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| Photo: Vikings.com |
The Vikings put themselves in an excellent position to
claim an NFC North title with a 30-23 Thanksgiving victory over the Detroit
Lions. Quarterback Case Keenum completed 21 of his 30 passes for 282 yards and
two touchdowns. Tight end Kyle Rudolph grabbed a pair of scores and the Vikings
snapped a three-game losing streak against Detroit.
Keenum takes control,
Rudolph snatches touchdowns
Quarterback Case Keenum took control and played very
confidently in Thursday's win. He was moving in the pocket to escape the rush and made plays with
his legs. Keenum shook a safety blitz and found wide receiver Adam Thielen for
a key third down conversion. To open the game, he led the Vikings on a 14-play, 80-yard touchdown
drive, taking 6:59 off the clock. The team converted all three of their
third down tries and Keenum finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown strike
to tight end Kyle Rudolph. Much of the analysis last week discussed Keenum
taking risky chances down the field. In this game, he still drove the ball up
the field, but only had two or three decisions one would consider risky.
Otherwise, he was in a rhythm and using his pocket presence
to find his pass catchers up the field. He scored a nine-yard rushing touchdown out of
a zone-read look and picked up critical yardage with his legs. Later in the
game, Keenum also delivered his best pass of the season with a free rusher in
his face. Keenum stood tall and fired the pass to tight end Kyle Rudolph for a
22-yard score. He lofted the pass over two defensive backs and absorbed a big
hit to complete the touchdown. Keenum didn’t make mistakes and played very relaxed throughout
the game. His pocket presence is a major asset and shouldn’t be overlooked. His
natural feel for the game is truly something you cannot teach.
Keenum has a fantastic level of chemistry with wide receiver
Adam Thielen. Nobody sets up their routes and plays more methodically than Thielen.
He understands the defensive back’s tendencies and uses his footwork and quick
movements to settle into coverage soft spots. Thielen had eight catches for 89
yards and picked up several key third down grabs. The Vikings have also been efficient
in the red zone throughout the past three weeks. At one point, Minnesota had a
streak of 12 consecutive red zone trips where they scored a touchdown. They
were 3-for-5 inside the 20-yard-line on Thursday and completed their ninth
scoring drive of 80 yards or more this season. The Vikings’ offense has been executing
and playing efficient, which has helped them find balance. Offensive
coordinator Pat Shumur has been calling excellent plays in the red zone and it
has helped the Vikings execute at a high level.
Statement drive by
the offense
The offense made a huge statement by marching down the field
for a 4-play scoring out of halftime. Running back Latavius Murray broke free
for a 46-yard run and Jerick McKinnon added a 16-yard scamper to get Minnesota
into the red zone. Two more rushes, including a 2-yard plunge by Murray put the
Vikings up by three scores. Minnesota used 136 rushing yards and a pair of
scores to complement a rhythmic passing game. The offensive line was solid during this sequence,
especially guard Nick Easton and center Pat Eflein. Easton sparked numerous runs
and made an impressive block on a wide receiver screen to wide receiver Stefon
Diggs. He got out on the run and delivered a key block to set up the play.
Center Pat Elflein was sprinting into the second level and ran over 30 yards to block for Diggs. The Vikings quietly have a young core of
offensive lineman starting to develop and it has played a major role in their
success. The group is playing physical and it has opened up the entire offense.
With more experience, the unit is becoming more fundamentally sound as the
season progresses. The offensive line’s progression has been the single biggest difference
for the 2017 Vikings.
Defense bends, but doesn’t
break
The Vikings’ defense had several lapses throughout the game,
but the officiating played a role in several of the blunders. A quick 3-play,
75-yard drive by Detroit over 37 seconds was largely fueled by penalties,
including a long pass interference call. The Lions moved the ball in the second
half, but the defense held them to a pair of field goals. Their lone touchdown over
the final 30 minutes came with 12 players on the field. Cornerback Terence Newman
was unable to get off the field and tangled up with cornerback Xavier Rhodes. Neither Rhodes or Newman were able to tackle Marvin Jones. Quarterback Matthew Stafford lofted the
pass to Jones and he made a leaping grab to score from 43 yards out. However,
the defense made timely plays, including a key sack by Everson Griffen and a
game-cinching interception by cornerback Xavier Rhodes. It wasn’t Rhodes’ best
day, but he still made key plays throughout the afternoon. His late interception put the game on ice for the Vikings.
The officiating placed the Vikings in odd positions throughout the
game and the defense managed to overcome those obstacles. Quarterback Case Keenum
was called for a mysterious taunting penalty and the crew nearly failed to
review a scoring play, which was eventually called back. The crew also missed a
blatant defensive pass interference call on a deep throw to wide receiver Stefon
Diggs. This questionable non-call changed the entire dynamic of the game and
gave the Lions a glimmer of hope.
Minnesota pressured Matthew Stafford enough to get him frustrated and the defensive backs were in position to make several plays, but the Lions' wide receivers snatched difficult catches. Stafford injured his ankle in the late stages of the game and the Vikings used their pass rush to take advantage of this weakness. They sent extra pressure and locked down the Detroit offense in the late stages of the game.
Special teams needs
work
The Vikings must improve their special teams units on their
ten-day break. An extra point and field goal were blocked due to interior
pressure. Longsnapper Kevin McDermott was pancacked and defensive tackle A’Shawn
Robinson got a paw on the ball. The second miss was related to a poor snap and
hold, which attributed to a timing issue between the specialists. In addition,
there were multiple penalties on returns and Marcus Sherels made a poor
decision to run a deep kick out. Punter Ryan Quigley also poorly struck a punt
in the late stages of the game and was unable to flip the field. These are
areas the Vikings must clean up as they continue to play important games down
the stretch.
Minnesota has won seven games in a row and will now take
advantage of a ten-day vreak to prepare for the Atlanta Falcons. The Vikings
now hold a three-game lead in the NFC North with five games to play. They also
have erased the head-to-head tiebreaker with Detroit during this key win. This team has chemistry and is firing on all cylinders, which should make the final stretch of the season extra exciting.
Good read as always.
ReplyDeleteVery nice. Thanks
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