The Minnesota Vikings have a big game on Monday Night Football this week against the San Francisco 49ers. 

Win this game, and the Vikes will improve to 3-4 and have their slim playoff chances remain alive. Lose this one, and it's hard to see a path forward this season. The trade deadline is just over one week away, so this game could have major consequences.

If the Vikes seek to remain competitive, the following three players will need to have great games. 

DJ Wonnum/Danielle Hunter

I chose Wonnum AND Hunter because the Vikes will need both to perform for the team to win. There’s a game script in which the Vikes are after Brock Purdy all night and cause a turnover or two. In this game script, Wonnum and Hunter will likely be the two key players. 

The Vikes have 18 total sacks as a team, and Wonnum and Hunter are responsible for 10 of those. The Niners have a tough offensive line, but the blitz-heavy Brian Flores defense could give it fits. If the two edge rushers rack up a couple of sacks each, it will likely result in a win for the Vikes. 

Jordan Addison

Addison needs to show he’s capable of shouldering the load without Justin Jefferson. We know Jefferson will miss the next three games at least, so the Vikings will have to find a way to score without him. 

Last week, the Vikings had less than 200 yards of offense and Addison had just 3 catches for 28 yards. That simply will not get it done against a team like the Niners. The Niners have an elite defense, so this will be a true test for the rookie receiver. 

This game could either be Addison's coming-out party, or it could be another disappointing offensive input. 

Kirk Cousins

Kirk Cousins needs to bounce back against the Niners if the Vikes have any chance. Through the first three games of the season, Cousins eclipsed 340 passing yards in each contest. However, Cousins has failed to eclipse the 300-yard mark in the month of October. 

If Cousins can have one of his typical 300+ yard, 3 TD performances, the Vikes have a great chance to win this game. If this is another game where Kirk takes a ton of hits and turns the ball over, then it could be a long night. 

Vikings’ Jordan Hicks wins NFC Defensive Play of the Week

The Vikings’ LB had a phenomenal game in Week 6.

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