The Washington Commanders [4-4] host the Minnesota Vikings [6-1] in an all-important Week 9 NFC battle from FedEx Field.
Kirk Cousins returns to Washington for the first time since leaving for Minnesota after the 2017 season. Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke began his career as an undrafted free agent with the Vikings in 2015.
With those storylines aside, this should be one of the more competitive matchups of the weekend. Both teams enter Week 9 on winning streaks, with the Vikings having won five in a row and the Commanders winners of three in a row.
We’ve identified four critical matchups for Sunday’s game.
Vikings LB Za'Darius Smith vs. Commanders LT Charles Leno Jr.
Charles Leno Jr. and Za’Darius Smith have seen plenty of one another over the years. Leno, who played left tackle with Chicago for seven years, often faced off Smith when he was with the Green Bay Packers. Now, Leno and Smith are on new teams, and this old matchup will go a long way in determining Heinicke’s success on Sunday. Smith is tied for the NFL lead in sacks, and Leno doesn’t give up a lot of sacks.
Vikings CB Patrick Patterson vs. Commanders WR Terry McLaurin
Heinicke loves throwing to his No. 1 wide receiver, Terry McLaurin. McLaurin has had two big games in Heinicke’s starts, making critical game-defining catches in the fourth quarter in each of the last two weeks. This week, he draws Patrick Peterson, one of the NFL’s top corners over the past decade. While Peterson isn’t the same player he once was, he is still playing at a high level. Heinicke is going to give Patterson chances to make plays on the ball. The more McLaurin wins this battle, that’s good news for Washington.
Vikings offensive line vs. Commanders defensive line
This isn’t about a one-on-one matchup. The defensive line is the strength of Washington’s team. Defensive end Montez Sweat will see plenty of Minnesota left tackle Christian Darrisaw. That should be a competitive battle. However, Washington defensive tackles Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen battle Minnesota’s interior offensive line consisting of Ezra Cleveland, Garrett Bradbury and Ben Ingram. This should tilt in Washington’s favor. Cousins struggles with pressure in his face. The Commanders need to win this battle.
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson vs. Commanders CB Rachad Wildgoose
No, this isn’t a misprint. Jefferson, one of the NFL’s best wide receivers, will see plenty of second-year cornerback Rachad Wildgoose. Wildgoose has been a revelation for Washington. However, this will be his most difficult battle. Jefferson will line up everywhere, but he spends a lot of time in the slot, which means he’ll see a lot of Wildgoose. Clearly, Washington will need to bracket Jefferson with a safety, or he could have a massive game.
