Whether the the former No. 1 overall pick can go or not, Sunday should be a victory for the Vikings. Even after losing two-thirds of their special teams starters to injury, Minnesota is just better than Jacksonville.

On paper, this matchup has the potential to be the most dominant purple performance of the entire season, but this is the NFL, where nothing is that easy? Below, we tap into four bold predictions for Sunday’s Vikings vs. Jaguars game.

Sam Darnold scores a career-high five touchdowns

Vikings QB Sam Darnold has accounted for four touchdowns on three separate occasions in his seven-year career. One even came in Week 3 with the Vikings. But he’s never combined to score five touchdowns in a single game. We’ve already seen Darnold have a game with four touchdown passes.

We’ve also seen how mobile the former No. 3 overall pick is by picking up 12 first downs as a rusher this season. The Jaguars have allowed the ninth-most rushing touchdowns in the NFL and the second-most passing touchdowns, which gives Darnold a strong chance of setting a new career-high on Sunday, combining for five scores.

“We talked about Sam Darnold being great for fantasy last week… Jacksonville has already allowed the overall QB1 for fantasy football in three different games this year… It is another amazing matchup for Sam Darnold and this Vikings pass offense.”@DraftKings #DKPartner pic.twitter.com/RNb59EtsiU

— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) November 6, 2024

Related: Sam Darnold’s Contract Ranks as One of NFL’s Most Valuable Assets

Cam Akers racks up 80+ yards for first time with Minnesota Vikings

Recent addition Cam Akers provided a jolt of energy in last Sunday’s win, racking up 46 rushing yards despite getting just six carries. It’s become obvious that he’s now the preferred secondary option to Aaron Jones, quickly surpassing Ty Chandler. Expect that to continue in Week 10 after last week’s performance.

Cam Akers got 7 touches in his first game back with offensive snaps as a member of the Vikings. He had only gotten special teams run in the previous two games. pic.twitter.com/aP8CvqUgHX

— Matt Fries (@FriesFootball) November 5, 2024

Related: ESPN Analytics Guy Trashes Vikings Trade for Cam Robinson

Seeing Akers average 7.7 YPC could earn him a bigger role on Sundays, especially if the Jaguars game turns into a blowout. If the Vikings find themselves with a two or three-possession lead, it only makes sense to give Jones more rest while evaluating what Akers and even Chandler have in the tank. In other words, don’t be surprised if Akers has his best game yet as a member of the Vikings.

Dallas Turner records first career multi-sack game

It was hard not to notice Dallas Turner’s snaps increase last Sunday, seeing action on 25 defensive plays. Part of his sudden surge has to do with the extended absence of Blake Cashman, plus Andrew Van Ginkel being a bit banged up last Sunday. Yet, Turner did well with his opportunities, earning a career-high 73.1 pass-rushing grade from Pro Football Focus.

Turner also had a new personal best of four pressures, three hurries, and one hit. He was also credited with a run stop. But he hasn’t had a sack since his season debut in Week 1. This week, he gets to go up against a Jaguars offensive line that PFF ranks as the 11th-worst unit in the league.

Best game of Dallas Turner's NFL career last night. 26 snaps, nearly matching his total from the previous four games combined. 4 pressures, 1 QB hit, 1 run stop, 71.3 PFF grade. Encouraging stuff from the 21-year-old rookie.

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) November 4, 2024

Related: Cowboys Waive Former Minnesota Vikings Cornerback

The Jaguars have allowed the 19th-fewest sacks in the NFL, but they no longer have Cam Robinson at left tackle, and their right tackle, Anton Harrison, is tied for allowing the 15th-most pressures among tackles. Jacksonville’s shaky offensive line could present the perfect opportunity for Turner to build off last week’s momentum and have his first two-sack game as a member of the Vikings.

Ivan Pace Jr. scores another Minnesota Vikings defensive touchdown

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has mastered the art of confusing his opponents. Meanwhile, Ivan Pace Jr. is a jack of all trades, capable of getting run stops, pressuring quarterbacks, and using his impressive athleticism to get out in coverage too.

Pace plays like his hair is on fire, flying around the field to make his presence felt. We saw just how valuable that can be when he returned a fumble recovery 36 yards for a touchdown against Detroit.

IVAN PACE GIVES MINNESOTA THE LEAD!

📺: #DETvsMIN on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/n3PbVItTXp

— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024

Defensive touchdowns are rare, but the Jaguars will either have a QB playing at less than 100% or one who’s supposed to be a backup, which tends to create its own form of chaos. If Coach Flores can press all the right buttons and players follow through with his orders, we could see multiple takeaways, and Pace has the type of speed to bring one back to the house.

• Vikings vs Jaguars prediction: Vikings 28, Jaguars 13

Related: Minnesota Vikings Sign New Veteran Long Snapper, Place Andrew DePaola on IR

On Sunday, worlds collide when the Vikings take on Rodgers and the Jets. The scene will be set from London at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where a different type of football is typically played.

You’ll have to wake up early for this one, as the Vikings kick off at 8:30 am central time. But just like your local paperboy (do they still have those?), our weekly bold Vikings predictions have arrived right on time.

Related: Sam Darnold Among Vikings Slapped with Surprisingly Low PFF Grades in Week 4

Vikings QB Sam Darnold gets revenge on New York Jets with 300-yard day

The New York Jets told Sam Darnold he wasn’t good enough, after taking a tantalizing Aaron Rodgers-esque prospect out of BYU in the 2021 NFL Draft. Oops. Clearly Zach Wilson wasn’t the savior the Jets were seeking, despite selecting him second overall.

From there, Darnold’s career spiraled out of control. He spent two years trying to survive a dumpster fire in Carolina. His reputation now in tatters, the 2017 No. 3 overall pick got a chance to go back to QB school. He signed with the 49ers, hoping Kyle Shanahan could help get his career back on track.

After a year in San Francisco behind Brock Purdy, he got one final chance as a QB1 in Minnesota. And he has taken full advantage. Now, Darnold’s back with a vengeance, and he’s bringing Justin Jefferson with him. Don’t be surprised when Sam saves the best of his early 2024 revenge tour for his old team.

Bright and early on Sunday morning, our new QB will throw for 300 yards. It’ll be his first time hitting that number, as a Viking. And it won’t come easy. The Jets boast arguably the league’s greatest shutdown cornerback, in Sauce Gardner. They also hold an NFL-best 4.2 YPA as a defense. Putting up 300 on his old team would be the most significant one-game statistical accomplishment of Sam Darnold’s Vikings career, to date.

Related: Vikings vs Jets: Aaron Rodgers Says He’s Banged Up

Ty Chandler gets involved with 50+ rushing yards

Ty Chandler was only offered as an appetizer in the first two weeks, where he averaged 10.5 touches per game. Kevin O’Connell nearly took him completely off the menu over the past two weeks, where he had just seven touches in Week 3 and four in Week 4.

Perhaps Chandler’s role dwindled due to Aaron Jones’ effectiveness, but the Vikings could need their youngster more often, after an eight-hour flight to London. Don’t be surprised if Chandler hears his name called more often on Sunday.

We’re buying stock in Ty reaching 50 or more rushing yards, for the second time this season. The first came against Jets head coach Robert Saleh’s former team, the 49ers, in Week 2, so it’s not unreasonable to think Chandler can repeat his success against a similar defense.

Related: Kevin O’Connell Takes Lead in NFL Coach of the Year Race

Minnesota Vikings defense intercepts Aaron Rodgers twice

Did you know Aaron Rodgers has the best interception rate in NFL history? It’s true; no quarterback has mastered the art of avoiding an interception as much as Rodgers has. He even often throws the ball away just to avoid putting the ball in harm’s way, which is the right play.

Averaging an interception on just 1.4% of his career passing attempts, he’s had just 19 games with more than one pick thrown. At 0.8%, that’s even lower than his INT rate. But it can be done, and the Vikings even pulled it off in October of 2010. The Vikings lost that battle 28-24, but this time can be different.

Brian Flores’ defense ranks second in the NFL, with ten turnovers forced through four games. Stephon Gilmore has to be itching for his first interception with the Vikings, and you know Harrison Smith is eager to pick off a former rival again too. We’ll see if they can make Vikings fans jump out of their chairs against Rodgers one last time on Sunday.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Fans Love Aaron Jones… but Not Like His Former QB Does

Will Reichard drills field goal from 60+ in London

Being a rookie is never easy in the NFL, especially as a kicker. Just ask Daniel Carlson. While Carlson later bounced back from Mike Zimmer cutting him following a missed kick, the Vikings’ newest kicker is off to a much better start.

After being drafted in the sixth round back in April, Will Reichard always faced strong odds of making the team, but through four weeks, we’ve seen exactly why the Vikings were impressed. He leads the NFL in extra-point makes, which is a microcosm of KOC’s kickass offense, but the rookie’s been kicking with ice in his veins from distance too.

Related: See where Sam Darnold and Kirk Cousins land in the 2024 NFL QB Rankings

Reichard hasn’t missed a single kick, which includes a magnificent 58-yard boomer against Houston. Well, on Sunday, he’ll get to kick in front of over 60,000 fans in London. Many of those fans may be used to seeing a different-shaped football fly off the foot, but Will The Thrill can bring just as many cheers.

In fact, we’ll go as far as to say Reichard sets a new NFL record with the longest field goal ever made at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Games aren’t played in London often, so there haven’t been a lot of opportunities; however, Wil Lutz did hit a 60-yarder against the Minnesota Vikings back in 2022, so anything above 60 should do the trick, and we know Reichard has plenty of leg.

• Vikings vs Jets prediction: Vikings 27, Jets 17

Related: 2024 NFL Defense Rankings: Are the Vikings Among the Best?