Vikings vs Redskins: Preview & Predictions for Thursday Night

It's not the most glamorous matchup in Thursday Night Football history, but the 3-5 Washington Redskins are still very much alive in the NFC East, and many members of the 1-7 Minnesota Vikings are playing and coaching for their jobs at this point.

Washington's Robert Griffin III has experienced quite the roller-coaster sophomore season, and his team has alternated wins and losses over the past five outings. 

For the Vikings, poor play at the quarterback position has hindered everything, but the defense has taken a drastic step back after an encouraging 2012 campaign. 

What will ultimately decide this intraconference matchup? 

Let's take a look.

Vikings' Major Storyline No. 1: Can Christian Ponder Play Consistently Sound Football?

Three different signal-callers have started for Minnesota this season, and none has been able to create any semblance of stability or consistency at the game's most vital position. 

After a respectable 25-of-37, 236-yard performance with two total touchdowns and one interception against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9, Christian Ponder will start tonight for the Vikings.

Heading into this matchup, the Redskins defense is 26th in yards allowed per drive, 29th in points allowed per drive and 30th in touchdowns allowed per drive, according to Football Outsiders.  

Basically, Ponder has a prime opportunity to build on his effort against the Cowboys and inspire confidence for his play within Minnesota's coaching staff. 

Adrian Peterson remains the unquestioned focal point of this team, but if Ponder can't play steady football, the Vikings will continue to lose games. 

Vikings' Major Storyline No. 2: How Will Minnesota's Defense Stop Robert Griffin III and Co.?

The Redskins have won two of their last three games, during which RG3 has completed 61.5 percent of his passes with a solid 7.9 yards-per-attempt average. 

He's tossed three touchdowns to four interceptions, but for the most part, he's shown signs of improvement as a passer. 

On the ground, Alfred Morris has carried the ball 61 times for 309 yards over that same stretch, good for a 5.1 yards-per-carry average. 

After a somewhat slow start to his second season in the NFL, Morris has picked up right where he left off from last year's 1,613-yard rookie season.

Despite its general defensive woes, Minnesota's allowing only 3.8 yards per carry in 2013, so something has to give tonight. 

If the Vikings can slow down Morris and the rest of Washington's vaunted rushing attack, Leslie Frazier's team should be in the game late. 

Vikings' Most Important Matchup: Secondary vs. Robert Griffin III

Mike Shanahan-coached teams almost always run the ball well. Still, if Minnesota can limit Washington's ground attack, the Vikings will hang around in this game. 

But the biggest factor in determining a Minnesota win will be the Vikings' ability to stop Griffin III through the air. Minnesota surrenders 291 passing yards per game and a 67.2 completion percentage to opposing signal-callers. 

While Peterson will likely be able to match any production Morris has running the football, Washington has a distinct advantage at the quarterback spot. 

Redskins' Major Storyline No. 1: Which RG3 Will Washington Get?

As a rookie, Griffin III was a tremendous game-managing quarterback who flashed the ability to take over when need be. 

Coming off reconstructive knee surgery, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year has been through vast ups and downs in 2013. During the past month, he's been "better" overall, but the Redskins would love to see more consistency from RG3 both as a passer and when he tucks it away and runs.

Griffin III was good enough in an overtime win over the San Diego Chargers in Week 9—he completed 23 of 32 passes for 291 yards with an interception. 

The rust appears to be gone. Now will the foundation of the Redskins franchise take the next step?

Redskins' Major Storyline No. 2: Can Washington's Defense Outplay Minnesota's Defense?

Neither the Redskins nor the Vikings boast a stingy defense. Here's a side-by-side comparison of how they rank on a per-drive basis:

	Yards Per Drive	Points Per Drive	TDs Per Drive	TOs Per Drive
Vikings	36.09 (31)	2.60 (31)	.303 (31)	.135 (16)
Redskins	33.52 (26)	2.30 (29)	.287 (30)	.149 (13)

Washington has been slightly better across the board, but it's safe to say that neither team can rely on its defense to win games.

Facing Peterson will be a formidable test for a Washington defense that's allowed 4.4 yards per carry this season. But if the Redskins can be just a little better on that side of the ball than the Vikings defense, they should be able to sneak out of Minnesota with a win. 

Redskins' Most Important Matchup: Secondary vs. Christian Ponder

Based on his torrid 140-yard rushing effort against Dallas, Peterson appears to be returning to his dominant self after a stretch of, for him, subpar performances. But as the Cowboy game confirmed, the Vikings are still capable of losing even when the NFL's best back lights up the stat sheet and makes all his fantasy owners happy. 

Thus, for Minnesota to topple the Redskins, the play of Ponder play will be vital. 

If he doesn't miss open targets and takes care of the football, Minnesota has enough overall talent to win this game. If he misreads Washington's coverages and throws a few interceptions, it'll be hard for the Redskins to lose. 

Jim Haslett's defense must feast on the weakest link of the Vikings offense. 

 

Bottom Line

	QB	RB	WR	TE	OL	DL	LB	DB	ST	Coach
Vikings		X				X	X	X	X
Redskins	X		X	X	X					X

This is very evenly matched game between teams with glaring holes on offense and defense. But both are fortunate to have superstars as well.

While Peterson and Morris will likely continue their efficient ways on the ground, Griffin III is simply more trustworthy at the QB position than Ponder. 

Going with the team that has the better quarterback is the ultimate tiebreaker in a game like this.

Prediction: Redskins 30, Vikings 20