5 keys to victory: Minnesota Vikings vs Arizona Cardinals

What are the 5 most important things the Minnesota Vikings need to do in order to defeat the Arizona Cardinals during week 11 of the 2016 NFL season?

The 2016 NFL season has been frustrating to fans of the Minnesota Vikings to say the least. After opening the season 5-0 and being the only undefeated team in the league, the Vikings have lost 4 straight and have lost their hold on the division lead and are currently out of the playoff picture.

But that doesn’t mean the season is over. Thankfully, it is only week 11 and there is plenty of time for the Vikings to get back on the winning path and make a playoff run. A win on November 20, 2016 would do a lot for the struggling team’s confidence going forward.

For the Cardinals, they are in a similar situation. Sitting at 4-4-1, they are also currently on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. However, they have some great pieces on offense and defense to give them hope going forward.

This should be a great game which is hotly contested this weekend. It means a lot for both Arizona and Minnesota to walk out with a win, so what are the 5 most important things for the Minnesota Vikings during this game? Let’s start with an obvious one…

Oct 9, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon (21) catches a pass against the Houston Texans in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

#1. Run the football well

Every week one of these ‘5 keys to success’ is one, there is one key that has remained the same throughout. And the fact that it stay in this list and doesn’t become a given or strength becomes more frustrating with each passing week.

The Vikings are in dangerous territory when it comes to running the football. They are having a historically bad season on the ground and there is no reason to believe that the team will be getting any better in this respect any time soon.

Minnesota is only averaging 2.7 yards per carry, with both Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon at 3 yards per carry. But those numbers don’t tell the whole story, as the team as a whole gets only 69.8 yards on the ground per game, which is quite pathetic by today’s NFL standards.

Arizona gives up the 8th fewest yards per carry. Thankfully, it isn’t all bad news, since the team has given up 9 rushing touchdowns this season. There is hope the Vikings will find the end zone on Sunday, but getting there could be difficult.

Nov 13, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson (31) dodges a tackle by San Francisco 49ers safety Antoine Bethea (41) en route to a touchdown in the first half at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

#2. Contain David Johnson

One of the best stories of the year is the great play of David Johnson. The Cardinals running back is having an excellent season, rushing for 760 yards and running in 9 touchdowns this year. That is the kind of production the Vikings could only dream of from their backfield right now.

But David Johnson is more than just a runner. He’s a huge threat to catch passes out of the backfield as well. So far, he has 40 receptions for 453 yards and has found the endzone that way as well.

A dual threat player like Johnson always presents a big challenge. The Vikings have struggled to deal with dynamic individual like this in the past, giving up big games to Theo Riddick and Jordan Howard this year as well as some decent games from other backs.

Disciplined defense and solid tackling will keep Johnson from having a massive day. And with head coach mike Zimmer talking about how he is ready to make this team get back to their winning ways, this will surely be stressed going forward.

Oct 9, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Tom Johnson (92) and defensive end Everson Griffen (97) and defensive end Danielle Hunter (99) force Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler (17) to the ground for a loss in the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings win 31-13. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

#3. Re-establish the pass rush

There was a time when it looked like the Vikings defense was going to be one of the most feared units in the league. While they are still a very solid unit, there are some areas which dropped off more than others.

A unit that once made the life of Cam Newton miserable and brought down Aaron Rodgers 5 times earlier this season has cooled off in a big way. In fact, the Vikings only have 2 sacks in the last two games, showing some adjustments need to be made.

There are still plenty of talented players on the Vikings roster to get to the quarterback. Everson Griffen, Danielle Hunter, Brian Robison, and the rest of the defensive line will need to get pressure on Carson Palmer, even if they don’t bring him down multiple times.

And this could be a good opportunity to back on track. The Cardinals offensive line has been struggling. They give up the 4th most sacks in the NFL, letting their passer get brought down an average of three times per game.

Nov 13, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) signals during the first half against the San Francisco 49ers at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

#4. Slow down the Arizona offense

A Minnesota Vikings defense that opened the season looking like a dominating force has come back down to earth over recent weeks. The sacks and turnovers haven’t been happening at the same kind of rate as before, and getting back to that form of play would be huge for the team.

However, it won’t be easy to do against the Cardinals. As far as their offense goes, they are #7 in total yards of offense coming into week 11, averaging 382 yards per game. With over 100 of those yards typically coming from the ground, it’s a healthy mix of run and pass.

Even if the Vikings do manage to get Arizona with their back against the wall, there is no guarantee that the Cardinals will struggle. They are #9 in 3rd down percentage at 43% and move the chains well to own the time of possession with 32:59 minutes per game. While some of that is from overtime contests, it still shows they can hold on to the ball for extended drives.

This might be the biggest challenge for the Vikings after struggling to stop much less dynamic offenses in previous weeks.

Sep 18, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter (99) sacks Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) and forces a fumble in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

#5. Get after the football

The easiest way to win a football game is to take the football away from your opponent. Minnesota is sitting at a +12 turnover differential, so it’s clear this is something the team does pretty well.