MIN at JAX: Week 10
In theory, the schedule is getting easier.
Gone are the days of seeing the 49ers, Texans, and Lions (at least for now). Currently, Minnesota’s upcoming cluster of games feature the Jaguars, Titans, and Bears. Not exactly the most intimidating group of teams, is it? The curveball is simply that all of the games take place on the road, starting with Jacksonville in Week 10. Can Kevin O’Connell’s Vikings get started strong by earning a win on Sunday?
MIN at JAX: A Winnable Week 10
Begin at quarterback.
Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, is a gifted player. He possesses the ideal QB build at 6’6″ and 220 pounds. At 25, Lawrence should have several years of excellent play ahead of him, but his numbers in 2024 have been fairly modest: a 61.3% completion rate to stand alongside 2,004 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. For whatever it’s worth, PFF puts Lawrence at 9th among passers with a rock-solid 80.3 grade.
Part of the issue for the Jaguars is that their QB1 is banged up. The word from Adam Schefter: “Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence will be limited in practice today due to what Doug Pederson is calling an upper body injury. Pederson said it’s too early to say if Lawrence will play Sunday.”
More info from Schefter: “With Trevor Lawrence admitting he was beat up and sore after Sunday’s loss to the Eagles, the Jaguars signed QB C.J. Beathard off Miami’s practice squad and on to their roster. Now the question will be how much Lawrence does or doesn’t practice ahead of Sunday’s game vs. the Vikings.”
If Jacksonville rolls into the game with Mac Jones and C.J. Beathard as the top passers, Minnesota has absolutely no business losing the game. Clear-cut, no arguing the point, as plain as day. Facing that kind of QB competition means that the Vikings must win.
Defensively, the Jaguars appear to be a mess. They’re allowing an average of 28 points against per game. Back in the Ed Donatell days, the Vikings “only” surrendered an average of 25.1 points against per game. By nearly a full three points, the Jags are performing worse than the Donatell Vikings.
The fancy football term for that reality: yikes.
The issue the Vikings will experience rests in corralling the Jags’ various pass rushers. Josh Allen-Hines and Travon Walker are good players. Arik Armstead is a bit older, but he seems likely to get the upper hand at least a time or two on Sunday afternoon. Keep in mind that Minnesota’s iOL wasn’t exactly lights out on Sunday Night Football; a good defensive front can exploit that area of Minnesota’s protection.
During the offseason, I predicted a Vikings victory. Basically nothing from 2024 leads me to believe that the original guess is going to be wrong. Rather, I’m predicting a larger margin of victory.
Look for the Vikings to jump up to 7-2.
Official Prediction: Vikings 33 — Jaguars 17
Prediction Record: 6-2
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and PFF helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.
