Minnesota offense vs. Kansas City defense

	VIKINGS OFFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	Run	18
	Pass	1
	Tot. Yds.	2
	Scoring	5
	Int's allowed	17
	Sacks allowed	31
	CHIEFS DEFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	vs. Run	11
	vs. Pass	18
	Total yds. allowed	12
	# of Ints.	19
	# of Sacks	27
	Turnover differential	+17

Vikings offensive coordinator Ray Sherman devised a smart game plan against the Bucs but his players did a poor job of executing on the field.

QB Jeff George threw two costly interceptions and could have had more if the Bucs had secured a couple more of his errant throws. Compounding their disappointing evening was a lost fumble by RB Leroy Hoard and few drops by sure-handed WR's Cris Carter and Randy Moss, who both went over the 1,000-yard mark for the season.

The Vikings had some trouble getting open deep against Tampa's aggressive zone defense and they can expect to see a lot more of the same this week in Kansas City. The Chiefs matchup very well in the secondary against the Vikings' multiple-receiver sets with DCs Chris Dishman, James Hasty, and Eric Warfield.

It will imperative that Hasty get healthy enough to play the entire game on Sunday now that WR Jake Reed is beginning to work his way out of a season-long slump. Reed led the team with six receptions and 63 yards last week, working mostly on underneath crossing routes behind the zone linebackers.

Kansas City registered an interception for the 11th straight game last week but that record could be in jeopardy if the defensive line doesn't put consistent pressure on George and force him to make plays outside the pocket.

The Chiefs only got to the quarterback twice last week, including once on a blitz, and that won't get the job done against Minnesota's capable offensive line. The Bucs sacked George three times last week but pass protection was not to blame, as the majority of pressure was coverage-related.

If the Vikings can't dictate the pace of the game through the air, RB's Hoard and Robert Smith are capable of turning the game into an ugly ground battle. Minnesota has a tendency of getting away from the run but they've averaged four yards per carry over the course of the season.

Look for Sherman to concentrate the running game behind the massive right side of ROT Korey Stringer and ROG David Dixon, who should be able to handle LDE Eric Hicks and LDT Chester McGlockton at the point of attack. If Dixon struggles against the quicker McGlockton, the Vikings always have the option of inserting backup Corbin Lacina.

Look for the Chiefs to stick to their guns this week against a faltering Vikings run defense that is giving up over four yards per carry. Kansas City should be able to pound the ball behind their solid offensive line.

A big concern for Cunningham is the health of starting OC Tim Grunhard, who left last week's game with a right quad strain. If Grunhard can't play, the Chiefs will miss his push in the run game but backup Jeff Smith, who performed admirably last week in relief, normally plays better when he is in the lineup from the start.

Minnesota's coaching staff is looking for three players to crank their respective games up a notch-DT John Randle, MLB Ed McDaniel, and OLB Dwayne Rudd. The continued lethargic play of this trio is making the Vikings a fairly easy team to run the ball against, as Tampa's Mike Alstott proved last week with 95 yards on 23 carries. If the Chiefs can keep them off-balance with the combination of Richardson and RB Donnell Bennet, the Vikings will have a tough time getting their offense on the field.

Last week's nail-biter could have been a comfortable victory had QB Elvis Grbac connected on a couple of wide-open play-action passes. On three separate occasions, Grbac misfired downfield as he side-stepped pressure in the pocket.

The Chiefs need to test a porous Vikings secondary that was not tested last week by Tampa's ultra-conservative passing game. WR Derrick Alexander has gotten plenty of work the past month but his big-play ability has disappeared. Alexander and TE Tony Gonzalez should both have big days in the deep third of the field considering how slow FS Orlando Thomas has been providing help over the top.

A key for the Chiefs will be to eliminate the penalties that stalled a couple of drives last week. Although they weren't flagged in one particular area, the offensive line can't afford to play undisciplined and sacrifice field position against a high-scoring team like the Vikings.