Coming into their Monday Night Football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Washington seemed destined to watch the playoffs from the comforts of home. At 2-5 and at the bottom of the NFC East, Dan Snyder's team had little chance to change their momentum given they were starting third-string quarterback Colt McCoy. One week later, Washington has some momentum after shocking the Cowboys on national television.
NFL picks and predictions, Washington vs. Vikings 2014: Experts can’t find consensus
With Robert Griffin III returning, Washington hopes to get on a run against Minnesota on the road.
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
While the playoffs are still a longshot, Robert Griffin III is returning to play for the first time since Week 2, which gives fans some hope going into the season's second half. Griffin sustained an ankle injury almost two months ago against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The former Heisman Trophy winner is trying to bounce back from last season, when Griffin threw 16 touchdowns against 12 interceptions and Washington ended up with a 3-13 record.
Minnesota will look to curtail that hope with a home victory behind rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and first-year head coach Mike Zimmer. The Vikings have struggled to find consistency but are coming off an overtime victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Also at 3-5, Minnesota is tied for third place in the NFC North with the Chicago Bears and aims to get rolling with dates against Washington and Chicago coming up with a bye week in between.
Over at USA Today, five of the seven experts believe Washington will go on the road and topple Minnesota. Of the 13 men picking games at ESPN, seven believe the Vikings will take care of business, giving them their first winning streak of the season. The eight opinions are evenly split at CBS Sports, both straight up and against the spread. Here at SB Nation, our predictions have three men picking Minnesota, three picking Washington, and one brave soul going with a tie.
See More:
