As the Minnesota Vikings were getting ready to take on the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium, the mood was noticeably different from the Vikings’ season opener. In Minnesota’s first game, players were excited to showcase their skills against a young Cincinnati Bengals team that went 4-11-1 the previous year. The Vikings lost that game in overtime, and the sudden pressure for redemption was on full display in Glendale.
That was evident within the first minute of the game. Kirk Cousins threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to K.J. Osborn before much of the purple-bearing snowbirds could settle into their seats. However, it didn’t take the Cardinals long to respond. DeAndre Hopkins caught three passes for 46 yards and a TD in a single drive to tie the game. It was a shootout, and whoever got the ball last would likely win the game.
Minnesota got the final possession. But in typical Vikings fashion, Greg Joseph missed a game-winning field goal as time expired in the fourth quarter.
With a rematch between the two teams scheduled for Week 8, the Vikings have another shot at redemption. Last season, the Vikings played the Cardinals with a level of intensity akin to that of a divisional matchup. That feeling will only magnify now that former Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell is the Vikings’ head coach. O’Connell grew familiar with facing Arizona’s defensive unit twice a year during his two years with the Rams.
When asked about facing the Cardinals defense in 2020, he had nothing but praise for that unit:
“It starts with their [ARI] ability to get pressure on the quarterback. That back end is so dialed in to what they’re trying to do from an all-11 standpoint schematically. They can attack protections with their pressures, and then the back end fits in and plays things really well whether they’re playing with six guys in coverage and they’re bringing five, or they’re trying to play man variation.
They’ve got every variation in the man so we really gotta be ready for everything. It’s a tough challenge for us and it starts up front. The backers are good, to go along with that great front, and then like I said these guys inside out are really solid players. Byron Murphy is one of the better nickels in the league and then those safeties do a great job playing off one another to have an impact on the game. So it’s a huge challenge”
Arizona lost Chandler Jones and Jordan Hicks in free agency. Still, the Vikings’ offensive line will have their hands full against a front seven that includes J.J. Watt, Isaiah Simmons, and Zaven Collins. Additionally, the Cardinals have Byron Murphy, Budda Baker, and former Vikings first-round pick Jeff Gladney in the secondary. The Vikings cut Gladney after being indicted for domestic violence, but a court ruled him not guilty, and all charges against him were dropped in March 2022. Gladney may have extra motivation against the Vikings after they cut him.
But Arizona’s offense, led by Kyler Murray, is their true strength. Murray is one of the best dual-threat QBs in the league, and his ability to escape the pocket must be accounted for in the defense’s game plan. Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris went into detail about how his defense goes about limiting Murray’s effectiveness as a runner.
“Make Kyler a pocket passer, keep him on his spot and play within the defense. Don’t let him get outside or step up [in the pocket] and have a rush plan… You [also] have to have a tackling plan against Kyler Murray. He’s very fast, so you want to run to his outside half of his body and force him to cut inside and make him cut back to your buddies and you want to tackle that guy in bunches. It’s almost like a special teams play. And when you’re attacking that guy, and you stop and restart, and he starts faster than you, you’re not gonna be able to use your buddies.”
Even though Morris isn’t on the Vikings’ staff, most NFL defensive coordinators implement this strategy against Murray within their schemes. Additionally, the Cardinals have one of the best wide receiver groups in the league featuring DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore, and A.J. Green. Even with an improved secondary, it’s highly unlikely that the Vikings’ defense will be able to contain all those players. That kind of depth forces you to pick your poison.
The most crucial point comes when you look at the big picture. The Los Angeles Rams and the Green Bay Packers are favored to win their respective divisions. That leaves the Vikings and Cardinals competing for the same wild-card spots. Week 8 is likely to have serious playoff implications for both teams, and I expect this game to feel like a bout between division rivals, even more so than last season’s matchup.
