KANSAS CITY -- Hello from Arrowhead Stadium where the Vikings look to extend their winning streak to five games against a Chiefs team that likely will be without MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Inactives will be released at 10:30 a.m. with the official announcement.
I wrote my Sunday advance column on Mahomes and his brilliance, though backup Matt Moore filled in capably in a loss last week to Green Bay. The Chiefs have the fastest group of skill players in the NFL led by Tyreek Hill so Mike Zimmer's defense will be challenged regardless of which quarterbacks is on the field.
Colleague Andrew Krammer has a nice piece on linebacker Eric Kendricks for the gameday advance story.
Maybe the biggest key today lies in a different matchup -- the Vikings running game vs. the Chiefs defense. The Vikings have a decisive edge in that area.
The Vikings rank third in the league in rushing at 160 yards per game. Conversely, the Chiefs are 30th in rushing defense, allowing 145 yards per game. In other words, this could be another big game for Dalvin Cook.
If Cook gets going, the Vikings will be able to control the clock and keep Kansas City's speed-burners on the sideline. Cook's dominance also sets up play-action passes for Kirk Cousins, who looks to continue his caree-best stretch of play.
In October, Cousins led the NFL in passer rating (137.1) with 1,262 yards passing, 10 touchdowns and a 78.4 completion percentage.
