Here's what I'll be watching during the Vikings' game against the Rams at U.S. Bank Stadium today:
Vikings-Rams pregame thoughts: Which team's pass rush will have the biggest impact?
December 26, 2021 at 5:10PM
To get away from quarterback talk for once, what I'll be watching early in the Vikings-Rams game are the pass rushes.
The Vikings rank first in the NFL in sacks and get to face a Rams team missing star tackle Andrew Whitworth.
The Rams rank fifth in the NFL in sacks and get to face a Vikings team that got manhandled by the Bears' defensive tackles on Monday night.
Matthew Stafford and Kirk Cousins are both good at putting up big numbers, and neither is the kind of quarterback who routinely overcomes difficult situations.
Or will someone like Michael Pierce of D.J. Wonnum wreck the Rams'?
In a season filled with failures and challenges, perhaps the Vikings' greatest achievement has been mounting a pass rush without Danielle Hunter or Everson Griffen.
Pierce is an excellent player who can push the pocket back on a quarterback. Wonnum has been the Vikings' most-improved player. And the expertise of Andre Patterson and Mike Zimmer has shined in this aspect of the game.
Now all the Vikings have to do is find someone to cover Cooper Kupp. Is Patrick Peterson up to it?
Mike Conley was in Minneapolis, where he sounded the Gjallarhorn at the Vikings game, on Sunday during the robbery.
