Cardinals host Vikings, seek second consecutive 2-0 start
Kyler Murray and his explosive offense will take on Minnesota at State Farm Stadium
The Arizona Cardinals come into Week 2 of the new NFL season trying to sustain the momentum following an impressive win over the Tennessee Titans.
The Cardinals are returning home to face the Minnesota Vikings after dominating the Tennessee Titans 38-13 in Week 1.
Arizona’s offense and defense were clicking on all cylinders, with the defense producing six sacks (five from Chandler Jones) and quarterback Kyler Murray throwing four touchdown passes while running for another.
Meanwhile, the Vikings are coming off a disappointing 27-24 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Mike Zimmer’s team is a 3.5-point underdog this week against the Cardinals, according to Tipico Sportsbook.
However, the Vikings have dominated the Cardinals over the last decade, having won five of the past six meetings dating back to 2010. And the Vikings could pull an upset if they limit self-inflicted mistakes — running back Dalvin Cook had a key fumble in overtime and Minnesota committed twelve penalties as a team.
The Vikings will look to keep Murray in the pocket to prevent him from extending plays with his arm and his feet, but Minnesota’s co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson knows that slowing down a quarterback like Murray will not be a simple task.
“To me, watching the tape, he looks like a video game,” Patterson explained Wednesday. “You know, he’s not real tall, and he doesn’t have long legs, and his feet are moving so fast, he looks like somebody hit the button. He just looks like a different speed than everybody else. To me, that’s the element that makes him different.”
The game will be televised on Fox, and kickoff is at 1:05 p.m. Pacific.