New England Patriots vs. Minnesota Vikings: Five Players To Watch
By Cyrus Geller
Aug 7, 2014; Landover, MD, USA; New England Patriots tackle
Nate Solder(77) and Patriots offensive tackle
Jordan Devey(65) line up against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
1. Patriots offensive line
Duh.
It has been awhile since I have seen Tom Brady on the ground as much as he was in the second half of last week’s game, and I am hopeful that I will never have to see that again. The Pats offense was completely obliterated because of bad offensive line play, as the passing game was out of sync, and the ground attack never really got to full speed either.
The Vikings’ front seven isn’t nearly as talented as Miami’s is, but they are still one hell of a unit. Their pass rush won’t be as daunting for the Patriots after going up against Cameron Wake and company, but that doesn’t mean this game will be a walk in the park for them either.
There isn’t one specific explosive pass rusher that will single-handidly be able to take over this game, but with Mike Zimmer as the head coach, and through a variety of solid players, Minnesota will give Nate Solder and company all they can handle.