The Vikings may have their bye week in Week 6, but that doesn't mean there aren't great reasons to watch some of this weekend's games. While the Purple and Gold get rest and their banged-up players get some much-needed time to heal, one game in particular should have fans' attention.
Of course, divisional matchups are always interesting and will have a big impact on the season. Games like the Bears vs. the Falcons and the Cowboys vs. the Packers on Sunday Night Football will be interesting, but an AFC matchup might be more deserving of the Vikings' attention.
At noon on Sunday, the Titans face off against the Colts in a game that may seem irrelevant in the scope of the current season, but Vikings fans have good reason to pay close attention to the AFC South showdown.
Vikings fans' attention should be on Titans vs. Colts on Sunday
The biggest reason to keep tabs on the aforementioned AFC South showdown is that the Vikings play the Colts in Week 7. That game at U.S. Bank Stadium will not only put the Purple and Gold's undefeated record on the line as they come out of their bye, but it will also feature former Vikings quarterback Daniel Jones under center for the opposition.
Since leaving Minnesota, Jones has gone 10-8 while completing 65.9% of passes for 4,122 passing yards and 22 touchdowns to 12 interceptions, with a 91.8 passer rating. He's also picked up 189 rushing yards and six more scores on 59 carries.
Getting a good look at Jones and Indianapolis star running back Jonathan Taylor (504 total yards from scrimmage and six TDs on 114 touches) will give Minnesota a sense of what to expect next week. That said, the Vikings also have plenty of reason to pay attention to the Titans on Sunday afternoon.
Recently, SKOR North's Judd Zulgad shared an interesting thought: the Vikings' offense desperately needs running back help behind Aaron Jones Sr., so Zulgad pitches Titans RB Tony Pollard as a potential target.
The Titans are 0-5 and have not been competitive this season. It may not take more than a mid-round draft pick to land Pollard if Tennessee decides to prepare for the future and throw in the towel this season. Meanwhile, he could be a great asset for Minnesota.
Pollard is 29 years old and has been one of the only solid parts of the Titans' roster this year.
Through five games this season, he has 68 carries for 273 yards and a touchdown, while adding eight catches for 24 yards. His four yards per carry is interesting considering how bad Tennessee has been this year. Not only that, but he has a Pro Football Focus grade of 71 for the year, placing him 12th out of 44 qualifying running backs.
Aaron Jones won't be the Vikings' starter forever. Pairing Pollard with Jordan Mason for the future makes a lot of sense and would provide more future stability while solidifying the backfield depth this season.
It will be interesting to see whether Minnesota inquires about Pollard's potential availability before the Nov. 10 trade deadline, especially if the losses keep piling up for the Titans. Let's see if the possibility of a Vikings-Titans trade becomes more likely after Sunday.
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