It took 25 minutes, but the Vikings eventually awoke from a deep slumber. Daniel House analyzed the win and explained how Minnesota accumulated 27 unanswered points in a 27-9 win.
After establishing a quick rhythm in last week’s 41-17 win,
Vikings fans thought the team’s slow starts might be a thing of the past. However, they
endured another in Sunday’s game against Detroit.
Undisciplined play and offensive predictability have plagued
Minnesota throughout the season. It took 25 minutes, but the Vikings eventually
awoke from a deep slumber. They scored 27 unanswered points to claim an
important 27-9 win over the Lions.
Minnesota went three-and-out over the first four drives of
the game. Penalties, poor field position, negative running plays and a dropped
pass, had the Vikings’ offense on its heels. Through one quarter of play, they
managed to accumulate just five total yards and zero first downs. Quarterback
Kirk Cousins delivered several passes late and didn’t feel the pocket when he
faced pressure. The offensive line couldn’t get a push, Cousins took two sacks
and everything was locked up. Things didn’t change until the final two minutes
of the half.
Kirk Cousins found Adam Thielen for a 40-yard gain off a
busted coverage. It was the star wide receiver’s first target and catch of the
afternoon. A few plays later, Cousins found receiver Stefon Diggs for an
eight-yard score. Thielen has received a low amount of early targets in recent
games. In the future, Minnesota must find a way to get him involved early.
Detroit’s lead was trimmed to 9-7 with under two minutes remaining
in the half. Cornerback Mackensie Alexander made a stop in space and the
Vikings’ offense had a chance to add more points. Minnesota reached midfield
and two seconds remained before Kirk Cousins heaved a pass deep into the end
zone. Detroit had seven players in the end zone, but only one player tried to
make a play on the ball. Tight end Kyle Rudolph leapt in front of defenders and
hauled in a 44-yard Hail Mary as time expired. After playing poorly in the
first half, the Vikings entered halftime with a 14-9 lead. Rudolph put together
his best performance of the season on Sunday. He grabbed nine passes for a
career-high 122 yards and two touchdowns. Cousins frequently went his way in
play action off roll-out looks. He also hit Rudolph off corner routes as he settled
into the soft spot of coverages.
Minnesota’s offensive line continues to perform very inconsistently,
especially within the interior. Mike Remmers is struggling at right guard and
center Pat Eflein hasn’t played to his full potential this year. The unit was
getting a better push in the second half, but they’ll need to show improved
consistency down the stretch.
On the other side, the Vikings’ defense continues to perform
well over the past four weeks. Excluding offensive errors and special teams
help, they have surrendered 14 points per game over this stretch. The pass rush
is disruptive and the coverage has been particularly exceptional in the
backend.
In Sunday’s game, linebacker Eric Wilson stepped up. With
Eric Kendricks missing the game due to a hamstring injury, Wilson was thrust
into a starting role. Detroit used specific personnel packages to frequently
place Minnesota in the base package. They had some early success, but Minnesota
made some adjustments. Wilson led the team with nine tackles (three for loss),
three quarterback hits and a sack. Linebacker Ben Gedeon also added eight
tackles and a pass breakup in extended action. The Vikings sacked Matthew
Stafford two times and held him to just 116 passing yards. Minnesota’s
secondary has been performing well and has limited the overall separation gained
by opposing wide receivers. Cornerback Mackensie Alexander had two pass
breakups, including a crucial play in the end zone. Top cornerback Xavier
Rhodes exited with an injury in the fourth quarter, but head coach Mike Zimmer didn’t
seem too concerned. With the Vikings’ defense playing cohesively, much of the
team’s future success will center around the offense managing to make plays.
After starting the first 25 minutes of the game with 12
plays, four yards and zero points, the Vikings’ offense accumulated 322 yards
and 24 points during the next 25 minutes. The coaches will need to figure out
what’s leading to such lethargic starts offensively. When the team has gotten
off to a quick start, everything has clicked on both sides of the ball.
Establishing a rhythm is going to be extra important against quality teams like
the Bears. With the Eagles’ last-second win over the Texans, Minnesota will
need to beat Chicago next week to earn a playoff spot. If Minnesota doesn’t
win, Philadelphia must lose to the Redskins.
The Vikings have areas to fix offensively and they must play
more disciplined if they want to extend their season. All of the mistakes they
made, including penalties will haunt them against some of the NFC’s best
talent. If they can’t make adjustments, Sunday’s game against Chicago will
become even more of a challenge.
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