Houston is a tough team to categorize. Their defense is pretty much middle of the road in all areas; they do OK against the pass, are 21st against the run. They do give up points though, as opponents are averaging over 26 a game. On offense, they are on of the best teams at throwing the ball. Andre Johnson is a huge reason for this, as he is basically dominating every defense he faces. Oddly, he leads the league in catches and yards, and has only two touchdowns.
The Vikings will again control the run game on both sides. The Texans have not been impressive against the run, and will have to stack the box if they hope to contain Adrian Peterson. Peterson has been facing eight and nine man fronts all season and is still among the league leaders in rushing, though it has come with more carries than last year. If continues to be patient, and take the four and five yards that are given him, he should have another 100-yard game. It doesn't need to be said that the Vikings have one of the best rush defenses in the league. Kevin and Pat Williams will still be in the line up this week, so expect Houston to go to the air.
Andre Johnson is capable of pretty much anything at the wide receiver position. He can work any part of the field; he is as dangerous in the red zone and on deep balls and he is efficient on slants and mid-range routes. His most impressive skill is his hand strength. In a one-on-one fight for the ball, he is the best receiver in the league. Randy Moss might out-jump you, Terrell Owens might break your tackle, and there are plenty of receivers fast enough to run away from you, but Andre Johnson is another thing. He takes the ball out of defenders hands. He can catch the ball in any body position, and in that sense almost reminds you of Cris Carter.
The Texans might be able to move the ball on Sunday. The game will come down to red zone efficiency. The Vikings defense, even on bad days, does well in the red zone. A few teams, like the Saints, have put up big yardage games against the Vikings, but haven't really scored much on offense. The Texans will have to score touchdowns when they get into Vikings territory.
The Vikings offense, meanwhile, struggles to score touchdowns themselves. They have moved the ball well in every game this year. They have not translated that to points. They will also need to finish drives. It will be interesting to see if they start to throw some fades down near the goal line. This has not been a popular play for Brad Childress, even though the Vikings have a wonderful history with the play(most notably with Carter and Moss, though even Marcus Robinson was a touchdown machine as a Viking). Sidney Rice is finally healthy and is a great threat in the red-zone. He is tall and can jump, and has demonstrated excellent catching ability in the past.
The next nine games will be interesting at the safety position. Madieu Williams will make his first start as a Viking this week, replacing rookie Tyrell Johnson. If Williams makes the impact expected of his—covering deep balls and using his speed to open up Darren Sharper to move around the secondary more—the Vikings pass defense should improve greatly. Tyrell Johnson has played well so far, but is a rookie, and has made rookie mistakes. He is not ready to be a full-time starter, and has held Sharper back from being able to play his aggressive style. Sharper is at his best when he can take risks and roam the field, a he could beside Leroy Butler and even Dwight Smith. Still, if Williams does prove himself this season, the Vikings will be OK with losing Sharper to free agency at the end of the year. Johnson has shown enough potential to instill confidence that he will thrive playing more of a strong safety role, with Williams behind him.
I expect Minnesota to win on Sunday, with their home crowd behind them. They should be able to control the ball and wear down the Texans defense. If they can pressure Matt Schuab, they might be able to keep Andre Johnson from making a huge impact.
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