Minnesota Vikings at Las Vegas Raiders: Key information and first quarter discussion
We made it, everybody. The bye week is officially over and it’s time for some Minnesota Vikings football! Today, the purple will hopefully get back on the winning track at the expense of the Las Vegas Raiders. Here is everything you need to get up to speed on today’s contest.
Date and Time: Sunday, 10 December 2023, 3:05 PM Central time
Location: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada
Television Coverage: KMSP-9 in the Twin Cities, FOX affiliates around the country, YouTube TV Sunday Ticket
Radio Coverage: Vikings Radio Network, SiriusXM Channel 380 (Vikings feed), SiriusXM App Channel 820
Line: Vikings -3, Over/Under 40.5
Chris’ Prediction: Vikings 20, Raiders 17
Three Keys
1) I am, once again, asking you to stop turning the damn ball over – The formula for the Vikings has been pretty simple this year: Turn the football over, lose games. Don’t turn the football over, win games. The Vikings need to get the turnover problem under control if they want to have a shot at the postseason, and hopefully the bye week has been a catalyst in getting that into the heads of everyone involved.
2) Confuse the rookie quarterback – The Raiders will be starting rookie Aidan O’Connell behind center, and while he’s had his moments this year, he’s still a rookie. Brian Flores’ defense has been one of the best in the NFL over the past couple of months, and he’ll have to be on top of his game to make O’Connell uncomfortable. That will go a long way towards a Vikings victory.
3) Be aggressive when the situation calls for it – In the last two games, the Vikings have had opportunities to put opponents away and have gone into a shell offensively to allow their opponents an opportunity to come back. I can understand a little bit of a conservative attitude, but in the NFL you need to put your foot on the other team’s throat and take control. If the Vikings have that opportunity today, hopefully they’ll do just that.
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That should be everything you need to be up to speed on this one, folks. Remember that a new Open Thread starts at the beginning of each quarter, so keep your eyes open for those and move the discussion along accordingly.
Here’s hoping that we can all get together in about three hours and talk about how great it is to come back after the bye week with a win.
