New York Jets vs. Minnesota Vikings: Complete Week 14 Preview for Minnesota

The Minnesota Vikings will look to win their second straight game at home on Sunday, when they host the struggling New York Jets at TCF Bank Stadium.

Outdoor football late in the season in Minneapolis can be quite daunting, as the Carolina Panthers learned last Sunday, when the Vikings whipped them, 31-13. The temperature at kickoff was 13 degrees, with wind chills well below zero.

While neither the Vikings nor the Jets are still in the playoff hunt, the teams seem to be headed in opposite directions. The Vikings are quickly improving under first-year head coach Mike Zimmer, while the Jets have lost 10 of their last 11 games and are playing their final games under Rex Ryan, who will probably be fired at season's end.

The Jets fell to 2-10 after blowing a lead and losing, 16-13, to the Miami Dolphins on Monday night. Ryan, never one to shy away from how he's feeling, couldn't hide his embarrassment after New York's latest loss, according to Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

"

Yep, absolutely, 100 percent. I'm embarrassed for myself absolutely. It is, it's an embarrassment. It's definitely embarrassing to me. I feel like I've let my owner down. I've let our fan base down. So, yeah of course. There's no doubt.

"

There's not doubt the Jets are in free fall, but like Minnesota, they're not a team without talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

The Jets rank seventh in the NFL in total defense, while the Vikings come in at No. 10. Offense is a different matter, though, as New York ranks 29th, one spot ahead of Minnesota. The Jets are the only team in the league that hasn't passed for 2,000 yards.

Both teams are struggling mightily to put points on the board, and both are trying to figure out if their respective starting quarterbacks are the long-term answer. 

The Vikings' Teddy Bridgewater showed some nice signs of improvement against the Panthers, but Geno Smith continues to struggle for the Jets, throwing for just 65 yards in their loss to the Dolphins.

While it's far too soon to make any judgments on Bridgewater, many fans in New York are ready to turn the page on Smith, and one anonymous Jets veteran said that the team has "packed it in" for the season by going back to Smith at quarterback over veteran Michael Vick, according to Kristian Dyer of Metro.com:

"

We've packed it in, waived the white flag, whatever you want to call it. It wasn't a good sign, not at all. They gave [Geno] how many chances over the past year? He does badly, gets benched and starts the next week. Mike has one bad game in three starts and he's put down for the rest of the year. Doesn't make sense. You've got guys busting their [butts] this year, fighting for jobs, and you want to win. You want to win but it seems like they've got something about the future and only the future now. With Michael, you know what you're getting, he's done it all. Been in every situation. If he starts this season, I'm not saying we're perfect but we win a few more games. Maybe we're in the playoff mix, I dunno. But you bench him, well, the older guys I talk to weren't that happy. We're not anti-Geno, the kid does it right and tries, but we want to win. He needs to improve, ya know?

"

It would be surprising to no one if both Ryan and general manager John Idzik were fired at the end of the year. Smith's future at quarterback might very well be decided over the season's final four games.

Temperatures are expected to be much warmer this week, but highs are still only supposed to be in the low 30s with some snow flurries in the forecast.

It might not be the prettiest game played in the league on Sunday, but it should be competitive.

Vikings' Week 13 Recap

Adam Bettcher/Getty Images

The Vikings used two blocked punt returns for touchdowns to overwhelm the Carolina Panthers, 31-13, in frigid temperatures in Minneapolis last Sunday and improve to 5-7 in the process.

Minnesota had gone 493 games since returning a blocked punt for a touchdown, all the way back to 1986, but turned the trick twice in a 13-minute span in the first half against the Panthers.

Leading, 7-0, midway through the first quarter, Adam Thielen blocked a Brad Nortman punt and scooped it up himself and took it a franchise record 30 yards for a touchdown.

He didn't hold the record for very long.

Just over five minutes into the second quarter, Jasper Brinkley stormed through the Carolina offensive line and blocked another Nortman punt. This time it was Everson Griffen who picked it up and took it 43 yards to the house, giving Minnesota a 21-3 lead.

From there, the Vikings defense took over, with Griffen leading the way with a pair of sacks and second-year cornerback Xavier Rhodes co-starring with three passes defensed and no completions allowed in seven balls targeted his way, according to Pro Football Focus:

"

Xavier Rhodes, CB, +2.4

Breakdown: It wasn’t his work in the run game that got Rhodes his mark but an exceptional day in coverage. Targeted seven times, the young corner surrendered nothing, notching three pass defenses as he worked primarily (five targets, two PDs) against Kelvin Benjamin.

Signature Play: Q3, 9:26. Keying off on a five yard hitch on third and four, Rhodes beat Benjamin to the ball, nearly grabbing an interception but for Benjamin’s last-ditch effort to strip the ball loose.

"

On offense, Teddy Bridgewater had perhaps his most efficient game as a pro, completing 15 of 21 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns and a career-high passer rating of 120.7.

It was the Vikings' coldest home game in 38 years, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com, but the Vikings' big-play heroics were enough to warm the Minnesota fans who braved the chilly temperatures.

News and Notes

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Both Vikings and Jets Searching for a Quarterback

It doesn't take a deep analytical dive to come to the conclusion that the NFL is a quarterback-driven league. All the best teams have good, or even great quarterbacks. It's tough to win without one, and no two organizations know that any better than the Vikings and the Jets.

The Jets thought they'd found their answer at quarterback in 2009, when they selected 6'2", 225-pound Mark Sanchez out of USC with the fifth-overall pick. Many draft analysts thought the pick was a reach.

The Vikings thought they'd found their answer at quarterback in 2011, when they selected 6'2", 225-pound Christian Ponder out of Florida State with the 12th-overall pick. Many draft analysts thought the pick was a reach.

The Jets stayed with Sanchez at the helm for four years, made the playoffs twice, and then they decided he wasn't going to be the long-term answer for them at quarterback.

The Vikings stayed with Ponder at the helm for three years, made the playoffs once, and then decided he wasn't going to be the long-term answer for them at quarterback.

The Jets selected Geno Smith, a Miami native who put up huge numbers at West Virginia, with the 39th pick of the 2013 draft. The Vikings selected Teddy Bridgewater, a Miami native who put up huge numbers at Louisville, with the 32nd pick of the 2014 draft.

If you're a Vikings fan, you're probably mumbling some unprintable words at this point.  

But if we could borrow from that quarterback just east of the Twin Cities, we'd offer this up to Minnesota football fans: R-E-L-A-X. It's far too soon to make any judgments on Bridgewater, and he looks to be playing better each time out.

And just be thankful you're not a Jets fan. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com details New York's recent woeful history at quarterback and assumes that they'll have to completely hit the "reset" button after this season.

Here's a look at the numbers for Bridgwater and Smith, who rank 27th and 31st, respectively, in passing on the season:

	Games	Comp/Att	Comp %	Yds	TD	Int	Rtg
Bridgewater	9	173/283	61.1	1,827	8	7	79.0
Smith	10	148/258	57.4	1,524	7	11	65.8

While it's safe to say that the anxiety level in Minnesota over Bridgewater is at a minimum, you can probably imagine the level of vitriol being aimed at the Jets in the media circus that is New York.

Both stories will add another chapter this Sunday in Minneapolis.

Percy Harvin Returns to Minnesota

"The best all around player I ever seen or you'll ever see! Goes to Seattle! I feel like I just got kicked in the stomach. Several times!!!"

That's what Adrian Peterson tweeted out the day the Vikings traded Percy Harvin to the Seattle Seahawks in March 2013. Harvin has since been traded again to the New York Jets, though, Harvin's NFL road continues its rocky journey, and it will bring him to TCF Bank Stadium to face his old teammates for the second time in two years.

Harvin returned a kickoff 58 yards for the Seahawks near the end of the first half in Seattle's 41-20 victory over the Vikings. But since then, he's gone from the NFL's penthouse in Seattle to the lowly Jets and is trying to find ways to contribute to New York's woeful offense.

Harvin hasn't quite been the same explosive player he was with the Vikings since he left town, but that doesn't mean Minnesota won't be wary of him come Sunday afternoon.

Head coach Mike Zimmer is quite aware of the need to know where Harvin is at all times. 

"We’ll know where he is," Zimmer stated, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. "They might have three backs and two receivers in there and he might be lined up as the back. They might have three tight ends and two receivers and he’s the back. He could line up anywhere." 

The problem for Harvin has been that as dynamic of a player as he is on the field, he can be just as mercurial off it. Both Minnesota and Seattle decided they were better off without him than with him.

Former teammate Chad Greenway is getting ready for the challenge presented by Harvin.

"You better bring your big boy shoes," Greenway said, as detailed by Goessling. "He's as good as anybody getting off tackles and making people miss. We know the intensity he plays with. We know who he is. He can be an angry dude sometimes. Love him, though."

Still just 26 years old, one would think Harvin still has some great football in him, but his numbers aren't illustrating that, but much of that has to do with the Jets' messy quarterback situation.

Harvin's Career Statistics

Team/Year	G	Rec	Yds	TD	Rush Att	Yds
Min 2009	15	60	790	6	15	135
Min 2010	14	71	868	5	18	107
Min 2011	16	87	967	6	52	345
Min 2012	9	62	677	3	22	96
Sea 2013	1	1	17	0	0	0
Sea/NY 2014	10	41	315	0	28	188

The Jets are using Harvin as a kick returner as well, but he hasn't had the impact that he's used to.

You can bet the Vikings will see a heavy dose of Harvin on Sunday.

Jets Rushing Offense a Force

If you want to know just how sorry the New York passing game is, their total offense rank is 29th in the league, and that's with having a rushing attack that ranks second. The Jets are currently operating like an old-throwback team that eschews the forward pass.

New York ran the ball 49 times on Monday night, while attempting just 13 passes. It's hardly a new-fangled offense.

This might pose a threat to the Vikings, however, who rank just 24th in the league in rush defense. As improved as Minnesota's defense has been this year, they've been giving up too many yards on the ground, and that's where the Jets excel with their two-headed attack of Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson.

Those two have combined for over 1,100 of the Jets' 1,778 rushing yards on the season. 

Look for the Vikings to creep both Harrison Smith and Robert Blanton closer to the box than normal, and one would assume that middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley might get a higher snap count than usual.

Zimmer knows that the Jets probably see the Vikings as a team they can run the ball on.

"That will be a good test for us," he said, according to Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune. "We haven’t played the run as well as I would like to, and I’m sure that they see that as well. We’re not thumping them enough that when we hit them they go down."

With cold temperatures and two teams that down throw the ball particularly well, Sunday's game could be a good, old-fashioned slugfest that's won in the trenches. 

Injury Report

Tom Gannam/Associated Press

Player	Position	Injury Status
Jerick McKinnon	RB	Questionable
Anthony Barr	LB	Questionable
Rhett Ellison	TE	Probable
Jabari Price	CB	Questionable
Sharrif Floyd	DT	Probable
Chase Ford	TE	Probable
Kyle Rudolph	TE	Probable

All injury reports are courtesy of Mike Wobschall at Vikings.com

The Vikings would really like to have the services of both Floyd and Barr as the Jets bring their rugged running game to town.

Floyd is still dealing with a balky knee, and now Barr is doing the same.

McKinnon missed last week's game against Carolina and hasn't practiced this week as his lower back continues to bother him.

Price hasn't practiced this week as he's dealing with a tight hamstring.

The Vikings trio of tight ends are all on the injury report, but Rudolph has been a full participant in practice, and while Ford and Ellison were both limited in practice, they should be able to play on Sunday.

X-Factors and Matchups to Watch

Jim Mone/Associated Press

Xavier Rhodes vs. Eric Decker

We mentioned how well Rhodes played in the recap slide, and it bears mentioning again here, as he's currently playing the best football of his career, and he has become one of the stingiest corners in the league over the second half of the season.

Pro Football Focus named him to their "third quarter" of the season all-league team, and Ben Stockwell writes about how well the Vikings' second-year corner has been playing:

"

Cornerbacks: Darrelle Revis, NE (+11.2) and Xavier Rhodes, MIN (+7.5)

For the month these two have allowed a combined 11 catches on 40 targets for 140 yards and one touchdown with nine pass defenses and an interception. Revis graded +2.1 or above in coverage in his three games, each against prolific passing attacks. Rhodes meanwhile, surrendered a Passer Rating of just 15.1 for the month including shutting out the Panthers on seven targets with three pass defenses this Sunday.

Honorable Mention: Chris Harris Jr., DEN and Desmond Trufant, ATL

"

Rhodes shut down the rookie Benjamin last week, but the Jets' Eric Decker might provide a bit more of a challenge as a veteran who probably understands the nuances that go into getting open a little bit better than Benjamin.

The Jets, as we've noted, certainly aren't a pass-first team, so when they do put the ball in the air, they'll have to contend with Rhodes, who'd like to start adding to his interception total, after making his first career pick against the Bears three weeks ago.

Matt Kalil vs. Sheldon Richardson

Matt Kalil has had a pretty quiet week, which is fantastic news for a player who's become a lightening rod for criticism on Twin Cities' sports-talk radio.

While Kalil has not had a very good year, he's been playing better of late as he shakes off a lingering issue with his right knee and probably had his best game of the season against the Panthers.

He'll have his hands full this week with Richardson, the Jets' 6'3", 293-pound stud of a defensive end, who has a combination of size, strength and quickness that borders on being unfair. 

Kalil won't be the only one tasked with keeping Richardson at bay, as he's part of the Jet's 3-4 alignment and slides from gap to gap with regularity.

Richardson is fourth on the Jets with 50 tackles and his 3.5 sacks are third on the team. The 13th pick in the 2013 draft was the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year last year and is playing so well this year that a re-draft of the 2013 class would certainly see him go in the top five, and you could make an argument that he'd be the top choice.

The Vikings would love to say similar things about Kalil, but their third-year tackle, the fourth overall choice in 2012, has struggled since his rookie season. Kalil has had issues with his right knee the last couple of years, and the hope is that he can return to form now that his knee is healing up. The Vikings are still banking on Kalil being a cornerstone of the franchise at left tackle.

He can take a huge step toward justifying that belief with a good game against Richardson.

Harrison Smith vs. Percy Harvin

We mentioned Harvin in the news and notes slide, but it's just too good of a storyline not to put him in here as well. The Jets have been lining up Harvin all over the field and have utilized him out of slot, out wide and as a runner and receiver out of the backfield.

Who better to mark the do-it-all Harvin than the Vikings' defensive do-it-all performer in Smith.

Smith is third on the Vikings with 70 tackles, has two sacks, leads the team with four interceptions and is second to Rhodes with eight passes defensed. 

Very few players play the game as tenaciously and with everything they've got like Harvin. Smith is one of them.

Andy Benoit, who covers the NFL for Sports Illustrated and MMQB, sent out this tweet about Smith after deep-diving into the Vikings and Panthers game:

"

#Vikings Film: Harrison Smith active all-around game. Effective in box, played deep in coverage at times, key on many presnap disguises.

— Andy Benoit (@Andy_Benoit) December 4, 2014"

With the absence of Adrian Peterson, Smith might just be the best football player on the Vikings roster, and he has to be relishing the chance to put some licks on his former teammate.

Vikings' X-Factor of the Week: Charles Johnson

The "where did this guy come from?" season of Vikings wideout Charles Johnson keeps gathering steam. Johnson was plucked off the Cleveland Browns practice squad in September and has worked his way all the way to the starting lineup and has become the favorite target for Bridgewater.

Johnson has 17 catches for 240 yards and a touchdown for Minnesota, and after only being targeted four times against Carolina, look for him to be a bigger part of the game plan this week.

Still listed as third on the Vikings depth chart, offensive coordinator Norv Turner finally said out loud this week what's been apparent for awhile; that Johnson is a starter, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.

At 6'2", 215 pounds with great speed and good hands, Johnson has simply outplayed Cordarrelle Patterson of late and has taken over the starting job.

Look for Johnson to continue to impress the Minnesota coaches and have a big game against the Jets.

Prediction

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

While the Vikings have had their share of struggles during the 2014 season, at 5-7, they're still leaps and bounds ahead of where the New York Jets are.

Sitting at 2-10, the Jets have a point differential of minus-129, which is the third-worst in the league, ahead of only Jacksonville and Oakland.

New York is 0-5 on the road this year, and the conditions will be less than ideal Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis. Temperatures are expected to be in the low 30s with a chance of snow flurries.

Vikings vs. Jets is an intriguing matchup because it matches two very good defenses against struggling offenses. Both teams will probably try to control time of possession by establishing the run. Where the Jets have shown almost no ability to be effective passing, the Vikings are slowly coming around as Teddy Bridgewater improves with each start.

Though defensive tackles Shamar Stephen and Tom Johnson have both played well in reserve roles, the Vikings' cause would be helped tremendously if second-year man Sharrif Floyd is able to play a big role. Rookie linebacker Anthony Barr is also nursing a sore knee, and Minnesota would sorely miss his playmaking abilities if he's unable to go.

Look for the Vikings to try to fill the box on defense and force the Jets to have to go to the air to beat them. If they can do that, they'd certainly like their chances on the back end with Xavier Rhodes, Captain Munnerlyn and Josh Robinson all playing well.

Safeties Harrison Smith and Robert Blanton have both been very good against the run, and they'll need to continue that as the Jets will try to pound the ball down Minnesota's throat.

Minnesota's offense will do a little bit of everything before settling on what's working. Look for Bridgewater to continue to have success throwing to shorter routes and for him to take off and run when the opportunity arises.

On paper, this game looks like it will be a slugfest of two teams trying to run each other into the ground on a cold day. One thing Vikings fans learned last week against Carolina is to expect the unexpected. 

Don't look for two more touchdowns off of blocked punts, but look for another victory.

Vikings 24, Jets 16