3 Things Colts Must Do to Upset Vikings

With the Indianapolis Colts traveling north to Minneapolis, they will need to account for some big names if they want to top the Minnesota Vikings.

As the Indianapolis Colts took part in practice this week, interim head coach Jeff Saturday had a chant blaring over the loudspeakers.

“SKOL!” “SKOL!” “SKOL!”

The Colts will hear much more of that chant on Saturday as thousands of Minnesota Vikings fans shout it loudly and proudly. Indy (4-8-1) heads to U.S. Bank Stadium attempting to play spoiler as the Vikings (10-3) try to clinch the NFC North with a win. The Colts would also like to break their three-game losing streak, with their last win coming against the Las Vegas Raiders on November 13th.

To beat the Vikings, the Colts must account for the heavy hitters on the opposite sideline. Here are the three keys to victory for the Colts on Saturday.

Contain Justin Jefferson

© David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports

The Vikings have one of the most dangerous and explosive players in the entire NFL in Justin Jefferson. Jefferson has been on a tear this season, hauling in 99 catches (second in the NFL) for 1,500 yards (first) and six touchdowns (11th). The third-year wide receiver set a franchise record with 223 yards receiving last week against the Detroit Lions.

“He’s a great player,” Stephon Gilmore admitted about Jefferson. “He’s fast, he’s shifty, he’s great at the catch point. He’s a great receiver…I just think he’s elusive. He’s fast and like I said, he makes great plays on the ball. He makes great catches. He’s a great receiver, he can do pretty much anything you want him to do. I think that’s what separates him from everybody else.”

Jefferson will go up against a Colts’ secondary that is not at full strength. Kenny Moore II (ankle) has already been ruled out for Saturday, while Brandon Facyson (illness) did not practice all week and is doubtful to play. Look for Isaiah Rodgers Sr. to shoulder the load on the outside while Julian Blackmon mans the slot corner position, as he did in place of Moore against the Dallas Cowboys.

The Colts will need to devote special attention to Jefferson on every play. Communication will be key, as Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell likes to move Jefferson around the offense to get him into favorable matchups. Indy will need to be prepared for every situation.

“You never know where he’s going to be,” Saturday said. “I think they do a really good job of not giving any keys or clues on to where he’s going to line up. You just have to communicate it from our defense. They have to have great communication on the back end, making sure you identify where he is and kind of what tendencies come out of that.”

Pressure Kirk Cousins

© Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The quarterback that will be delivering passes to Jefferson this weekend is Kirk Cousins. Cousins has been a solid quarterback over the years, and the veteran continues to be a consistent signal-caller. Cousins has thrown for 3,358 yards and 20 touchdowns with nine interceptions this season.

Cousins is the prototypical pocket passer. He is accurate with the football and gets the ball out quickly to his weapons. However, he also struggles under pressure and is prone to making bad decisions when he does not have a clean pocket. The Colts must use that to their advantage.

The Colts’ defensive line comes in as healthy as they have been since early in the season. None of DeForest Buckner, Kwity Paye, Grover Stewart, and Yannick Ngakoue were listed on the injury report this week. All four should be ready to get after Cousins on Saturday.

There will be opportunities for the Colts to get after Cousins. The Vikings quarterback has been sacked 33 times on the season, the eighth most in the NFL. If the Colts can keep the pressure on Cousins throughout the game, the Vikings’ offense could struggle.

Matt Ryan MUST Rebound

Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

While the first two keys to victory deal with the Colts’ defense, Indy will not stand a chance at victory unless Matt Ryan plays at a higher level. Saturday decided to stick with Ryan as the Colts’ starting quarterback after the bye despite another turnover-ridden performance against the Cowboys. Ryan threw three interceptions and lost a fumble in the blowout loss.

“We talked about Dallas and about even our game (against) Pittsburgh not being what we want, and I think (Ryan) shoulders a lot of the burden,” Saturday explained. “We haven’t been good enough in a lot of areas, so I hate to pinpoint one guy or one position but obviously that’s the quarterback position in the NFL. You get way too much credit and you get way too much blame. There’s part of his game that has to improve and we talked about that with a number of different guys. We’ve got to play our best. If we’re going to win, we need Matt playing his ‘A’ game.

“This guy is tough, man. He shows up ready to work, he’s taken some shots this season and then again, he’s honest about his performance. He didn’t try to cover it. If he’s not doing his part, he’ll own that as well, which I appreciate. I can guarantee this isn’t how he envisioned this season but since I’ve been here, he’s handled himself like a pro for sure.”

Ryan has indeed handled this disappointing season with class. He was promised a top-flight offensive line and an explosive running game, neither of which has been the case. Combine that with the turnovers and Ryan’s obvious physical deterioration, and the offense has been abysmal.

This could be Ryan’s last chance to keep the starting job for the rest of the season. If Ryan puts forth a similar performance to the one he had in Dallas, the Colts and Saturday will look in a different direction. However, if he can turn back the clock and become vintage “Matty Ice,” the Colts have a shot at the upset.

Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast!

---

Follow Andrew on Twitter @AndrewMooreNFL.

Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.