The Minnesota Vikings enjoyed their Bye Week while the rest of the NFL dueled it out on the field in Week 6. They come into Week 7 recharged and ready to take on the Indianapolis Colts, who are dealing with some chaos of their own.
For the Vikings, though, they will be looking to set the tone early with their defense getting pressure on their former quarterback, Daniel Jones. On offense, all eyes will be on Kyler Murray, who hopes to build off what was a strong Week 5. He will have some extra attention after former Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy looked strong in his debut with the Giants. The Vikings will be focused on themselves, though, and making an example of the Colts.
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In this preview piece, we will be discussing the keys on defense for Minnesota as they face an underwhelming Colts’ offense.
Create chaos in the backfield
This sounds silly when discussing a Brian Flores defense, but in Week 7 it will make or break this game. Daniel Jones needs to have a clean pocket to create and let his receivers get open; they need Jonathan Taylor to have time to read the defense; they cannot afford that time in Week 7. If Brian Flores comes out of the gate firing everything he has got, then this could be a fun game for his unit and the Vikings as a whole.
Contain Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor is one of the bright spots of the entire Colts roster, not just the offense. He is sixth in the NFL in rushing yards this year with 492 yards and has found the endzone seven times in six games. The Colts will lean on him to control time of possession and to lead this offense, and it will be on the Vikings to contain him. If they can’t, then this could be a long day for the Vikings’ defense, as they haven’t had one this season.
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Force turnovers
The Vikings know Daniel Jones from their one season together, and there is a lot of film on him. He cannot find success when a defense is creating chaos for him. Brian Flores and the Vikings can force a lot of turnovers by not allowing him time to process things. Whether it is from being reckless with the ball or making errant passes, he is turnover-prone. The Vikings need to capitalize on that in Week 7, and if they do, they can improve to 6-0.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Keys for the Vikings’ defense in Week 7 against the Colts
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