NFL Picks Week 5: 3 Things That Will Propel Cardinals over Vikings

At first glance, there wouldn't seem to be much on the line in this Sunday's contest between the Arizona Cardinals and the Minnesota Vikings.

And truth be told, there's really not. The Vikings are languishing in the cellar of the NFC North at 0-4, and the 1-3 Cardinals are looking up at the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West. Both teams look like they are in for a long season.

The good news if you're a Vikings fan is that the home team is actually favored to win this one, as Bodog has the Vikings favored by three points. Perhaps these good vibes will lead to a win.

Alas, I don't think they will. Allow me to present three reasons why the Cardinals will be the ones leaving Minnesota with a W.

3. Cardinals' Passing Attack > Vikings' Pass Defense

Kevin Kolb hasn't been quite the revelation that the Cardinals were hoping he would be, but he's been solid enough early on in his tenure with the team. Just because he hasn't been great doesn't mean he should be underestimated.

Especially against a team like the Vikings. They rank 28th in the NFL against the pass, and they have allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete better than 68 percent of their passes.

While it's true that this is largely thanks to matchups against Philip Rivers and Matthew Stafford, the point is that defending the pass is an area of vulnerability for the Vikings. Because passing is the bread and butter of Arizona's offense, they get the nod in this particular matchup.

2. Adrian Peterson Will Be in for a Tough Afternoon

Because they don't have a particularly formidable defensive front seven, you wouldn't think that the Cardinals would be one of the better teams in the league in terms of stuffing the run.

But they are. The Cardinals are yielding an average of just 3.6 yards per carry, and they have yet to allow any running back to rush for 100 yards this season. They're obviously not impenetrable, but they're tough.

Besides, the Cardinals are going to be able to put eight men in the box on Sunday in an effort to stop Peterson. It's not like Donovan McNabb is going to beat them.

And that brings us to point No. 1...

1. Donovan McNabb Is Hopeless

It's just a matter of time before Leslie Frazier gets fed up with McNabb. When he does, the Christian Ponder era will officially be underway.

I actually think the odds are good that this day could come on Sunday. McNabb has done very little to indicate that he is about to burst out of his early-season slump, and even Arizona's sub-par pass defense should be safe against him.

If so, I just don't see any way the Cardinals are going to be able to win this game. It may not be pretty, but they'll take it.

Prediction: Cardinals 27, Vikings 17