Opponent Preview: Q&A With Inside The Vikings

Will Ragatz answered a few questions in regards to the Arizona Cardinals-Minnesota Vikings matchup in Week 8.

Donnie Druin | Oct 28, 2022

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The Arizona Cardinals pack their bags and hit the road for a crucial Week 8 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings sit at 5-1 on the season, having won their last four games by a combined 22 points.

Both squads are coming off an extended period of rest, as the Vikings were on their bye week for Week 7 while Arizona featured on Thursday Night Football.

To learn more about Minnesota's side of the matchup, we were able to gain insight from Inside The Vikings Publisher Will Ragatz.

1. The Vikings are off to a great start, what's the overall feeling in Minnesota?

Will Ragatz: Fans are excited about this team, and understandably so. After missing the playoffs in three of the last four years, the Vikings made major changes this offseason, firing longtime GM Rick Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer and ushering in a new era. They hired a smart, young leadership duo in GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O'Connell, who have done a fantastic job so far. Focusing on fixing the Vikings' culture and modernizing the team's approach, this new regime carried out what they called a "competitive rebuild" in the offseason, which meant running it back with the same core group of players but keeping an eye on the future.

This new era is off to a great start with a 5-1 record. The Vikings haven't exactly been dominant — they've survived several close calls against inferior teams — but it's hard to win games in the NFL and they've found ways to do that. Led by O'Connell, the new coaching staff has seemingly made a big difference. The Vikings are in a great position in the NFC standings, and the expectation of the fans is that they'll continue to improve because of the talent this team has on both sides of the ball.

2. Minnesota's sole loss was to a Philadelphia Eagles team that had Jalen Hurts. How do you think the Vikings will fare against Kyler Murray?

Ragatz: Back in Week 2, the Vikings gave up roughly 350 yards of offense to the Eagles in the first half of a 24-7 loss on Monday Night Football. Hurts was absolutely incredible, running for two touchdowns and completing 84 percent of his passes for 333 yards and another score. Now, considering the Eagles are 6-0 and Hurts has established himself as an MVP candidate, that loss doesn't look quite as bad as it did at the time. But the Vikings' defense is definitely a concern going into this week against Murray and the Cardinals, particularly with DeAndre Hopkins back. Defensive coordinator Ed Donatell has taken a lot of criticism from fans for his passive, zone-heavy scheme, so we'll see if any adjustments are made.

Based on what we've seen so far from this Vikings defense, it wouldn't surprise me to see Murray have a big day on Sunday. The key for the Vikings will be getting pressure with Za'Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter and finding ways to keep Murray contained. There are plenty of smart, experienced veterans on the second and third levels of this defense — including Patrick Peterson, Harrison Smith, Eric Kendricks, and Jordan Hicks — which helps when dealing with a dual threat quarterback. As always, it'll come down to game plan and execution.

3. Everybody knows how impactful guys such as Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson can be on offense. Who's maybe one underappreciated guy who gets the job done on that side of the ball?

Ragatz: They certainly aren't underappreciated in Minnesota, but I'm not sure how much national NFL fans know about Vikings offensive tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill, who form one of the best duos in the league. O'Neill has been a consistent force on the right side ever since he was drafted in 2018, finally making his first Pro Bowl last year. He's extremely reliable and deserves to be in the conversation as one of the best right tackles in the game.

Darrisaw might be even better. The Vikings' first round pick in 2021 has taken a major year two leap and looks like an All-Pro caliber left tackle right now. He's been absolutely dominant, both in pass protection and in the running game. Kirk Cousins benefits from having elite skill position players like Cook and Jefferson, but he also has the luxury of playing behind two outstanding tackles.

4. The Vikings have one of the best turnover margins in the league thus far. What's been the key to success in accomplishing that?

Ragatz: Well, I will say that a big reason for their +4 turnover margin is that they were +3 against the Dolphins in their last game before the Week 7 bye. The pieces are there on both sides of the ball to keep that up, though. Cousins usually takes care of the ball quite well; he has a 133-to-41 touchdown to interception ratio since joining the Vikings in 2018.

Fumbles have also been less of an issue for him this year, since he's playing behind the best offensive line the Vikings have had in a long time. Defensively, the Vikings' secondary is led by Smith and Peterson, a pair of potential future Hall of Famers who both recorded their 30th career interceptions earlier this season. Kendricks and Hicks are also capable of intercepting passes from the linebacker position, and the Vikings' defensive line has several guys who can get to the quarterback and force fumbles.

5. Football is obviously a team sport, but give me one matchup (individual or position group) you think this game will come down to.

Ragatz: I'll go with the Vikings' cornerbacks against Hopkins. With no Marquise Brown, Hopkins is the main guy who scares you on the Cardinals' offense, and that's no disrespect to Zach Ertz or Rondale Moore or Robbie Anderson. Murray funneled targets to his No. 1 receiver against the Saints on Thursday and figures to do the same against the Vikings. If Hopkins lines up in the slot at times like he did in his season debut, that puts a lot of pressure on Chandon Sullivan, who has been the weak link of this Minnesota defense so far.

When Hopkins is on the outside, his matchups against Peterson and Cameron Dantzler should be fun to watch. If the Vikings can keep Nuk from having a huge game, they should be able to mostly hold Murray and the Cardinals' offense in check.

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