This upcoming Sunday marks the home opener for the Minnesota Vikings (0-1) against the Miami Dolphins (1-0). Both teams face a very difficult upcoming schedule, making this Week 2 game an early must win, especially for the Vikings.
Minnesota is coming off a surprisingly close, low scoring game against the New Orleans Saints, losing 14-9. Considering Brett Favre’s lack of practice and injuries to top receiver Sidney Rice along with their secondary, a 5-point loss on the road against the defending World Champions is almost as good as a win. Consistency and timing will be key for Minnesota.
Miami Dolphins at Minnesota Vikings Viewing Info
- Dolphins-Vikings Date: Sunday, September 19
- Dolphins-Vikings Kickoff Time: 1:00 pm
- Dolphins-Vikings TV Network: CBS
- Dolphins-Vikings Announcers: Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
- Dolphins-Vikings Odds: Vikings -5.5 / 39.5
Miami Dolphins at Minnesota Vikings Preview
Adrian Peterson had a very good first half in New Orleans before limited touches in the second part of the game left him with 87 yards on 19 carries. An established and successful running game is the most important thing for the Vikings offense on Sunday. Minnesota only ran one play-action pass play against the Saints, which resulted in a sack.
With a player like Peterson, the Vikings should be making their living off of play-action, much like Sidney Rice did last year. Another week between Favre and his receivers should help. Look for Greg Camarillo or Percy Harvin to have a breakout game. [Editor's note: Assuming the dinged up Harvin plays.] With an opened up passing game, Peterson should have his first 100 yard rushing game since Week 10 last year against the Lions.
The banged up secondary isn’t this week’s primary concern like it was last week against pass happy New Orleans. The defensive line failed to get consistent pressure on Drew Brees and ended the game with only one sack, not good for a team that led the league in team sacks in 2009. Pressure on Chad Henne will force Miami to run the ball, which is always good news for the Vikings.
The Dolphins beat the Buffalo Bills in a low scoring, 15-10 game last Sunday. It was a game where the defense set the tempo and the offense failed to follow. It’s one thing to hold a lowly offense like the Bills to 10 points, but the Vikings high-powered offense will be another thing. If Karlos Dansby can get an early sack for the second straight week, Brett Favre’s right arm might become an afterthought.
Chad Henne had solid game, throwing for 183 yards but failed to get into the end zone. A balanced running attack between Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown added 127 yards on the ground. This kind of balance will be necessary to move the ball against the Vikings, much like we saw the Saints do against them in the second half last week.
Miami Dolphins at Minnesota Vikings Prediction
With Minnesota playing Dallas, Green Bay, New England and the New York Jets in four of their next four games, their home opener against Miami is a must win. The Vikings need to go into their bye week with a 2-1 record, accumulating wins against both the Dolphins and the Lions.
I think Minnesota will be able to establish better timing and balance in their offense, and the defense will be able to put better pressure on Chad Henne than they did against Brees.
Vikings-Dolphins Pick: Minnesota wins their first game of the year, 27-20.
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