Minnesota Vikings: 3 Bold predictions in Week 13 vs. Jaguars
Minnesota Vikings bold predictions for a Week 13 showdown with the Jaguars.
Now right in the heart of the NFC playoff picture, the Minnesota Vikings look to continue their recent strong stretch in Week 13 when they welcome in an AFC opponent into Minnesota. The Vikings remain at home to round out a three-game span at home at US Bank Stadium when they play host to the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.
Minnesota sits just a game back of the final Wild Card spot in the NFC going into the new week, looking to build off of a roller-coaster win a week ago at home.
The Vikings come into the contest in Week 13 with a record of 5-6 overall and have won four of their last five games after beginning the year at 1-5. Minnesota most recently came back to beat the Carolina Panthers in the final minutes of the Week 12 contest between the two teams, coming away with a 28-27 victory to grab the fifth win of the 2020 campaign.
In that contest, the Vikings held a 10-7 lead going into halftime until the Panthers stormed back in the third quarter to take the lead and carry that advantage late into the fourth quarter. Minnesota went on to score 18 points in the final frame alone, including a 75-yard drive under two minutes remaining, to come from behind late and snag a one-point victory.
On the other side of the field on Sunday, the Vikings take on a Jaguars team that enters the new week with a record of 1-10 overall while having lost 10 straight games.
Jacksonville most recently fell at home to the Cleveland Browns, dropping the Week 12 matchup 27-25. In that game, the Browns jumped out to a 17-13 lead going into halftime and did enough to hold onto the victory over the final two quarters to come away with a narrow two-point victory.
Before Minnesota and Jacksonville battle it out in a cross-conference matchup on Sunday in Week 13, here are three bold predictions that will take place in the contest for the Vikings.
3. Minnesota Vikings offense will thrive yet again
Over the course of the hot streak for Minnesota, which has resulted in four wins in the last five games, the Vikings offense has been rolling and has put the team in positions to win games on a weekly basis.
Paced by the dominant run game led by Dalvin Cook and company, Minnesota has been able to display a balanced attack to hurt defenses both on the ground and through the air as of late. In Week 13 against a rough Jacksonville defense, the Vikings will be able to do that once again.
Coming into the new week, Minnesota holds the eighth-ranked offense in the NFL, including the sixth-best run offense and the 16th-best passing offense. The Vikings have averaged 26.5 points per contest and have recorded an average of 251.6 passing yards and 145.7 rushing yards a game.
On the other side of the ball, Jacksonville holds one of the worst defense in the league to this point, coming into Week 13 with the 31st-ranked defensive unit among the 32 NFL teams. The Jaguars have given up an average of 420.4 yards per game, including 284.2 yards through the air and 136.2 yards on the ground.
In Week 13, Minnesota’s offense will return to form as we have seen over the last handful of weeks during this winning stretch. Especially if wide receiver Adam Thielen returns to the field, who missed Week 12 while being placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, this Vikings offense will give the Jaguars defense all it can handle.