Minnesota Vikings: 5 Things to Watch for Following Week 5 Bye

The Minnesota Vikings will exit their Week 5 bye with a 2-2 record and a visit from the sinking Kansas City Chiefs looming. 

The early bye gave the Vikings a much-needed break after playing nine games—including five preseason contests—over the first two months of the season. But it also means Minnesota will play 12 straight games to end 2015, including a brutal stretch spanning November and December. 

In the following slides, we'll break down the five biggest things to watch for the Vikings coming out of the bye. 

Looking at the Schedule

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Nothing comes easy in the NFL, but the Vikings can look at their next three games and feel good about the team's opportunity to be 5-2. And considering what is in store after, Minnesota might need all three wins. 

The Vikings come out of the bye with a visit from the 1-4 Kansas City Chiefs, who just lost running back Jamaal Charles for the season with a torn ACL. Two road trips inside the division follow, but the Detroit Lions are currently 0-5, and the Chicago Bears sit at an uninspiring 2-3. 

Things get tricky in November and December. Minnesota will face a four-game stretch featuring matchups against the Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks—three division leaders and the reigning NFC champion. The Vikings then finish with the NFC East-leading New York Giants and a trip to Lambeau Field to play the Packers. 

Getting to the postseason will likely require 10 wins. The Vikings, then, need eight victories over their next 12 games. Minnesota can't afford any slip-ups against teams it should beat. 

Starting Eric Kendricks

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The Vikings have been more or less starting Eric Kendricks, using the rookie linebacker as the defense's primary option in the nickel for the better part of the last three games. Now, with Gerald Hodges traded away to the San Francisco 49ers, Kendricks is the starter at middle linebacker. 

Minnesota's second-round pick doesn't care where he lines up just as long as he's playing. 

“It doesn’t really matter to me. I’m just comfortable being on the field,” Kendricks said, via Tim Yotter of Viking Update. “I like being in the middle because I like going side to side. I think that it fits me well.”

The Vikings are entrusting Kendricks with a lot of responsibility after just four career games. Head coach Mike Zimmer clearly feels comfortable with the rookie, and Kendricks has played well early on, especially when blitzing with former college teammate Anthony Barr. He figures to be a full-time player over the final 12 games for the Vikings' emerging defense.

Protecting Teddy from Pressure

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The Vikings appear to have the defense and running game of a playoff team. The only deal-breaking question mark is in the passing game, where quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has been up-and-down thanks mostly to a continuously leaky offensive line. 

If Minnesota blocks better over the final 12 games, there isn't a team on the remaining schedule the Vikings can't beat. 

According to Pro Football Focus, Bridgewater is completing over 75 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and no turnovers when operating from a clean pocket this season. He can still make plays under pressure—see the second half in Denver—but playing consistent offense is difficult when the quarterback is being disrupted on every third dropback. 

The Vikings had a week to diagnose and solve some of the issues plaguing the pass protection. If the answers hold up, expect Bridgewater to start putting up the numbers most expected from him in 2015. 

Production at Receiver

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The final 12 games should answer many questions about the Vikings receivers. 

Will Mike Wallace finally provide a deep threat? Can rookie Stefon Diggs emerge as a legitimate No. 2 option? Will Charles Johnson make good on his preseason hype? Is Cordarrelle Patterson capable of being anything more than a gadget player?

Of Wallace's 20 catches through four games, only one gained more than 20 yards. Minnesota's pass protection simply hasn't allowed an opportunity to throw down the field. 

Diggs looked like a potential star in Denver, catching six passes for 87 yards—including three over 20—against a good Broncos secondary. The rookie appears to have serious staying power. 

Johnson is more difficult to figure out. He's still hurt, but even when healthy this season, Johnson hasn't produced. He has just six catches for 46 yards and zero touchdowns despite looking like Teddy Bridgewater's go-to target this summer. 

Patterson might be a lost cause. The Vikings proved in Denver that offensive coordinator Norv Turner trusts his fifth-round rookie (Diggs) over Patterson, a former first-round pick. He may never be anything more than a kickoff returner and gadget offensive player. 

We haven't even mentioned Jarius Wright or Adam Thielen. The Minnesota receivers provide plenty of intrigue for the rest of 2015. 

Getting over the Hump

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The Vikings want to be seen as legitimate contenders. In the NFL, you have to earn the status. 

"We need to make a move, we need to, as coach (Zimmer) said, 'get over the hump,'" offensive coordinator Norv Turner said, via the team's official site. "We need to continue to play at a high level at home, and then the next time we go on the road, we need to handle it better and play good enough to win."

Nearly upsetting the undefeated Broncos in Denver was a start. It's time to take the next step. 

The Vikings can put the league on notice by winning their next five games, a stretch that doesn't feature an opponent with a record over .500. Minnesota would suddenly be 7-2 before a visit from the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 22. It's an opportunity the Vikings can't pass up. 

Going from good to great—or getting over the hump—is always difficult. Winning is the only way, and the Vikings have a chance to do plenty of it over the next month or so.