MINNEAPOLIS -- From Aaron Rodgers to Eli Manning, Cam Newton to Marcus Mariota, Mike Zimmer has devised game plans that have made some of the leagues best and most dynamic quarterbacks look like lifelong backups.Next up for the Minnesota Vikings defensive mastermind: Andrew Luck .The Indianapolis Colts (6-7) come to Minnesota on Sunday on the outside of the playoff chase, and Luck knows that hell be facing one of his most difficult tests of the season.Coach Zimmer is obviously an incredible defensive mind, Luck said. You have to be able to run and throw the football, have to protect the football, have to be able to stay ahead of the chains. You dont want to get caught in third-and-long. When you get down in the red zone, you better score some points.Luck comes in ranked fifth in the league in yards per game, having topped 300 yards four times this season. Hes also an underrated running threat with 304 yards rushing, good for second on the team behind starting running back Frank Gore.Hes a tough guy. I really admire guys like him, Zimmer said. He gets hit, and he doesnt complain to the official or anything like that. He just goes about his business, and like I say, hes a tremendous, tremendous quarterback.The Vikings (7-6) are one of just three teams in the league that has yet to allow a 300-yard passer this season. The defense ranks second overall, third against the pass and first in points allowed, serving as the backbone of the Vikings desperate push for the postseason.With an offense that has struggled to put up points this season behind a patchwork offensive line, and a special teams unit that had to change kickers midseason because of Blair Walshs shaky right leg, the defense has been left to carry the load. And thats just the way Zimmer likes it.Here are some key angles about the game:ADRIAN LOOMS: Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson has missed the last 11 games have having surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. He returned to practice this week and said he is taking things day by day. Initially, he targeted the game at Green Bay on Dec. 24 to come back. But Peterson also said he likely wouldnt risk playing again this year if the Vikings were eliminated from playoff contention. A home loss to the Colts would push them pretty close to that edge.HARRISON SMITH UPDATE: Vikings standout safety Harrison Smith missed last weeks game against Jacksonville with a severely sprained ankle. Zimmer expressed optimism this week that Smith could defy the odds and return sooner rather than later. Smith missed practice the first two days of the week, leaving his status in doubt for the game. The Vikings certainly could use one of their biggest playmakers back to help them against the Colts, Packers and Bears.PLAYOFF WATCH: Nine AFC teams already have more wins than the Colts, and four of those hold head-to-head tiebreakers over Indianapolis. Add the Colts 4-6 record against conference foes and that its worse than any of the teams in front of them. Its obvious just how precarious their situation is: Win, and they can keep playoff hope alive, lose and they could easily be eliminated.PAGANO WATCH: Chuck Pagano got his first win as a head coach over the Vikings on Sept. 16, 2012. Since then, the Colts have gone to the playoffs three times, won two division titles and reached the AFC championship game in 2015. They also missed the playoffs last year and if they miss them this year, it would be the first time Indy has failed to make the postseason in back-to-back years since 1997 and 1998. Critics already are calling for Paganos ouster, and a second straight loss to a playoff contender would only increase the calls for the coaching change.MILESTONE WATCH: Gore has been passing Hall of Famers all season on the NFLs career rushing list. This week, he needs 77 yards from scrimmage to pass Tony Dorsett (16,293) for No. 10 on the leagues career list. WR T.Y. Hilton needs five receptions to post a career high (82 in 2013 and 2014) and 143 yards to surpass his previous career best (1,345 in 2014). Lucks next 300-yard game will move him into a tie with the late John Unitas (26) for No. 3 on the franchises career list, and K Adam Vinatieris next victory will give him 200 regular-season wins in his career.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Youth Andrew Brown Jersey . John Tavares, Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo were also being counted on to slow down sizzling Rangers forward Rick Nash. That plan didnt go so well early. Cheap Bengals Jerseys .J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons. http://www.wholesalebengalsjerseys.com/ .Y. -- Jayna Hefford scored the winning goal Friday as Canada survived a scare with a 4-3 win over Sweden at the Four Nations womens hockey tournament. Youth Auden Tate Jersey . The Montreal Canadiens announced on Friday that the veteran forward will return to the teams line-up on Saturday night when the Habs visit the Nashville Predators. Youth Malik Jefferson Jersey . A lawyer for MLB, Matthew Menchel, confirmed Wednesday the league dropped its case against Biogenesis of America, its owner Anthony Bosch and several other individuals. The lawsuit had accused Biogenesis and Bosch of conspiring with players to violate their contracts by providing them with banned performance-enhancing substances. BALTIMORE -- Rick Porcello pitched a four-hitter for his major league-high 21st victory, David Ortiz and Mookie Betts hit two-run homers and the Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 on Monday night to pad their lead in the AL East.Coming off a four-game sweep of the Yankees, Boston sustained its late-season surge in the opener of an important four-game series for both clubs. The Red Sox stand atop the division by a season-high four games.Adam Jones homered and Mark Trumbo picked up his 102nd RBI for the second-place Orioles, who started the day with a one-game lead over Toronto for the top AL wild card.Porcello (21-4) struck out seven and walked none in his third complete game of the year. Five days earlier against Baltimore, the right-hander gave up one run in eight innings but took the loss.Playing his final regular season series in Baltimore, the 40-year-old Ortiz connected against rookie Dylan Bundy (9-6) with a man on in the fifth for a 5-1 lead.CUBS 5, REDS 2CHICAGO -- Dexter Fowler hit a tiebreaking single with two outs in the seventh inning, and Chicago beat Cincinnati.Fowlers line drive into center field capped a three-run rally for the Cubs after they were shut down by Tim Adleman most of the night. It also made a winner of Jason Hammel (15-9), who pitched seven solid innings.Jason Heyward added a two-run homer in the eighth as the Cubs moved seven games ahead of Washington for the best record in the National League, lowering their magic number for clinching home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs to five. Thats the only major goal still out there during the regular season for major league-leading Chicago after it secured the NL Central title last week.BRAVES 7, METS 3NEW YORK -- Aaron Blair won for the first time in 13 major leaague starts, Freddie Freeman drove in three runs off a misfiring Noah Syndergaard and Atlanta slowed New Yorks wild-card chase.ddddddddddddFreeman had four hits for the Braves, who have the worst record in the National League, and rookie Dansby Swanson had three hits and three RBI.New York had won 11 of its previous 14 games and led the NL wild-card race at the start of the night, one game ahead of San Francisco and two in front of St. Louis.Pitching on five days rest rather than four, Syndergaard (13-9) allowed five runs, eight hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings.Blair (1-6) gave up six hits in six innings and lowered his ERA to 7.71.MARLINS 4, NATIONALS 3MIAMI -- Giancarlo Stanton homered and Miami beat Washington.Christian Yelich, Ichiro Suzuki and Derek Dietrich also drove in a run for the Marlins and A.J. Ramos pitched the ninth for his 38th save in 41 chances.Brian Ellington (3-2) picked up the win with an inning of relief while Mat Latos (7-3) took the loss.ROYALS 8, WHITE SOX 3KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Yordano Ventura picked up his first complete-game victory, Kendrys Morales hit a three-run homer and Kansas City defeated Chicago.The Royals have won three straight, keeping their faint playoff hopes flickering with 12 games remaining. The Royals went 14-5 against the White Sox this year.Ventura (11-11) gave up nine hits, struck out five and walked one. His only other complete game in the majors was a loss July 28 at Texas.Morales homered off Carlos Rodon (7-10) in a four-run fifth. Morales homered in back-to-back games, bringing his total to 29. The last Royal to hit 30 home runs in a season was Jermaine Dye, with 33 in 2000. 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