Vikings-Dolphins Preview: Three X-Factor Players For Minnesota

One day after the first snowfall of the season in Minnesota, the Vikings are headed to Miami to play a football game in mid-80 degree temperatures and humidity.

All that's standing between Kevin O'Connell's team and a fourth consecutive victory is a banged-up Dolphins squad that's down to its third-string quarterback, rookie Skylar Thompson. Miami still has plenty of weapons on offense, but with a seventh-round rookie at QB and a defense that has been awful against the pass, this is a very winnable road game for the Vikings.

Here are three players who will be x-factors for Minnesota on Sunday.

CB Patrick Peterson

Yes, the Dolphins are starting a third-stringer at quarterback (though it remains possible Teddy Bridgewater could end up playing if Thompson struggles). But the Dolphins still have two of the fastest, most dangerous wide receivers in the league in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

What's Thompson going to want to do in his first career start? Get the ball to his playmakers. The Dolphins will presumably try to get the running game going to help out their young quarterback, but when he does drop back to pass, he's going to be looking for Hill and Waddle all afternoon.

That places a lot of pressure on Peterson and Cameron Dantzler, the Vikings' outside cornerbacks, both of whom are susceptible to speed. Those two, Peterson in particular, need to find the balance between keeping things in front of them and not giving up too many easy underneath throws.

"We talk almost endlessly," Peterson said earlier this month about Dantzler. "Throughout the game, in the study room, when we're back watching film. We watch film twice a week. I always tell him, if we don't give up touchdowns — him and I — we'll have a good opportunity to win the ball game."

The Dolphins may also utilize Hill and/or Waddle in the slot to try to attack Vikings nickel corner Chandon Sullivan.

OLB Za'Darius Smith

The Vikings' defensive approach this week will be fascinating to watch. They may want to try to manufacture more pressure on Thompson by sending blitzes, but that comes with the risk of leaving Hill and Waddle one-on-one against Peterson and Dantzler.

If the Vikings continue to primarily sit back in zone and try to confuse Thompson with different coverage looks, they'll need their front four to create pressure. With Danielle Hunter still adjusting to this new defensive scheme, Smith has been the Vikings' most impactful pass rusher. He has a great feel for playing in a 3-4 defense and leads the team in pressures by a decent margin.

The Vikings use Smith to hunt the weak links of an opposing offensive line. With the Dolphins, that's left guard Liam Eichenberg and right tackle Greg Little, both of whom have allowed at least 15 pressures this season. If left tackle Terron Armstead can't play (he's questionable), that would deplete the offensive line even further.

Smith is going to move all over the defensive front, and he should have opportunities to get after Thompson and make him uncomfortable.

TE Irv Smith Jr.

Offensively, the Vikings are obviously going to lean on Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, and Dalvin Cook in this game, like they always do every week. But they'll likely need some of their secondary and tertiary playmakers to show up as well.

The Dolphins have been stout against the run, ranking fifth in rushing EPA allowed and seventh in run defense DVOA. They've been abysmal against the pass, struggling both to create pressure and to cover people on the back end. The game plan for O'Connell and the Vikings will likely involve a lot of Cousins dropping back and throwing the ball.

Jefferson could be in line for a third straight big game, but the Dolphins also might do whatever they can to limit the Vikings' best player. Jefferson will see a lot of Miami's top cornerback, Xavien Howard, in addition to some double teams. That places the onus on Adam Thielen, K.J. Osborn, and Irv Smith Jr. to get open for Cousins.

Smith, in particular, should have opportunities to get open over the middle of the field against this Dolphins defense, which uses a lot of cover zero pressure looks. He made a couple big catches late in the Vikings' win over the Bears last week, and he'll be counted on to be a quick outlet for Cousins when he's not part of the protection scheme.

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