Vikings 3 keys to a win against Colts

1. Better performance from cornerbacks

The good news for the Vikings is it would be pretty tough for their young cornerbacks to play any worse than they did in week one against Green Bay.

Aaron Rodgers completed 32 of 44 passes for 364 yards and four touchdowns. Davante Adams picked the Vikings d-backs apart with 14 catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns.

"That was probably an eye-opener for us," cornerback Mike Hughes said this week. "All the vets agree we can play better. We’re still confident this team can be really good."

Indianapolis doesn’t have anybody at the level of Rodgers or Adams, but veteran quarterback Phillip Rivers does have some receiving weapons. T.Y. Hilton has five 1,000 yard seasons under his belt and Parris Campbell could be on the verge of a breakout season after being selected by the Colts in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

2. Control the clock

It’s hard to win football games when you never have the ball. The Packers had the ball for 41:16 minutes in week one to only 18:44 minutes for the Vikings.

Two plays really hurt the Vikings. The safety that gave the ball right back to Green Bay early in the second quarter and a Kirk Cousins incompletion on 4th & 3 with 4:20 left in the 3rd quarter. If either of those plays turn out differently, the game could have gone another direction.

"We don’t want to come away from week two with 18 minutes of time of possession," Cousins said Wednesday. "That involves a lot of different. pieces. Protecting the football, converting 3rd downs and sustaining drives. We emphasis it every week."

3. Get the tight ends involved

The Vikings boast a pair of talented tight ends, but neither of them were involved much in the passing game last Sunday.

Two-time Pro Bowler Kyle Rudolph caught only two passes for 28 yards and 2019 2nd round pick Irv Smith Jr. only caught one ball for 11 yards.