Viking-Buccaneers: Biggest Matchup

Although it is said every week, this upcoming game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could fall under the category of a “must-win.” If the Vikings fail to record a win on their trip to Florida, they would fall to 5-5 and make their path to the playoffs extremely difficult.

Should the Vikings win, however, the playoffs would seem within grasp. The Buccaneers are in the same position. They too are near the top of their respective division and any loss would severely hamper their efforts at post season play.

Both teams have various strengths and weaknesses, and it should provide an interesting game. Let’s take a look at the most critical matchups in this game; the one that the Vikings need to win in order to have any shot in this contest.

RB Adrian Peterson vs. MLB Barrett Ruud

The winner of this matchup will probably win the game. If Adrian Peterson can have a game like he did against the Packers last week the Vikings will have no trouble moving the ball up and down the field. On the opposite side of the spectrum, however, is the scenario where Ruud has another outstanding day as the quarterback of the Buccaneer defense. 

Ruud is an above-average middle linebacker. He has great speed and is in the prime of his career at 25 years old. One of his strongest and most respected abilities is pass coverage. He can read any quarterback’s eyes and combines a deadly mixture: youthful agility and veteran experience. Ruud takes excellent angles to the ball and can’t be fooled by elaborate blocking schemes.

A weak point for Ruud, though, is changing direction; which Peterson is excellent at. Ruud also has trouble shedding blockers. He gets away with that weakness, though, by simply taking routes and angles to the ball that don’t involve going through 300-pound men. Ruud also tends to go under blockers, which could be exploited to Minnesota’s benefit.

Peterson should have no trouble against this linebacker if the Viking’s offensive line performs just like they always do. The key to stopping Ruud is throwing bodies on him. That should give Peterson all the time in the world to choose his direction; (which could, as he proved last week, be away from his best blockers.)

The Buccaneers defensive line has a combined 29 years of experience. With an average age of 29, they are a veteran group of pass rushers to say the least. While I don’t claim to know as much about offensive or defensive linemen as my counterpart Manimal does, here is a basic synopsis of each:

Gaines Adams showcasing his incredible speed.

Gaines Adams is an average defensive end who still needs development in this league. He has some great speed that he is able to harness, but tends to rely too much on it and often gets trapped in tricky blocking schemes. If he can consistently get by Bryant McKinnie and Steve Hutchinson, Gus Frerotte may be very sore on Monday.

Jovan Haye is an undersized defensive tackle who fits perfectly in the Tampa 2 system. He has some good counter-moves, but can be held up by a simple double-team. 

Chris Hovan, as you should probably recall, spent the first half decade of his NFL career in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. He now plays left defensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is 30 years old and has obviously lost a few steps. Hovan isn’t the best tackle in the game, but has a huge heart and plays with everything he has.

Kevin Carter is the left defensive end. At 35 years old he is nearing the end of his long career. His experience allows him to know how to best shed blockers, which he does very well. He could slip by the Minnesota offensive line and have a few sacks on Sunday.

The bottom line is that with as great of a defensive line as Minnesota has, the Tampa Bay defensive line shouldn’t be all that hard to handle. The linebacking corps shouldn’t be all that tough to run on, providing that a body can consistently be put on Ruud.

Peterson should have another very solid day. He probably won’t have the same long runs he usually has but should get at least 150 all-purpose yards. His success will directly correlate to the success of the entire team.

There are other things that will help or hurt the Viking’s chances in this game, of course, but it all comes back to Adrian Peterson. 

Prediction

This is a very winnable game. The Vikings will need to have some luck and a very strong running game, but they could very easily turn this game against one of the tougher teams in the league into a win; solidifying their position at the top of the NFC North.

It is winnable, but luck will need to be on the Vikings side. Gus Frerotte will need to establish a consistent passing game, and the Vikings pass defense will have to take on several veteran receivers with bags of tricks up their sleaves. If quarterback Jeff Garcia throws 67 times like his backup Brian Griese did back in September, the Vikings will end up looking like swiss cheese.

Tampa Bay is a very veteran team with loads of experience. It will be extremely tough for the Vikings to pull this one out without the benefit of luck. So, with great hesitance, I predict a Buccaneer win. Believe me, I want to be wrong.

Tampa Bay 24, Minnesota 17

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