Struggling Vikings face Chiefs QB Mahomes for the first time
There's only one team in the NFL that Patrick Mahomes has yet to beat.
The Minnesota Vikings, it figures, are the only one he's never faced.
Matching up with the two-time NFL MVP and his defending champion Kansas City Chiefs is hardly a recipe for maintaining the momentum generated last week by their vulnerable defense, but the Vikings of course don't get to choose their schedule.
What players with any pride would want it any other way? It's time for the team that won 13 games and the NFC North last season to show it can still be a factor in 2023 and keep those long-frustrated fans from obsessing over next year's draft position.
Playing the Chiefs (3-1) ought to be as accurate of a measuring stick as the Vikings (1-3) could find for the first weekend in October.
“You want to play against the best,” Vikings safety Harrison Smith said, “and these guys certainly have been that in recent history.”
With two Super Bowl titles in his first five seasons as the starter, all those statistical accomplishments and his unique blend of fearlessness and improvisation that has gone a long way toward redefining quarterback play for a new generation, Mahomes doesn't have much left to accomplish on the field.
Defeating the Vikings to complete the checklist of 31 other teams would be an impressive feat, considering half of the league only appears on the schedule every four years in the NFL's formula for interconference competition.
“I just want to win every week,” said Mahomes, who is 67-17 in the regular season and 11-3 in the playoffs as a starter. “It's not necessarily beating this team because I haven't played them. It's going in with the mentality to do what I need to win the game.”
When the Chiefs beat the Vikings in 2019, Matt Moore was behind center while Mahomes recovered from a dislocated kneecap. Though Mahomes has lost to Indianapolis in his only two regular-season matchups, he and the Chiefs beat the Colts in his first career start in the playoffs.
“Right now, we're just all focused on trying to get things right,” coach Andy Reid said, “but it is an amazing stat for him for sure.”
The Chiefs are favored by 5 1/2 points, according to FanDuel Sportsbook odds, but even with a defense that ranks just 21st in the league in passing yards allowed the Vikings might well be catching their opponent at the right time in what's sure to be a raucous U.S. Bank Stadium.
With a wide receiver group still trying to find its way, Mahomes has thrown four interceptions over four games and is only 15th in the NFL in passer rating (92.0).
“I have to put us in better positions and make better decisions so guys can go out there and make plays for me,” Mahomes said.
JAGUARS VS. BILLS
Jags TE Evan Engram is QB Trevor Lawrence's safety valve, and tied for the NFL lead among tight ends with 25 catches and second with 232 yards receiving. He faces a defense that has limited tight ends to 14 catches for 112 yards and no TDs this season. Bills quarterback Josh Allen has been sacked a combined four times in his past three outings, and coming off a season-best performance with 320 yards passing and four touchdowns, and another TD rushing. This will be the 35th regular-season game in London. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has hosted six games since the $1.6 billion facility opened in 2019. The stadium was custom built with an NFL field below the Premier League team's moveable soccer pitch. The NFL has a contract to stage at least two games there per season through 2029.
PANTHERS AT LIONS
Panthers rookie QB Bryce Young has two TD passes, two INTs and two lost fumbles. He's averaging fewer than 168 yards passing and has just two completions of 20-plus yards. The Panthers have scored just two TDs in 12 quarters with Young, who has started three games and been sacked 11 times. Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson is tied for the NFL lead with 27 pressures, tied for second in the NFL with 19 hurries and has 3 1/2 sacks over the past two games after no sacks in the first two games. The Lions, who are leading the league in run defense, have eight players with at least one sack and a total of 13 sacks.
RAVENS AT STEELERS
The Ravens are rolling defensively and LB Roquan Smith is a big reason. He's one of five defenders in the league with at least 35 tackles and a sack. Baltimore's defense ranks No. 1 in the NFL in yards per play. Steelers RB Najee Harris essentially called out his offensive teammates after Pittsburgh was whipped by the Texans. Harris said the offense was “soft” and needed to play with more of an edge. If the Steelers want to calm the waters following a tumultuous first month, giving it to Harris until Baltimore proves it can stop it may be the way to go.
SAINTS AT PATRIOTS
Saints rookie defensive tackle Bryan Bresee had a sack among three tackles for loss last week as he continues to demonstrate an ability to make a quick transition from the college game at Clemson to the pros. Saints RB Alvin Kamara had 24 touches last week on 11 carries and 13receptions. The primary duty of trying to keep track of him will fall on New England linebackers Ja'Whaun Bentley and Jahlani Tavai. The Saints have allowed just one rushing touchdown this season. Patriots QB Mac Jones passed for 270 yards in the previous meeting with New Orleans. He has 10 TDs, two INTs and a 93.9 rating in his past seven home starts.
TITANS AT COLTS
Titans DE Denico Autry (3 1/2 sacks) and DT Jeffrey Simmons (three sacks) are a big reason Tennessee's defense is in the league's top 10 in sacks and are No. 4 against the run. If the Colts are missing two starting offensive linemen again this week, Autry and Simmons could have big days. Colts RB Jonathan Taylor, the 2021 NFL rushing champ, hasn't played in a game since Dec. 26 and hadn't even practiced with his teammates until this week. Colts QB Anthony Richardson needs 25 yards rushing to pass Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas (155 in 1956) for the franchise's third-highest single-season rushing total by a Colts rookie quarterback.
TEXANS AT FALCONS
Texans rookie QB C.J. Stroud ranks fourth in the NFL with 1,212 yards passing entering Week 5. That's the second most by a player in his first four games, trailing only Cam Newton, who had 1,386in 2011. Stroud, the second overall pick, has thrown six touchdown passes and has set a rookie NFL record by making 151 pass attempts without an interception. Falcons QB Desmond Ridder is facing increased criticism after his three turnovers in last week's loss to Jacksonville added to the Falcons' offensive woes. Atlanta has scored only one touchdown in its past two games. As a result, the Falcons have fallen to 2-2 following a 2-0 start.
GIANTS AT DOLPHINS
Giants QB Daniel Jones has been under immense pressure this season behind a struggling offensive line that gave up 11 sacks last week, and they're facing a Dolphins defensive line looking to answer for a poor performance against the Bills. Miami, on the other hand, is dealing with injuries to two of its most important offensive linemen as it faces edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeau (two sacks last week) and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Giants RB Saquon Barkley has missed the past two games with a high right ankle sprain. He did some team work this week, but his status probably will be a game-time decision.
BENGALS AT CARDINALS
Bengals QB Joe Burrow has struggled so far this season with a calf injury. He's completing just 58% of his passes and has thrown two TDs and two interceptions. The Bengals are last in average yards per game (236), 31st in rushing yards (70) and 29th in passing (166). Arizona's defense has been OK through four games, but there's been some growing pains in the secondary. Two-time AllPro Budda Baker is still out with a hamstring injury and third-year CB Marco Wilson has struggled at times over the first few weeks.
EAGLES AT RAMS
Eagles WR A.J. Brown has come on strong with consecutive nine-catch games that have produced more than 100 yards receiving. He nearly set a career high with 175 yards while also getting into the end zone twice against Washington. Rams LB Ernest Jones had 10 tackles, one sack and one tackle for loss against the Colts last week, and the Rams will need him to help slow down the diverse run game of the Eagles. The Rams ended a sixgame losing streak in the series against the Eagles when they won their 2020 road opener. This will be Philadelphia's third game in Los Angeles since the Rams moved back in 2016.
JETS AT BRONCOS
Embattled Jets QB Zach Wilson had perhaps the best game of his NFL career last week against the Chiefs, completing a career-high 28 passes including two for TDs with a personal-best 105.2 passer rating. That came after a week filled with heavy criticism as fans, including Hall of Famer Joe Namath, called for Wilson to be benched. Both franchises have fallen on hard times of late. The Jets own the longest playoff drought in the NFL, having last made the postseason party in 2010. The Broncos own the second-longest drought. They haven't reached the playoffs since winning Super Bowl 50 on Feb. 7, 2016.
COWBOYS AT 49ERS
Cowboys RB Tony Pollard, who broke his leg in Dallas' 19-12 playoff loss at San Francisco last season, is entrenched as the No. 1 back in Dallas. He is averaging 93 yards from scrimmage per game this season and has scored two TDs. A key matchup will be Dallas' pass rush vs. 49ers QB Brock Purdy. The Cowboys did the best job against Purdy of any team during last season's playoff meeting. His 87.4 rating was his lowest of any start as he went 19 for 29 for 219 yards and no TDs. Dallas had two sacks and Micah Parsons and Co. put heavy pressure on Purdy all game. The 49ers eliminated the Cowboys from the playoffs the past two seasons, winning a wild-card game on the road in the 2012 season and the divisional round game at