We’re a quarter of the way through the season and the Vikings are somehow 0-4. Having allowed two late game comebacks to the Bucs and Lions, they were unable to conjure their own come-from-behind victory against the Chiefs on the road Sunday. There’s reason for optimism however as Minnesota remains a talented team and has a point differential of just -19.
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The Cardinals, meanwhile, are coming off a tough loss to the Giants. Up ten with just three and a half minutes to go, they somehow snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Still, a 1-3 record doesn’t eliminate them in the lowly NFC West which still seems wide open.
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1) A Battle of Ineptitude
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This game features two of the worst offensive lines in the game. As expected, the Vikings replacement of Bryant McKinnie with Charlie Johnson has gone horrendously. The former Colt has already given up two sacks, three hits and eight pressures. He’s not the only weak line on the line however as RT Phil Loadholt and RG Anthony Herrera have perhaps been worse. Both players have really struggled in pass protection, the former has a ranking of 56th out of 59 qualifiers in our pass blocking efficiency rankings (89.1). Herrera has been just as bad, ranking 55th out of 60 guards (93.8). Rounding out the line Steve Hutchinson and John Sullivan have at least been playing respectably.
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On the other side you’ll struggle to find a more underwhelming pair of tackles than Levi Brown and Brandon Keith. As Khaled Elsayed recently questioned, are these two in a battle to be the worst offensive tackle in the league? If so, Keith leads the race, ranking worst in the NFL with a PBE of 88.1, while Brown is second last at 88.4. The two have allowed Kevin Kolb to be knocked down an alarming nine times (seven sacks). There is better news on the interior however where Daryn Colledge and Lyle Sendlein have played at an average level. The underrated Rex Hadnot (+9.3) has even put in some very good performances. None of the interior lineman have allowed a sack or hit through four weeks.
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2) Defensive M.O.
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If the Cardinals’ and Vikings’ defenses had an M.O., it would be rushing the passer. Jared Allen (+9.1) and Brian Robison (+9.5) have destroyed opposing tackles through four weeks. Their pass rushing productivity of 16.75 and 18 respectively make them one of the fiercest duos in the league. With these two coming off the edge the contribution of Kevin Williams will surely be crucial. While he’s yet to get up to speed attacking the QB coming off his suspension (two hits, three pressures) he’s been one of the best in that department over the past few years.
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Not to be outdone, DEs Darnell Dockett (+9.9) and Calais Campbell (+4.5) have also been on fire. With the added difficulty of lining up inside the offensive tackle Dockett has mustered a PRP of 11.5 slightly better than Campbell’s nine. Probably the biggest surprise in the desert this year has been the play of outside linebacker Clark Haggans (+6.3 rushing the passer). He can help force Donovan McNabb into the arms of a waiting Dockett and Campbell.
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3) Performing Under Pressure
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With both defenses almost certain to get to the QB early and often, whichever former Eagle copes with it best is likely to lead his team to a win. Although neither signal caller ranks highly in our QB rankings, both have done better than expected when feeling the heat. Despite being under pressure on 45.3% of plays, Mcnabb has been sacked on just 15.5% of them. He has also completed 23 of 44 passes for 234 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
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Kevin Kolb, on the other hand, has been even more impressive. He’s completed 20 of 44 passes (nine throwaways), at an accuracy percentage of 62.9 (ninth in the league) for 354 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Considering the Vikings’ struggles with Calvin Johnson, expect Kolb to put some balls up off his back foot for Larry Fitzgerald.
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