The Indianapolis Colts are gearing up for a Sunday Night Football showdown against the Minnesota Vikings. This prime-time game will feature veteran quarterback Joe Flacco stepping in for rookie QB Anthony Richardson, who is sidelined due to injury. Flacco, with his experience and arm strength, will look to exploit a talented yet vulnerable Vikings defense, which ranks among the NFL’s top in terms of aggression but has been prone to allowing big plays
A key player to watch is Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, who continues to ramp up his performance after returning from injury. Taylor, alongside Zack Moss, provides a powerful ground game that the Colts can leverage to take some pressure off Flacco. Additionally, the Colts defense, led by DeForest Buckner and linebacker Zaire Franklin, will have to be at their best to counter the Vikings’ balanced offensive attack
This game marks a critical moment for the Colts as they aim to stay competitive in the AFC South and keep their playoff hopes alive. A win on Sunday would give them a strong boost as they push into the second half of the season
The Minnesota Vikings and Indianapolis Colts face off in Week 9, with both teams looking for some change as the season hits its midway point. The Vikings got off to a blistering 5-0 start and Sam Darnold had found his way into the MVP discussion. Now, after a couple of losses in a row, the Vikings are looking to get back on track in a crowded NFC North, with all four teams in the division firmly in the playoff mix.
Indianapolis is making a change at quarterback heading into Week 9, turning to Joe Flacco over Anthony Richardson, who, in addition to tapping out for a play because he was tired in Week 8, has not played well this season, completing just 44% of his passes with four touchdown passes and seven interceptions. Through that, though, the Colts are 4-4 and very much alive in the AFC playoff picture, entering the Week 9 “Sunday Night Football” matchup just a half-game out of the final AFC wild-card spot.
How to watch Colts vs. Vikings ‘Sunday Night Football’
- Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
- Location: U.S. Bank Stadium | Minneapolis
- TV Channel: NBC
- Streaming: Peacock, Fubo
Indianapolis Colts vs. Minnesota Vikings (-5.5) [Total: 46.5]
Game Overview
The NFL’s Week 9 Sunday slate concludes with a matchup between two of the league’s best-performing teams against the spread, with the Colts (7-1 ATS) heading into Minnesota to take on the Vikings (5-2 ATS).
Despite inconsistency at the game’s most important position, Indianapolis currently holds the league’s best record against the spread, with their only failed cover coming in Week 2 as road favorites in Green Bay.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen made the call this week to sit second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson in favor of veteran Joe Flacco, who has played relatively well in his time as the starter. During his run at the helm in Weeks 4 through 6, Flacco helped capture a clean 3-0 record against the spread, including a pair of straight-up wins as the underdog and a pair of covers on the road.
The difference in this team’s offensive efficiency with Flacco under center is striking compared to how this unit operates with Richardson leading the way. When rolling with the veteran, Indianapolis ranked in the top eight in EPA per dropback and scoring drive percentage across Weeks 4-6. Conversely, this offense ranked in the bottom third of the NFL in EPA per play (23rd), successful play rate (24th) and scoring drive percentage (26th) in the weeks that Richardson called the shots.
Making that call was a savvy move by Steichen with the Vikings on the schedule. Minnesota is looking for a get-right game after dropping its past two outings and failing to cover for the first time this year. The Vikings still maintain one of the league’s top records against the spread (5-2).
Defensive issues have sprouted up in recent weeks for Minnesota, namely struggling to cover with much consistency. Miscommunication and breakdowns on the backend have resulted in significant chunks of yardage. The team’s coverage unit has surrendered the highest open-target percentage (80.4%) and rate of passes gaining 15-plus yards (27.0%).
WR Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts: Over 5.5 receptions + Over 62.5 receiving yards (+100)
When Joe Flacco was at the helm from Weeks 4-6, Josh Downs looked like one of the NFL’s best receivers, having earned the third-highest PFF receiving grade (89.7) at the position, powered by top-five marks in threat percentage (33.3%), receptions (24) and first-down catches (15).
Downs is undoubtedly a crucial piece to this offense, and Flacco does well to highlight him, with the veteran targeting him nine or more times in each game they’ve played together this season. Downs sees a variety of matchups and target variety from the slot, which has allowed him to eclipse these lines in each game with Flacco.
The Vikings’ recent coverage issues are personified in the struggles experienced by safety Josh Metellus. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores deploys Metellus in a variety of alignments and looks, a role he performed well in to start the year. But over the past two games, Metellus has earned just a 38.9 PFF coverage grade and allowed the most open targets (10) and receptions of 15-plus yards (four) on the team.
Sunday Night Football: Colts-Vikings betting preview (odds, lines, best bets)
Examining Colts’ QB situation with Joe Flacco starting after Anthony Richardson’s benching
