Coming off a bye week, the Denver Broncos will be fresh and rested in Week 11, which will probably be necessary as they will be facing one of the league’s better teams in the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
The Vikings are undefeated at home this season and are riding high following a big road win over the Dallas Cowboys last week.
The Broncos will have their hands full in this game and will need many things to happen in order to pull the upset. Here are four things to watch for in this game.
1. Minnesota’s rushing attack
The Vikings rank third in the league in rushing yards behind only the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens, a team that does much of its damage on the ground with the quarterback.
In terms of a power rushing attack, the Vikings might be the best. They run the ball right at you and right through you.
That has helped to make Dalvin Cook a legitimate NFL MVP candidate. The team also has a solid backup running back in Alexander Mattison and that duo creates plenty of problems for opposing defenses.
2. Brandon Allen
How will Allen play in his second start at quarterback? Going up against the Vikings on the road will certainly be a stiff challenge.
Allen played well in his first start against the Cleveland Browns, but even he has to know that his grip on the starting job is tenuous as fans and many within the organization are going to want to see Drew Lock get his shot sooner rather than later.
3. Tim Patrick’s return
Under current league rules, teams are permitted to bring back two players that are placed on injured reserve per season. The Broncos used one of those spots on Patrick, so there is something the team really wants to see in him, particularly when you consider that Lock and Theo Riddick are also on injured reserve.
One of those two will end up not playing a down for the team this season.
With Patrick, the Broncos will have a big wide receiver duo to throw the ball to with he and Courtland Sutton on the field together.
4. The Kubiak factor
Not too long ago, the Broncos hired Vic Fangio as the team’s new head coach and it sounded like Gary Kubiak, the team’s former head coach, was going to become the new offensive coordinator.
Those plans changed seemingly due to the fact that Kubiak wanted to bring in Rick Dennison as the offensive line coach and his own tight end coach with him. Denver’s front office didn’t want to bring back those other coaches and the team and Kubiak decided to part ways, likely for good.
Kubiak is now with the Vikings in the capacity of assistant head coach and offensive advisor. This could be one of those “circle the calendar” games where Kubiak wants to prove something against his former team.
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