Vikings at Broncos: The Route to the Playoffs Is on the Ground

To get you ready for week 17, FanHouse is previewing all 16 NFL games. Here is the Minnesota Vikings/Denver Broncos preview.

2007 Records:

Minnesota Vikings: 8-7 (2nd in NFC North)
Denver Broncos: 6-9 (2nd in AFC West)

Last Week:

Redskins 32, Vikings 21
Chargers 23, Broncos 3

When the Vikings have the ball: There's no secret about what it takes to beat the Broncos this season. Run the ball until the final whistle and you're going to give yourself a healthy chance at winning the game. That shouldn't be a problem for the Vikes. With Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor, Minnesota is well suited to letting their running game do all the heavy lifting. Yet last week against the Redskins they threw the ball 41 times, a dubious idea when the erratic Tarvaris Jackson is your quarterback. Jackson has shown flashes this year but they are almost always because the run game has set him up to make big plays downfield. The Broncos have tried eight and nine men in the box to stop the run, to no effect, and should try the same this weekend. Unless the Vikings pin all of their hopes to the aerial game again, they won't have any more success defensively.

When the Broncos have the ball: The Chargers completely stifled the Bronco offense on Monday night because they are strong in the middle and can pressure the pocket. Same story this time out. Kevin Williams + Pat Williams + the Bronco inability to move bodies in the middle of the line means that Jay Cutler will have to make plays for the Broncos to pull out a win. He's been sacked nine times in the last two weeks, though, and while the Vikes lack a game-changing pass rusher, the whole team gets after the quarterback well.

The Edge: As long as the ball is on the ground Minnesota has a huge advantage. They should be able to run the ball at will against the soft Bronco defense and their run defense is the best in the league. That should mean their offense is on the field for long stretches and should force the Broncos into a lot of obvious passing situations. Because they choked in Washington last week, just winning isn't enough to make the playoffs but it is a prerequisite. They should pull it off.

Keep an eye on:

Takeaways - The Vikings have given up a lot of yards through the air this season but they also know how to pounce on a mistake. They've returned six interceptions for touchdowns and Cutler has shown an affinity for the big mistake, especially when his protection breaks down.

Mike Shanahan - The longtime Bronco coach finds himself in an unfamiliar position as the season draws to a close: the hot seat. His job is as secure as anyone's but a home win to close the season would probably help save the job of an assistant or two. If they lose out, a housecleaning could follow in short order.

Will punt for food - The Broncos cut Paul Ernster a week after cutting Todd Sauerbrun and had their punter tryouts scratched yesterday. If they don't find anyone it could be a strange day for Jason Elam.