Vikings: 3 keys to beating Jaguars

The Minnesota Vikings look to get back to .500 Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium when they host Jacksonville. The KSTP Sports department spotlights three keys to beating the Jaguars.

1. Don’t get overconfident

The Vikings (5-6) host the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-10) in a classic trap game on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Minnesota is still in the playoff hunt in the NFC and have a key road game the following week against Tampa Bay. Meanwhile, Jacksonville has one of the worst records in the NFL. All this should equal an easy win for the home team, but the Vikings need to make sure they don’t look past the Jags. Three of the Jacksonville’s last four losses have been by four points or less.

The Vikings haven’t faired all that well against teams with poor records this season, either. They’ve already lost to Dallas and Atlanta who’ve combined for only seven wins this season.

2. Bottle up James Robinson

Rookie running back James Robinson is far and away the number one threat on the Jacksonville offense.

Robinson went undrafted in the 2020, but Jacksonville quickly signed him as a rookie free agent and he’s enjoying a stellar season. Robinson has rushed for 890 yards and six touchdowns and also piled up 280 receiving yards and two more scores through the air.

The Vikings defense is giving up 120 yards on the ground this season.

3. Win the turnover game

The quickest way to lose a game against a bad team is by turning the ball over.

The Vikings had three turnovers in their loss against the Falcons and they turned it over twice in the loss against Dallas. On the season, Minnesota has a turnover margin of -6 with is tied for the sixth worst mark in the NFL.

Luckily for the Vikings, the Jaguars haven’t been strong in the turnover department this season either. They’ve only forced 11 turnovers and are -5 in turnover margin.