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KEYS TO VICTORY
1. Force mistakes » A coaching switch is nice, but what also must change is quarterback Brett Favre’s decision-making. He’s banged up and again forcing passes to try and make plays. It’s why he’s thrown 17 interceptions. The offensive line has not protected him as well, with both tackles susceptible to good edge rushers — one reason the deep game hasn’t clicked. And one way to kill momentum gained by a new coach is to cause early mistakes.
2. Handle the middle » Handle the middle » Minnesota’s defense is still a good one, even if, aside from CB Antoine Winfield, its secondary is weak. The defensive tackles, Pat and Kevin Williams, aren’t as dominant but they’re still solid and middle linebacker E.J. Henderson is good. The Redskins have not been strong in the interior, so this could be a difficult matchup. The Redskins need to have moderate success on first and second down or a struggling pass rush could feast.
3. Surround Adrian Peterson » Though Minnesota is having a bad season, Peterson is not. The running back already has rushed for 980 yards and seven touchdowns. Teams can stop him for one or two yards on a handful of runs and then he’ll pop one. The key is making sure a defensive back in particular is not attempting a one-on-one tackle — he’s a powerful runner who excels at one-cut runs.
KEY MATCHUPS
| Redskins | Vikings | |
|
LT Trent Williams » Continues to have an up and down rookie season, at times solid and at times still growing. |
vs. | DE Jared Allen » Coming off a two-sack game. He’s relentless, but hasn’t had the same success as in 2009. |
| CB DeAngelo Hall » If fellow CB Carlos Rogers can’t play, Hall will need to have another big game. | vs. | WR Sidney Rice » Favre’s favorite ’09 target was rusty in his first game back last week. He might have to miss Sunday. |
| RT Jammal Brown » He fared better last week, but don’t be surprised if he gets a lot of tight end help. | vs. | DE Ray Edwards » He has four sacks in his last three games, but only had 1½ in the first seven. |
STATE OF THE TEAMS
VIKINGS » Minnesota, considered Super Bowl contenders, now has an interim coach. Will that make a difference? That could help eliminate the tension that existed with ex-coach Brad Childress. However, Brett Favre’s interceptions might be tougher to cure.
REDSKINS » Washington showed a ton of pride in gutting out a win vs. Tennessee, but the injury list could be an issue. At some point, the loss of key players will impact their performance, making a playoff push difficult.
EXAMINER PREDICTS …
This is the hardest game to pick all season: a banged-up team vs. one with a new coach. The Vikings still have talent. They’ll show it Sunday.
Vikings 24, Redskins 20
