Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings – NFL Week 8 Game Preview

Vikings stadium

The Arizona Cardinals are set to travel to U.S. Bank Stadium to take on the Minnesota Vikings in a week eight matchup. The Cardinals come into the game with a disappointing 3-4 record and are currently tied for last in the NFC West. There are clear issues in the Cardinals organization, most prominently, the disconnect between head coach Cliff Kingsbury and quarterback Kyler Murray. On the flip side, the Vikings have been one of the best teams in football this season. They currently have a record of 5-1 and hold a commanding first place lead in the NFC North. 

Arizona Cardinals Look to Salvage Their Chance at the Postseason

The Arizona Cardinals are off to a very shaky start to the season, and with their division being so competitive, they need to get back on track before it is too late. As previously mentioned, there are clear issues between the head coach and the quarterback. Throughout the season, the two have gotten into countless screaming matches that have been caught on camera during games. While it is frequent for players and coaches to get into it during the heat of the game, this has become almost a weekly occurrence for the two. While winning will quickly solve this problem, it makes it very difficult to win when there is such a big disconnect between such important pieces of the team. 

Outside of the drama, the Cardinals have a very talented roster and this talent should have resulted in more wins by this point of the season. However, they were able to take care of business last week against the New Orleans Saints. The defense played a big role in this win as they forced Saints quarterback Andy Dalton into two pick sixes. However, it was still a very high scoring game. Despite their takeaways, the Cardinals’ defense will have to step up to slow down a red hot Vikings offense if they hope to win this week. 

Minnesota Vikings Hope to Continue Dominant Stretch 

The Minnesota Vikings have emerged as one of the best teams in the NFL this season. Many thought that they would be fighting with the Green Bay Packers for control of the NFC North, however, Minnesota currently has a death grip on the division. Last week, they narrowly defeated a very talented Miami Dolphins team by a score of 24-16. Minnesota has been elite on both sides of the ball. On offense, they have an incredible balanced attack. Dalvin Cook is one of the top backs in the league, and Justin Jefferson has emerged as arguably the best wide receiver in the league. On the defensive side of the ball, the Vikings have been able to hold even some of the best offenses in football. If the defense is able to perform at this level again this week, the Vikings should have no trouble taking home their sixth win of the year. The offense should have no trouble scoring on the Cardinals’ defense as long as Kirk Cousins is able to limit his turnovers.