry here, however, is how good the Vikings are at stopping just about anything. They’re good at getting after the quarterback, ranking eighth in the league in sacks. That would be a brutal game to bring Mahomes back for and an even more brutal game to put Matt Moore in.
Andy Reid dialed up nice plays for Moore, so let’s hope he can trick the Vikings pretty stout defense this weekend.
Now, let’s get to the Vikings offense, who scare the crap out of me. Here are their rankings on the offensive side of the ball:
- Overall Offense – 3rd
- Passing Offense – 16th
- Rushing Offense – 3rd
Yes, Kirk Cousins is their quarterback and that’s why their passing numbers are hovering right around the average mark of the league. Cousins isn’t exactly frightening, but it wasn’t long ago when this guy was the most coveted quarterback on the free agent market. He had a slow start to 2019 (I think he completed eight passes in their week one win), but he’s been on fire over the past month.
Cousins has two electric receivers in Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs and that’s going to be a challenge for the Chiefs secondary to limit just one of those guys, let alone both of them. Charvarius Ward has been playing lights out recently, keeping some of the best names in football in check, but he can’t guard both of these guys.
Cousins on his own doesn’t scare me, but Thielen and Diggs do. Also, the Vikings run game terrifies me to my very core.
The reason the Vikings were able to win in week one with Cousins only completing eight passes was because Minnesota just ran the ball down the opponents’ throat, and what do you know? It worked!
With how poorly the Chiefs run defense has been for the last half decade, Dalvin Cook is more than capable of going for 150+ yards on Sunday. Throw in rookie Alexander Mattison, and that Vikings rushing attack could definitely amass 200 yards.
Next. Most Disappointing Chiefs at Halfway Point in 2019. dark
Like I said before, even if Patrick Mahomes was suiting up in this one, I wouldn’t feel great about the Kansas City Chiefs’ chances in week nine against the Minnesota Vikings. Sometimes a team just doesn’t match-up well with another team and this is a prime example of that.
Feel free to prove me wrong, Chiefs. I’d sure love that.