Sunday Showdown: Vikings-Titians Predictions and Keys to…
The Minnesota Vikings (7-2) play their second road game in as many weeks on Sunday when they take on the Tennessee Titans (2-7) at Nissan Stadium.
Minnesota is coming off a close 12-7 victory over another AFC South opponent, the Jacksonville Jaguars, in Week 10. Newly acquired kicker John Parker Romo hit four field goals to help the Vikings get their seventh win of the season.
The Vikings are looking to go 4-0 against AFC South teams this season with a win against the Titans on Sunday.
Tennessee has seen better days, only winning against a Tua Tagovailoa-less Miami Dolphins team on Sept. 30 and their only home win of the season in overtime against the New England Patriots on Nov. 3.
The Vikings are 9-5-0 in the all-time series against the Titans, winning the last six of eight contests. Tennessee won the most recent matchup, 31-30, on Sept. 27, 2020 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Here’s a look at keys to watch and predictions for Sunday’s Week 11 matchup.
Why I’m Confident
Josh: Brian Flores vs. Will Levis
Young quarterbacks typically don’t fare very well against Brian Flores and Levis is already turnover prone, having 18 giveaways in 15 career games. Additionally, Minnesota’s defense seems to be clicking again the past two weeks, which should inspire a lot of confidence heading into Sunday.
Tommy: Another Inferior Opponent
Just like last week’s matchup, the Vikings will be taking on another opponent they should be able to get a win against. The Jaguars hung around to make it a game when it shouldn’t have been, but the Titans are on the same level, especially with key injuries to its secondary.
Why I’m Concerned
Josh: Vikings Offense
Minnesota has now had two of its three lowest-scoring games of the season in back-to-back weeks. Turnovers have played a big role in that, and while the Titans haven’t generated many takeaways, no defense has allowed fewer yards per game than Tennessee. That means the Vikings have to execute and cash in on any opportunities that they have because mistakes could be killer against a stout defense like the Titans’.
Tommy: Sam Darnold
Long gone are the days of Sam Darnold looking like an MVP candidate. Like Josh noted, Darnold’s recent takeaways have troubled the Vikings’ offense and the offense’s struggles against a weaker defense like Jacksonville should be alarming heading into a matchup with the No. 1 ranked total defense in the NFL. Darnold has thrown five interceptions in the past two games.
Key Matchup
Josh: Vikings Interior Offensive Line vs. Titans Interior Defensive Line
Vikings fans know how the interior of Minnesota’s offensive line has struggled against big and powerful defensive tackles in recent years, and that group will face a big challenge in Jeffery Simmons, T’Vondre Sweat and Sebastian Joseph-Day on Sunday, not just in pass protection but also in the ground game. How Ed Ingram, Garrett Bradbury and Blake Brandel hold up will have a huge impact on the game.
Tommy: Turnovers on Both Sides
The Vikings rank 27th in offensive turnovers and the Titans rank 29th, respectively. The biggest difference is the Vikings forcing the most turnovers on defense in the NFL and the Titans ranking last in that same category. The biggest key to this game is who wins the turnover battle will ultimately win the game.
All Eyes On
Josh: Vikings WR Justin Jefferson
The Titans have a couple top-tier corners in L’Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie but it appears they’ll both be out due to injury. I’d expect that means the Titans will take a similar approach to stopping Jefferson that Jacksonville took last weekend, with two high safeties in a shell coverage. Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips this week said, “This league sees what happens and it’s a copycat league and teams are gonna see, ‘Hey, they didn’t score a touchdown,’ and if they wanna try to recreate that, we’ll be ready.” We’ll see if Minnesota gets Jefferson more involved this weekend.
Tommy: Vikings WR Jordan Addison
It’s been a down sophomore season for Jordan Addison, who had nearly 1,000 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns in his rookie season. He has 21 catches for 298 yards and two touchdowns in 2024. Addison is looking to have his breakout game this season and still, and if the Titans put most of their focus on teammate Justin Jefferson, Sunday could finally be the day for Addison against an injured secondary.
Prediction
Josh: 17-13 Vikings
Even though the Vikings moved the ball well last week offensively, the scoring struggles concern me and Tennessee’s defense is stout enough to make me expect another one-score game.
Tommy: 28-13 Vikings
If all things go to plan, the Vikings defense will get the Titans offense off the field frequently and put a lot of stress on Tennessee’s defense, eventually opening up the game for the Vikings offense. It’s another winnable game that should result in the Vikings’ eighth victory of the season.
Season Records
Josh: 7-2 (Won last pick)
Tommy: 6-3 (Won last pick)
