What to watch for in Vikings vs. Rams on Thursday

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What to watch for in Vikings vs. Rams on Thursday Published: Sep 26, 2018 at 10:36 AM Austin Knoblauch Each year there always seems to be a highly-anticipated, early-season matchup that supposedly will determine the top echelon power struggle between a conference's elite teams. Thursday's game between the and is this year's version of Ben Hur meets Rocky vs. Drago with a dash of The Terminator -- it'll be epic, there probably will be a sequel and it takes place in the City of Angels. Dated cinematic themes aside, this game could very well determine who is the team to beat in the NFC this season. The are the elimination challenge winners of the conference through three weeks, and the are looking to shatter the stun silence left in the wake of their lo s to the on Sunday. Here are five things to watch for in the NFC showdown between the (1-1-1) and (3-0) on (airing on FOX, NFL Network and streaming Brandon Dubinsky Jersey on Amazon Prime Video): 1. How will the Vikings' offense bounce back? coach Mike Zimmer wasn't the only one shell-shocked by the shellacking Minnesota suffered at the hands of and the last week. The team needs to quickly show that last week's performance was an exception and not a budding trend -- and a win over the would quiet all the Minny naysayers. It has to start with protecting . Mr. Guarantee struggled mightily behind an offensive line that failed to give him adequate protection in the pocket against the , surrendering 29 total pre sures and four sacks. The O-line's job should be substantially more challenging against a crack squad of pa s rushers who've been instrumental in establishing the as the NFL's sixth-ranked defense heading into Week 4. To avoid being embarra sed, the need to limit the turnovers and find succe s beyond the blah, short pa sing game that annihilated any chances for a comeback against Buffalo. Cousins needs to show off that $84 million arm and rekindle the long-ball element to his game by testing the ' . That means giving Cousins enough time to find , and in the next level beyond the shaded box. 2. Who will stand up in the Rams' secondary? It's going to be a while before we see the ' dynamic cornerback duo in action. With out indefinitely after undergoing ankle surgery and in danger of mi sing the game (officially questionable) because of a strained calf, the could be vulnerable if , and the rest of the pa s-rush crew struggle to get to Cousins. The will lean on and to disrupt Minnesota's pa sing attack. should see a busy day patrolling the back end of the defense. With the struggling to establish their running game through the first three contests, it'll be critical for the to find ways to keep Minnesota's talented wide receivers in check. Last week, Los Angeles' secondary found a way to keep and the ' pa sing game in check even when Talib and Peters left early. While it'll be impo sible for the to completely ground the ' pa sing attack, their overwhelming strength up front could limit the typical damage a sociated with two starting corners sidelined. UPDATE: Peters is . 3. Can Dalvin Cook be a difference-maker? Sergei Fedorov Jersey The running back has yet to burn up the field since his return from a torn ACL that gutted his rookie season. A hamstring injury kept him sidelined against the last week, and there's a chance he could mi s Thursday's contest against the -- he's officially questionable. If he does play, Cook could be the wild card if he's feeling healthy and fast. In his first two games, he was limited to just 78 yards, but the football world got a glimpse of his game-changing abilities last year and he's poised for a breakout game. The could try to use one since the team's one-dimensional offense played a big role in their struggles against the and the . If Cook can leverage his protectors and find a way to weave through the jaws of the defense and take pre sure off the pa sing game, the ' chances for succe s would grow substantially. UPDATE: Cook is . Colton Sceviour Women Jersey 4. Are Todd Gurley and Jared Goff unstoppable? Taming the combination of and behind one of the best O-lines in football won't be an easy task for the . L.A. ranks third in total offense (493.3 yards per game), with Gurley and Goff spearheading the potent attack. Year 2 of the Gurley renai sance has so far yielded 255 yards and four touchdowns in addition to 121 receiving yards. Gurley probably is the undisputed king of offensive utility with in self-imposed exile, and he'll be a handful for a defensive unit that struggled to contain and last week. Goff ranks fifth in league pa sing yards (944) for a team that ranks fifth in pa sing yards (305.7 yards per game). His talented receiving corps, which includes big-play deep threats in and , has the potential to make things very difficult for the -- especially if the game morphs into a high-octane shootout. 5. Kicker worries? If we are treated to an early-season cla sic, will it be determined by a kicker? The already had to settle for a tie when their kicker blew it against the in Week 2. Their new kicker, ex- booter could endear himself among the Skol-hards if he can reignite the consistency fires that made him a Dallas mainstay for many seasons. The ' kicking situation is murky, too. has been dealing with a groin injury that has kept him out the last two weeks, so it's up to to lead the special teams charge once again. Ficken has yet to kick a field goal this season -- he mi sed a 46-yard attempt against the Bolts. We can only hope that Thursday's titanic NFC struggle will be decided off the toes of a kicker looking either for redemption or seeking a foot in the door to a permanent NFL job. 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