For some optimism, check out Why The Jags Will Stomp The Vikes.

So, how could the Vikings stomp the Jags at home in week one?

There are a few factors, most of which start with home field advantage.  If you have ever been to the Metrodome in Minneapolis, you know what I’m talking about.  It’s not exactly the best place to see a game and doesn’t provide the best fan experience to grace the league, but it has a few quirks.  For the Twins it was the inability for opponents to see the ball against the white ceiling.  For the Vikings, it’s the noise.

When you go in the Metrodome and sit down at first you don’t expect it.  Then it all begins to build, the momentum, the talking, the excitement.  It all adds to an atmosphere that causes the entire place to tremble.  Then, when it all starts to begin, you go deaf.  It’s the kind of noise that dampens everything around you.  It makes you feel like you lost your sense of hearing because all that you know is this cacophony of noise that is reverberating off the walls, ceiling, and emanating from every person around you.

But pros are used to this kind of thing, right?  Well, ask the 7-9 Seahawks of 2010 if they think they could have beat the Saints in the Superdome.  And the Jaguars are not the Saints.

Even Aaron Rodgers keeps a safe distance from Jared Allen.  Source: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE

The second reason the Vikes could beat the Jags is Jared Allen.  I don’t know if you know this, but the guy is a phenom.  He terrorizes the opposing quarterback, but also the opposing tackle.  In this case, Eugene Monroe.  No disrespect to Monroe, but he’ll be going against one of the best in Allen.  I fully expect that any mistakes will be exploited by the Pro Bowler and he’ll probably get to Gabbert a couple of times.  It’s almost inevitable.

How Monroe and Gabbert manage Allen will influence whether or not the Jags can move the ball on offense.  If they are able to curtail his rush, then they’re golden.  If they can’t curtail his rush then Sunday could be the longest day of both their careers.

I don’t even want to think of Allen switching sides and beating Cameron Bradfield.  Unfortunately, it’s a nightmare that could very easily become reality.

While I personally believe that Gabbert’s development will give him enough of an edge to lead the offense to victory over the Vikings’ defense, I’m not so certain that he won’t get rattled.  What it all comes down to is that a mere nine months ago, Gabbert was a major liability for an offense that was already miserable.  He needs to be better if the expects to beat the Vikings’ pass rush.

- Luke N. Sims

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Christian Ponder, QB, Minnesota

• Ponder begins the regular season after a mediocre preseason campaign that netted him only one touchdown.  With Adrian Peterson questionable and probably not 100% it will be curious to see if Ponder is able to make himself the leader of the offense and get points on the board.  If he throws a touchdown in this game and looks in control like he did against the Bills in the preseason then he will be making some serious strides over last year.

William Middleton, CB, Jacksonville

• With Derek Cox out of the starting lineup, Middleton will be starting opposite Aaron Ross at corner.  Middleton was abused in the preseason “dress rehearsal” against the Ravens.  It won’t be Torrey Smith lining up opposite him for the Vikings, but there are still some good receivers that may be able to beat him.  If Middleton can play like he has the last few years there may be less concern, but if he continues to struggle then the Jaguars D may be in worse shape than anticipated this year.  He may get some relief if things open up underneath or over the middle due to poor pass coverage by the linebackers.

Seriously dude, you’re paid to catch balls.  Do it.  Source: US-Presswire

Laurent Robinson, WR, Jacksonville

• Like Middleton, Robinson was lackluster in the preseason.  The big free agent acquisition by the Jags this offseason, his one catch and route running leave a lot to be desired.  He may be trying too hard to be the #1 wideout the Jags brought him in to be.  The Vikings game will give him an opportunity to either relax and get back to his 2011 level or continue to tighten up and become forgettable.

Toby Gerhart, RB, Minnesota

• With Peterson questionable and probably limited for Sunday’s game, Gerhart will look to be that sleeper on the team who is seeking to impress.  A second round pick in 2010, Gerhart is being given the starter’s treatment and looking to make a stand against the Jaguars.  If Gerhart shows that he is a capable back for the Vikings against a rather stout Jaguars defense he would do a lot to quell fears over Peterson’s return from his knee injury.

Jared Allen, DE, Minnesota

• Watching Jared Allen is like watching an artist.  Albeit a redneck artist with a mullett.  I love watching him play, he’s exciting, he knows what he’s doing, and he’ll bring up the play of the entire Vikings defense.  He was a half sack short of Michael Strahan’s record in 2011 and will probably come out swinging early in the season after having some late starts over a few years.  He wants the record and he’s a force not to be underestimated.  His play will probably indicate how the Jaguars O-line will hold up through the season.  As Allen goes so goes the defense.  If it ever comes down to a defensive game, Allen is making sure he’s on the winning side.

- Luke N. Sims

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You can also find me on Twitter @LukeNSims

Editor’s Note: Being a part of the Fansided Network, we have the opportunity to interact with the other NFL sites that can give us insight into their teams.  Before each game we will be providing you with a quick questionnaire that the opposition’s site editor has provided us.

This week we have the opportunity to talk with The Viking Age editor, Dan Zinski who took the time to answer five questions for us here at B&T.

The Jags take on the Vikes on Sunday for the season opener.

1.  Christian Ponder only threw one touchdown in the preseason, how do you see his development thus far?  Will he make strides from his rookie season?

Ponder had his good moments and his bad moments in the preseason. He led a couple nice drives in one game and then the next game he came out and started falling into some bad habits like trying to scramble too early. I think he needs to learn to trust his pass protection a bit more and step up in the pocket. He does seem to be getting better with his reads though. Having Jerome Simpson should help, though of course they’ll have to wait until his suspension is over. Also he seems to be developing a nice chemistry with Kyle Rudolph. Things should be a little easier for him this year with better blocking and maybe a legit #1 receiver in Simpson. I would say the most important thing is for him to develop consistency. He’ll play well for a stretch then sort of drop off. You expect that from a young guy but at some point he has to smooth that out. The only thing I’ll say is, he’d better show development over the season cause if he doesn’t and the Vikes finish with a bad record, there are some QBs sitting there at the top of the draft who might interest them.

2.  Jared Allen is hunting for Michael Strahan’s sack record.  He fell half a sack short in 2011, do you think he’ll get it this year?  Does it all start against Gabbert?

Sacks are such a weird thing. There’s so much luck involved. I would never predict a guy to have another season like Jared did last year where everything just fell right for him. Bad news for him is, if he only has 12 or 13 people will say he fell off, even if he actually played just as well if not better but just didn’t get those lucky ones. It would be nice for him to get off in the first game against Gabbert because frankly in the past he’s had some slow starts. He hit the ground running last year though and that helped him rack up the big numbers.

3.  Adrian Peterson is coming back from his knee injury, are the Vikes getting the same player back?  He’s questionable for the Jags game, will he play?

I think there’s a decent chance he won’t play. They’re being very careful with him and I believe if he doesn’t show them what they want to see in practice they won’t hesitate to sit him. They’ve talked about playing him but limiting his snaps and my thing on that is, why bother? I’d wait until he’s 100% and let him go in full speed. That’s just me. As for whether he’s the same player…that remains to be seen. He hasn’t even taken much contact in practice yet and obviously didn’t play a snap in preseason. They need him to be close to the same player or it will be a very long year.

4.  The NFC North is rapidly becoming a tough division, how do you see the Vikings playing it out against the division rivals?

I’d be surprised if the Vikings get a single game against a division foe this year. Their only chance is if one of the teams comes into the Metrodome banged up or just has an off week. There’s such a wide gap right now between them and the other three teams talent-wise. And now the Vikings have cut so many veterans and become so young. It seems even more unlikely that they can compete with those veteran teams with all their talent. 0-6 against the division is a distinct possibility. Which makes me sad because I live in Wisconsin and am surrounded by Packer fans.

5.  What defines development for Minnesota this year?  Is a .500 record the goal or is it just to get more cohesion from a young roster?

A .500 record would be stunning. I’m thinking 5-11 at best. To me the important thing is to see growth from the young guys over the course of the season. Not just Ponder but all the other new rookies and 2nd year guys who are in there. They’ve decided to build with youth so really that’s all you can hope for. It would be asking too much for this team to gel right out of the gate. If they’re markedly better at the end of the year than they were at the start, I’ll be happy with that. A lot of fans won’t be happy, I realize.

Let’s see how it plays out in Minnesota on Sunday!

- Luke N. sims