Minnesota Vikings vs. Washington Redskins: prediction, preview, pick to win

Minnesota Vikings (5-3) at Washington Redskins (4-3-1)

KICKOFF: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FedEx Field, Landover, Md. TV: FOX, Dick Stockton, Chris Spielman, Kristina Pink.

SERIES HISTORY: 20th regular-season meeting. Vikings lead series, 10-9. Vikings are 6-4 at Washington, but lost their last meeting there, 38-26, when Redskins rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III ran 13 times for 138 yards and two touchdowns while passing for a third score. The Vikings have won the past two meetings, both at home in 2014 and 2013. Their last win at Washington came on Christmas Eve, 2011. Out of the playoff picture in a dismal season, they won after running back Adrian Peterson suffered a gruesome ACL tear. He would return the following season to win MVP while rushing for 2,097 yards. The teams have met five times in the playoffs. Washington leads that series 3-2, with the most memorable matchup being the 17-10 win at Washington in the NFC title game during the 1987 season.

GAMEDATE: 11/13/16

KEYS TO THE GAME: The Vikings offense heads into its second game with interim coordinator Pat Shurmur calling the plays. Those who expected the change from Norv Turner (resigned last week) to be difficult on Sam Bradford should consider that the QB spent more of career with Shurmur -- first in St, Louis, then Philadelphia -- than he has since joining the Vikings at the beginning of this season.

Last week, Shurmur called a good game that disguised a line that is incapable of blocking long enough for Shurmur to call a slow-developing pass play.

Bradford must get the ball out quickly -- 25 of his 40 passes last week were completed either behind the line of scrimmage or within five yards of it -- and Shurmur needs to make sure they are spreading the plays from side to side to keep the Redskins guessing. If the running game gets going, the Vikings could also take an occasional shot down the field without it resulting in a sack or a pressured throwaway.

Minnesota's offense ranks 25th in the league in points per game (19.4) and is not good without star running back Adrian Peterson (torn meniscus, right knee), out since Sept. 18. That said, the Redskins aren't exactly a powerhouse up front, either. Something has to give there

Redskins coach Jay Gruden refused to say who would get the majority of the carries this week against Minnesota's formidable front seven. It will be difficult for Washington to run the ball anyway, but expect to see both Matt Jones and rookie Robert Kelley.

Jones, of course, missed the Cincinnati Game in London with a knee injury. Before that he found his way into Gruden's doghouse with a pair of fumbles against Detroit on Oct. 23 - one of them at the 5-yard line as Washington was driving for a touchdown.

Kelley is more fluid than Jones, a power back who doesn't always run like one. So expect Kelley to get the majority of the carries vs. the Vikings.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

--Redskins CB Josh Norman vs. Vikings WR Stefon Diggs. Norman has generally been trailing the opposition's best receiver in recent weeks. That is Diggs for the Vikings. He has a team-high 48 catches. The problem for Washington is that Diggs can line up inside or outside. Rookie slot corner Kendall Fuller could end up pulling duty here, too. At 6-foot, 191 pounds, Diggs will have to use his speed to get off the line fast against the bigger, more physical Norman (6-0, 200).

--Vikings DE Everson Griffen vs. Redskins LT Ty Nsekhe. After 19 sacks in a 5-0 start, the Vikings have only two sacks during their three-game losing streak. Both have come from Griffen, who has had one each in the past two weeks. He has six on the season. Nsekhe, a trusted backup for the Redskins the past two seasons, will start in place of All-Pro captain Trent Williams, who is suspended for the next four games. Nsekhe, hard to miss at 6-8, 325, started out in an Arena Football League developmental league before moving up to the AFL. He bounced from the Colts to the Rams to the Saints to Montreal of the CFL, then to Washington.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Vikings PK Blair Walsh. All but thrown out the door Monday and Tuesday, the Vikings did an about-face and decided, for now, to continue supporting their embattled kicker. It's hard to imagine how this week's handling of the kicking situation did anything but increase the noose around Walsh's neck after a horrendous game in the overtime loss to Detroit on Sunday. Walsh missed a game-tying PAT and had an off-target 46-yard go-ahead field goal attempt blocked. The latter led to a quick six-point swing as Detroit was able to kick a 53-yarder without getting a first down. Walsh has missed seven kicks in eight games since the 27-yard miss in the closing seconds of the 10-9 playoff loss to Seattle.

INJURY REPORT: Minnesota -- Out: DT Sharrif Floyd (knee), CB Marcus Sherels (ankle). Questionable: DT Linval Joseph (shoulder), G Zac Kerin (hand), CB Captain Munnerlyn (ankle), WR Laquon Treadwell (hamstring). Washington -- Doubtful: WR DeSean Jackson (shoulder). Questionable: S Will Blackmon (thumb), S Duke Ihenacho (concussion), T Morgan Moses.

FAST FACTS: Vikings QB Sam Bradford has thrown just one interception in seven games despite attempting 243 passes (37.1 pass attempts per game). Bradford's 243 attempts through seven games with the Vikings is the second most in franchise history (Warren Moon - 269 in 1994). WR Stefon Diggs' 13 catches last week were third-most in a game in franchise history. Running back Rickey Young had 15 against Washington in 1979. Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter had 14 against Arizona in 1994. . . . Redskins QB Kirk Cousins set career highs in his last game with 56 attempts, 38 completions and 458 passing yards in Washington's 27-27 tie against Cincinnati in London. It was Cousins' 15th career 300-plus yard passing game, tying a Washington-franchise record (Sonny Jurgensen). This will be Cousins' first career start against the Vikings.

PREDICTION: Despite the recent turmoil and two losses, the Vikings still have the league's No. 1-ranked defense against scoring (15.8) and something to build on offensively, regardless of ranking 32nd in total offense (298.8) and 31st in rushing (72.6).

OUR PICK: Vikings, 28-24.

--Frank Cooney