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After watching film of both teams, Scouts Inc. breaks down key elements of the Week 15 Vikings-Rams matchup.
• Keep riding Peterson:Teams know Adrian Peterson is getting the football, and still he averages 6 yards per carry. It would be great for the Vikings to get their struggling quarterback on track with high-percentage passes and play-action bootlegs, but they need to keep pounding the rock with the best back in the league. The Rams were excellent defending the run in Week 14, yielding only 61 yards against the Bills. Look for offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave to add a couple of wrinkles -- jet sweeps, reverses, more bootlegs, etc. -- but to keep getting Peterson his touches between the tackles with downhill isolation plays.
• Work for balance offensively: The Rams were able to get a road win with an average offensive performance in Week 14. They don't match up well up front offensively and need to keep the Vikings' defense guessing. Minnesota was exploited by the Bears last weekend for 6.6 yards a carry, and we should look for Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to utilize a good mixture of play-action passes and a versatile ground attack on early downs to keep the chains moving in and keep the home crowd loud.
• Make Minnesota one dimensional: The Rams have been inconsistent much of the season defending the run, yielding 110.3 yards per contest at 4 yards per attempt. Last week was a great effort vs. the Bills, but it will be tougher derailing the Vikings' ground assault. Minnesota has the league's worst passing attack. Look for defensive-minded Rams head coach Jeff Fisher to design a game plan that uses eight- and nine-man fronts and zone-run blitzes to force the Vikings to put the ball in the air.
• Home QB: Sam Bradford has an excellent combination of size and strength with good athleticism for the position. He can move out of the tackle box but operates best from the pocket. Bradford can power the ball into tight windows. He has great vision and poise in the pocket to find second and third options. He is completing 60 percent of his passes on the season but is coming off an average performance in Week 14.
• Away QB: Christian Ponder is coming off an unimpressive outing vs. the Bears -- 91 passing yards, no touchdowns and one interception. He has good size and athleticism with a strong arm. He has quickness and speed, allowing him to move the chains with his legs. He is getting better at improvising when the protection breaks down. He has made marked improvement in his accuracy, completing 65 percent of his passes in Week 14. He still tends to force the ball into coverage, but his vision and ability to read coverages have shown improvement. Ponder has talent but isn't asked to do much in the passing game due to the aid of an impressive ground attack.
• Key positional battle -- Minnesota O-line vs. St. Louis D-line: The Vikings have been impressive opening holes in the running game but have been inconsistent with their pass protection in long-yardage situations. The Rams were stout a week ago defending the run and also had five sacks versus the Bills, giving them 39 for the year. This battle in the trenches will clearly determine this week's outcome. St. Louis will likely stack the line of scrimmage, but the big boys still have to win at the point of attack to derail the Vikings' offense.
• Featured player: Peterson is coming off major knee surgery but is having an outstanding season. He leads the league in rushing with 1,600 yards and appears to have recovered his strength and speed. Peterson runs with great vision and power between the tackles and moves the pile on contact. He has a violent running style with burst to pick up chunks of yards. He is a reliable receiver and blocker in blitz pickup. The Vikings' offense is all about Peterson, and he's on pace to rush for over 2,000 yards and possibly break Eric Dickerson's season record of 2,105 yards.
• Film room nuggets: Daryl Richardson didn't have a big game for the Rams in Week 14, but his quickness, speed and darting style provide an excellent contrast to featured back Steven Jackson's powerful downhill running. ... Vikings defensive end Brian Robison is a great complement to Jared Allen. Robison is undersized for the position but shows deceptive strength defending the run and great quickness and counter moves rushing the passer. ... With Percy Harvin on IR, Marcus Sherels has shown the ability to be dangerous as a returner for Minnesota. He is small in stature but shows great quickness, burst and vision to hit a crease.
After watching film of both teams, Scouts Inc. breaks down key elements of the Week 15 Vikings-Rams matchup.
• Keep riding Peterson:Teams know Adrian Peterson is getting the football, and still he averages 6 yards per carry. It would be great for the Vikings to get their struggling quarterback on track with high-percentage passes and play-action bootlegs, but they need to keep pounding the rock with the best back in the league. The Rams were excellent defending the run in Week 14, yielding only 61 yards against the Bills. Look for offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave to add a couple of wrinkles -- jet sweeps, reverses, more bootlegs, etc. -- but to keep getting Peterson his touches between the tackles with downhill isolation plays.
• Work for balance offensively: The Rams were able to get a road win with an average offensive performance in Week 14. They don't match up well up front offensively and need to keep the Vikings' defense guessing. Minnesota was exploited by the Bears last weekend for 6.6 yards a carry, and we should look for Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to utilize a good mixture of play-action passes and a versatile ground attack on early downs to keep the chains moving in and keep the home crowd loud.
• Make Minnesota one dimensional: The Rams have been inconsistent much of the season defending the run, yielding 110.3 yards per contest at 4 yards per attempt. Last week was a great effort vs. the Bills, but it will be tougher derailing the Vikings' ground assault. Minnesota has the league's worst passing attack. Look for defensive-minded Rams head coach Jeff Fisher to design a game plan that uses eight- and nine-man fronts and zone-run blitzes to force the Vikings to put the ball in the air.
• Home QB: Sam Bradford has an excellent combination of size and strength with good athleticism for the position. He can move out of the tackle box but operates best from the pocket. Bradford can power the ball into tight windows. He has great vision and poise in the pocket to find second and third options. He is completing 60 percent of his passes on the season but is coming off an average performance in Week 14.
• Away QB: Christian Ponder is coming off an unimpressive outing vs. the Bears -- 91 passing yards, no touchdowns and one interception. He has good size and athleticism with a strong arm. He has quickness and speed, allowing him to move the chains with his legs. He is getting better at improvising when the protection breaks down. He has made marked improvement in his accuracy, completing 65 percent of his passes in Week 14. He still tends to force the ball into coverage, but his vision and ability to read coverages have shown improvement. Ponder has talent but isn't asked to do much in the passing game due to the aid of an impressive ground attack.
• Key positional battle -- Minnesota O-line vs. St. Louis D-line: The Vikings have been impressive opening holes in the running game but have been inconsistent with their pass protection in long-yardage situations. The Rams were stout a week ago defending the run and also had five sacks versus the Bills, giving them 39 for the year. This battle in the trenches will clearly determine this week's outcome. St. Louis will likely stack the line of scrimmage, but the big boys still have to win at the point of attack to derail the Vikings' offense.
• Featured player: Peterson is coming off major knee surgery but is having an outstanding season. He leads the league in rushing with 1,600 yards and appears to have recovered his strength and speed. Peterson runs with great vision and power between the tackles and moves the pile on contact. He has a violent running style with burst to pick up chunks of yards. He is a reliable receiver and blocker in blitz pickup. The Vikings' offense is all about Peterson, and he's on pace to rush for over 2,000 yards and possibly break Eric Dickerson's season record of 2,105 yards.
• Film room nuggets: Daryl Richardson didn't have a big game for the Rams in Week 14, but his quickness, speed and darting style provide an excellent contrast to featured back Steven Jackson's powerful downhill running. ... Vikings defensive end Brian Robison is a great complement to Jared Allen. Robison is undersized for the position but shows deceptive strength defending the run and great quickness and counter moves rushing the passer. ... With Percy Harvin on IR, Marcus Sherels has shown the ability to be dangerous as a returner for Minnesota. He is small in stature but shows great quickness, burst and vision to hit a crease.
