The Sports Xchange

Kansas City Chiefs (1-4) at Minnesota Vikings (2-2)

Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis – TV: CBS

*TV announcers: Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, Stacey Dales

*Keys to the game: The Chiefs label their running game a committee approach with Charcandrick West and Knile Davis stepping in with Jamaal Charles (ACL) out for the season. Kansas City’s conservative offense has moved only in fits and starts and the Vikings are sure to compound those problems unless QB Alex Smith can find a groove early. The Vikings don’t let receivers off the line easily and Smith’s timing can be rattled.

The Vikings come off the bye week with fresh legs and RB Adrian Peterson remains the central focus with an average of 113.7 rushing yards in the three games since Minnesota’s debacle in the opener. QB Teddy Bridgewater has learned to slide and move up in the pocket when his edge blockers don’t hold. The Chiefs are struggling in sub-packages, and the Vikings can exploit the lack of depth in the secondary by working out of three-wide sets.

*Matchup to watch – Chiefs WR Jeremy Maclin vs. Vikings CB Xavier Rhodes: He’s practicing in boxing gloves this week because of a league-high seven defensive penalties in four games, but Rhodes could see a lot of Maclin, who has 27 receptions in the past three games.

*Player spotlight – Vikings WR Stefon Diggs: Electric agility and acceleration to top speed are the traits that pushed Diggs from return specialist into the mix at receiver. But he also put the ball on the ground twice in Week 4, and the Vikings will be wise about picking their spots with Diggs.

*Fast facts: Peterson has 17 touchdown runs of 40-plus yards, second-most in NFL history. … The Vikings have lost five straight games after a bye week.

WHO WILL WIN AND WHY

With no Jamaal Charles, the Chiefs are putting the game in Alex Smith’s hands against a rested and rugged front seven, leading to predictable results and prolonging the Kansas City tailspin.

*Our pick: Vikings 23-15.