Panthers vs. Vikings: What Are Experts Saying About Minnesota?

The Minnesota Vikings (4-7) will compete for their fifth victory of the season for the third consecutive weekend when they host the Carolina Panthers (3-7-1) at TCF Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Minnesota and Carolina have had similar issues hamper their performances this season, which makes their near-identical records understandable. From losing a key player to the commissioner's exempt list to relying heavily on rookie production, the Vikings and Panthers can truly empathize with one another.

However, this feeling of empathy will not stop head coaches Mike Zimmer and Ron Rivera from doing whatever it takes to claim a victory this weekend.

While the Vikings may be out of the NFC North race, the Panthers are still in contention for the NFC South division title. Due to inconsistency and flawed teams from top to bottom, Carolina is less than a game out of first place in their division, and a victory over Minnesota could see the team vault into first place.

The Vikings have been cast the role of spoiler this weekend and seemingly have every intention of producing an Academy Award-winning performance.

Let's see what the experts had to say about the Vikings' chances this week.

Tedy Bruschi, Herm Edwards: Vikings Will Defeat Panthers

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Every week, ESPN's NFL Live produces a segment predicting the winner of Minnesota's matchup, and Minnesota is predicted to lose seemingly every week. After consistently being picked against by Mark Schlereth, Jerome Bettis, Darren Woodson and others in previous weeks, the Vikings have been forecasted to win this weekend by a different pair of NFL Live analysts.

Former New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi and former New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards were the duo in charge of predicting the outcome of this Sunday's matchup between the Vikings and Panthers. Following a short introduction from host Trey Wingo, Bruschi offered a brief explanation for his prediction:

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Well the one thing Minnesota can do [I think] is they have some players who get after the passer well. [And] with Newton being hobbled the way he is, I think that is going to be the deciding factor. You know Everson Griffen is a player who has been productive getting after the passer. So, I think a strip-sack and those plays getting after the quarterback by players [such as Griffen] is enough for Minnesota to win.

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Bruschi, being a defensive specialist himself, naturally based his prediction and subsequent reasoning on defense. Focusing specifically on the Vikings' formidable defensive line, Bruschi asserted that Cam Newton and the Panthers offense will struggle to contain Minnesota's pass rush.

Given their recent issues protecting Newton and the expectation they will start three rookies along their offensive line this weekend, it is hard to refute Bruschi's claim. Newton has not looked like himself, likely due to injury, and Carolina's offensive line, outside of Ryan Kalil, has not helped the situation by any means.

While there are plenty of other in-game battles for the Panthers to gain an edge, simplifying the game to this specific in-game matchup seems pretty fair. If Newton is continuously bothered by Griffen, Anthony Barr and the rest of the Vikings defense, Carolina will face similar issues to the one's they faced against the Philadelphia Eagles. That game finished with a score of 45-21 in favor of the Eagles.

Edwards commented:

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If this was last year, there would be no doubt it would be Carolina. The way they played defense, your guy Luke Kuechly (pointing to Bruschi) is still having an outstanding year, but this defense is nowhere near the one they had last year. Minnesota, by the way, has a pretty good defense, and Teddy Bridgewater is really smart with the ball; he doesn't turn it over. They do enough to win this tough football game, the Vikings.

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Edwards followed Bruschi with the same prediction of a Vikings victory, but he took a different stance. He recognized that Carolina would have been the favorite last season because of their defense, but went on to say there is no comparison between the 2013 Panthers defense and the 2014 Panthers defense.

While he does view Carolina linebacker Luke Kuechly as a dangerous defensive weapon, Edwards forecast that he isn't enough to overcome an improving Vikings offense, pinpointing Bridgewater's decision-making and intelligence as enough to overcome the Panthers' flawed defense.

Similar to Bruschi, Edwards focuses on one specific element the Vikings should have an edge in. Although the Vikings offense has undeniably struggled this season, it is hard not to believe it has an advantage over a porous Panthers defense.

Once again, I agree with Edwards' explanation and his prediction.

My Score Prediction: Vikings 24, Panthers 13

The combination of Bruschi and Edwards' explanations highlights two significant advantages the Vikings hold over the Panthers. Minnesota will again rely heavily on their defense this weekend, but their offense should be able to find holes in Carolina's defense.

Additionally, the Vikings offense put together a strong performance in a losing effort against the Green Bay Packers last weekend. Look for them to build on that effort this coming weekend.

Master Tesfatsion: Mike Harris Relishes Starting Opportunity

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

The Vikings offensive line received another blow last weekend when right tackle Phil Loadholt sustained an injury that will keep him sidelined for the remainder of the 2014 season. As a result, Mike Harris, who replaced him during the game last weekend, will receive the start at right tackle this weekend.

Master Tesfatsion discussed Harris' thoughts on receiving the starting nod in a recent article published by the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

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'I just know anything can happen,' Harris said. 'This week I was thrown in, the 13th week of the season, and I’m getting my first start [this season]. ... I’m excited; I know how fun it is. I know what I [have] got to do on Sunday and that’s kick butt. I can’t wait.'

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Professional sports are interesting businesses, and the NFL is a cutthroat industry. Every player is expected to be ready to play at all times, regardless of their role. Additionally, opportunities arise randomly and rarely, and making the most of them is key to sustaining a long and successful career.

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Harris will at least start against the Panthers. From there, it’ll likely depend on his performance whether Harris will get trumped by newly acquired tackle J’Marcus Webb or rookie offensive lineman Austin Wentworth. Once [Brandon] Fusco was placed on injured reserve, Vladimir Ducasse started four games, then was replaced by Joe Berger over the past four games.

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As noted by Tesfatsion, Harris will have an opportunity, but it very well could prove to be short lived if he struggles against the Panthers and, specifically, outstanding defensive end Charles Johnson.

However, it appears Harris is approaching this both exciting and difficult situation with a level head. He knows the circumstances he will be playing under this weekend and understands how jobs are won and lost in the NFL.

If nothing else, Harris has the support of his teammates this weekend. Specifically, the injured Fusco had some kind words to say about the Vikings offensive tackle:

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'This is his opportunity to shine and show teams, not just even the Vikings, but show other teams what he can do,' Fusco said. 'I’m sure he’ll do great, and he’s going to go out there, work as hard as he can and be a great right tackle.'

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Ideally, the Vikings would like to have Fusco, Loadholt and all their offensive linemen healthy every week, but this isn't the reality Minnesota faces. Mike Zimmer has preached his belief in the "next man up" philosophy throughout Minnesota's injury-ruled season, and Harris' opportunity exemplifies this belief.

While the Vikings will be asking a lot of Harris this weekend, given that he has not made a start this season and is now expected to contain Johnson, but opportunities are rare in the NFL and Harris knows this.

Hopefully Harris plays well this weekend and earns himself a contract and a role with either Minnesota or another team that believes in him.

Mike Wobschall: Anthony Barr vs. Cam Newton

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

Every NFL contest features a number of in-game matchups, with some being more important than others based on a variety of factors.

According to Mike Wobschall's recently published article for Vikings.com, the matchup between rookie linebacker Anthony Barr and quarterback Cam Newton will be critical in deciding the winner of the Vikings-Panthers game.

The main declaration that Wobschall makes in his article is that both Newton and Barr are weapons for their respective teams. Newton, who he believes impacts games with his power and speed, is the first player Wobschall analyzes in his article. The following is a small snippet from this analysis:

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In his rookie season, Newton accounted for 35 touchdowns (21 passing, 14 rushing) and has since remained a dual threat at the quarterback position. He has dealt with injuries this season and that has hampered him a bit, but he has still accounted for 14 touchdowns (12 passing, two rushing). Carolina had a bye last week, so Newton will be fresh and ready to take the field today against the Vikings.

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Newton is a dynamic weapon for the Panthers, something Wobschall makes explicitly clear. However, he fails to mention how Carolina's offensive-line problems have affected Newton this season.

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Carolina's offensive line has allowed Newton to be sacked 25 times this season and conceded 143 pressures in 446 total plays. Simply put, if the Panthers offensive line doesn't block for Newton, his skills and dynamic playmaking ability are wasted.

The combination of Newton's injuries and poor play from his offensive line has put Carolina's offense in a difficult position. Newton's escapability has been limited by his injuries, which makes it all the more important for his offensive line to block efficiently. This hasn't happened, especially recently, and it shouldn't be much improved this weekend.

As a result, Barr, whose strength and versatility are highlighted by Wobschall, should have an advantage in this matchup.

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Barr’s athletic ability and his perfect fit in Zimmer’s defense are yielding impressive numbers for any player in the league, let alone a rookie. If Barr continues at this pace over the final five games of the regular season, he will be a leading candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

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Barr has been great for the Vikings this season. Despite being titled as a bust candidate after the Vikings selected him early in the 2014 draft, Barr has been exceptional and single-handedly moved the Vikings past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in overtime with a forced fumble, fumble recovery and touchdown.

Expect Barr to play an important role this weekend and for him to be the victor of his in-game matchup with Newton.

Brian Hall: Ryan Kalil Can Empathize with Struggling Brother Matt Kalil

USA TODAY Sports

Simply put, Matt Kalil has struggled mightily and consistently to protect quarterbacks Matt Cassel, Teddy Bridgewater and Christian Ponder this season. Vikings fans know it, he knows it and his brother Ryan Kalil knows it.

According to a recent article by Brian Hall of Fox Sports North, the older Kalil can empathize with the struggles of his younger brother.

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'He's been really frustrated,' Ryan said on a conference call with Minnesota reporters on Wednesday. 'The thing that hurts [him] is just everybody telling him he's letting the team down, and that's not what he wants to hear. I don't think he's the problem with Minnesota not having a better record. I don't. ... I think he's strong, though. I don't think he's gone in the tank. I don't think anything like that. I think he'll be fine. I think it's just learning experience.'

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The older Kalil makes a number of good points here. There has been absolutely no report of Matt not trying to improve, and he always appears to play hard during games, but the results just have not been there.

Additionally, Ryan believes that Matt's struggles are only temporary—and Vikings fans can only hope this is the case. While Matt is not the only problem the Vikings have on offense, he is certainly part of the problem, and he must play better or he will lose his starting role.

Obviously, failing is difficult, especially when it is at the thing you consider yourself to be best at. With that said, however, the NFL and its fans aren't sympathetic to failure; it is a results-driven league.

Fortunately, the Vikings' left tackle will not be facing Greg Hardy this weekend, as he remains inactive due to an off-field issue. As a result, Kalil will go up against Wes Horton.

Horton is not nearly the threat Hardy would have been; he has totaled just two sacks in 11 games so far this season.

While the Kalil's will be on opposing sides this weekend, they are still brothers. Ryan believes Matt will fight through his recent struggles. Maybe this Sunday will mark the turnaround.

Hall concludes his article with another quote from the Panthers center: "Go easy on li'l bro, alright?" Ryan said. "He cares a lot about that place and about that team."

We're trying Ryan, we're trying.

Ben Goessling: Vikings Still Learning How to Help Teddy Bridgewater

USA TODAY Sports

While quarterback Teddy Bridgewater hasn't burst on to the scene with the same impact as Andrew Luck or Russell Wilson, he has been solid for the Vikings during his rookie season. However, there are still a number of areas in which he could improve and the Vikings are responsible for helping him.

In a recent article for ESPN.com, Ben Goessling discusses a few elements in the Bridgewater development process.

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Bridgewater has talked about his tendency to overthink things at times this season, and quarterbacks coach Scott Turner has said he'll see times where the rookie gets stuck on one part of his progression, rather than mentally checking off a receiver and moving on to his next option.

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Turner, the son of Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner, will be an instrumental member in the development process of Bridgewater. The fact that Turner has already noticed issues in Bridgewater's game and have a good exchange with the rookie quarterback is certainly a good sign.

It is not only a credit to Bridgewater for accepting criticism of his game and understanding where his issues come from, but it's also a credit to Turner for helping him in an effective manner.

As given away by the headline of this slide, determining how to help a player is not always easy. Turner and the rest of the Minnesota offensive coaches have the luxury of Bridgewater's acceptance of criticism, but helping him work past issues is still a project.

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It will take time before playing quarterback becomes more intuitive and less academic for Bridgewater, and the Vikings seem to be looking for ways to get him to mimic the way he plays at the end of games, when things seem to come more natural to him and Bridgewater doesn't get himself in trouble by overanalyzing what he sees from defenses.

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The best moments of Bridgewater's career thus far have came when he's been under pressure, while the majority of the worst have occurred in far less stressful situations. This in itself is extremely complex and difficult to explain. However, the route explained in the above quotation is interesting.

Basically, Bridgewater is being coached in reverse. Most young quarterbacks are asked to mimic their game in standard situations when playing at the end of games. For Bridgewater, however, he needs to play the way he does at the end of games in standard situations.

This situation is strange and likely difficult for the Vikings coaching staff to handle, but it appears they have the right approach. As Zimmer is quoted as saying in Goessling's article: "There [are] just so many different variables with the quarterback."

Communication is key in just about every industry, and football is no different. Hopefully Zimmer, Turner and the rest of the Vikings coaches can find the best way to develop Bridgewater into the player he, his teammates and the fans want him to become.