Even with defensive end Michael Johnson and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, the Bucs only have nine sacks this season. Both have missed at least a game due to injuries, and it appears Johnson is still dealing with a nagging high ankle sprain. As we've seen the last two weeks though, right defensive ends have had big games against the Vikings due to left tackle Matt Kalil.

As bad as the Bucs are, this will be another good test for the Vikings offensive line to get back on track against some talented defensive linemen. There's probably more concern if center John Sullivan can't play considering McCoy's presence. Either way, I'd set the over/under at 3.5 sacks. …And I'd still probably take the over.

It was the second consecutive week we've seen Jerick McKinnon receive more snaps than Matt Asiata. McKinnon had 38 snaps, rushing for 103 yards on 19 carries, while Asiata had 26 on offense and 24 yards on six carries. At this point, I think McKinnon is the lead back given how he's produced over the last few weeks in that role. He was the first running back to rush for over 100 yards against the Bills, who had the top ranked run defense at the time.

I think the gap will fluctuate depending on the situation, however. Asiata will likely remain as the short yardage back, and we could see more formations where both Asiata and McKinnon are in the game. I think it's a safe bet that McKinnon will continue to receive most of the carries for the foreseeable future, and he should have another big game against a bad Bucs defense if the offensive line blocks well again.

I think it'll be right at two touchdowns, so we'll break even on this wager. This offense needs to have a big day against the Bucs defense, including rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. There won't be any excuses accepted otherwise. This should be the same performance we saw from Bridgewater against the Falcons. He's young and growing as a rookie, but he faced two really good defenses over the last two weeks. It was a learning experience, now it's time for the rookie to take what he's learned and go off on a bad team.

Whenever tight end Kyle Rudolph recovers from sports hernia surgery, I think he's a good candidate to surge in the second half. The Vikings have missed his presence, even with all the drops he had through the first three games. He's a good blocker and good option on passing downs. As we saw during the preseason, Bridgewater loves throwing to tight ends and will benefit when Rudolph returns.

Defensively, this one is tough. The unit actually isn't playing that bad, so picking guys like linebacker Anthony Barr, defensive end Everson Griffen or safety Harrison Smith would be too easy. Instead, I'll pick defensive end Brian Robison. With the way Griffen has performed during the first half of the season, I think offenses will target him as the focal point on the Vikings defensive line. That should give Robison more one-on-one opportunities on pass downs. He had a sack on the first drive against the Bills that was negated by Barr's personal foul penalty, but I'd expect Robison to get in the backfield a few more times this season.