Jacksonville's Road Games.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are set to take on the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in Mall Of America Field to open up the 2012 NFL season. The Jaguars hope to get off to a quick start on the road, as they face division favorite Houston in Week 2 back in Jacksonville.
The Jaguars are 3.5 point underdogs in the game, but the two teams are very similar outside of Jacksonville being much healthier at the running back position. The Jaguars offense should be able to move the football against the Vikings defense just so long as left tackle Eugene Monroe can limit Jared Allen's impact on the game.
If Allen is consistently in the backfield and harassing quarterback Blaine Gabbert, the Jaguars offense is going to have a tough day and the game will remain close. On defense, the Jaguars are going to need to keep Percy Harvin contain, as he's the biggest threat on a struggling Vikings offense. Tight end Kyle Rudolph might also be a concern with the injuries to the Jaguars linebackers.
Location: Mall of America Field in Minneapolis, Minn.
Kickoff Time: 1 p.m. ET
TV: CBS, TV Map
Announcers: Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots