The Indianapolis Colts defense is coming off of a performance they’d most likely want to forget in Week 1. Now, they host the Minnesota Vikings offense in Week 2 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

After allowing Gardner Minshew to complete 19/20 pass attempts while also tossing three touchdown passes, the defense has a lot to prove in the home opener on Sunday.

Taking on Kirk Cousins and the Vikings offense, here are three keys for the Colts’ defense in Week 2:

Fix the mental mistakes

When it came to the biggest problem in the Colts defense in Week 1, it likely came down to mental mistakes and miscommunication in the secondary. Too often were the Colts out of position or confused on which coverage they were running.

The Colts have to have better communication and they have to have a cleaner game mentally. Xavier Rhodes can’t be caught peeking in the backfield in man coverage when his assignment is running a crossing route. The Colts have to fix these issues against the Vikings if they want to even their record.

Focus on the run

The Colts shaped up against the run in Week 1 after a slow start against James Robinson. But they will have a much tougher task on Sunday in trying to stop Dalvin Cook, who is one of the most dynamic runners in the league when healthy.

Cook didn’t have the most explosive game in Week 1 but he took 250 carries for 1,135 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2019. The Vikings offense flows through the run and through Cook. He can catch the ball out of the backfield and will be the top priority for the Colts.

Don’t let Adam Thielen beat the defense

While the Colts have to focus on the run, they also have to prioritize Thielen in the passing game. The 29-year-old wideout continues to be one of the more explosive and dynamic wide receivers in the game. He had six catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1.

The Colts secondary struggled mightily in Week 1 but Rock Ya-Sin had a solid game against the Jaguars. They will line up across from each other plenty and while the Colts run mostly zone coverage, Ya-Sin will have to carry the the secondary against a top talent in Thielen.