Week 14 Thoughts

The Minnesota Vikings defeated the New York Jets for the first time in damn near 40 years. It took overtime but the Vikings exited week 14 with a 30-24 win.

Vikings receiver Jarius Wright turned a short pass from Teddy Bridgewater into an 87-yard, game-winning touchdown.

The Vikings are now 6-7. The Jets dropped to 2-11. They didn't play like a 2-11 team.

The Vikings-Jets series now sits at 2-8 in favor of the Jets. This is an infrequent series that started with the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. It's simply astonishing that the Vikings have had such difficulties with the Jets over the years. For a team that entered the game yesterday with all kinds of on-the-field and off-the-field issues, the Jets were a fairly complete pain-in-the-ass.

It didn't start that way. The first play from scrimmage was all Vikings. Rookie linebacker Anthony Barr was out with a knee injury. Gerald Hodges started in Barr's place and intercepted Jets quarterback Geno Smith's ugly first throw and returned it 27 yards for a Vikings touchdown. 7-0 before the game was 13 seconds old.

The Jets defense also put up some points. Sheldon Richardson sacked Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in the endzone for a safety. 7-2.

Percy Harvin had his best game as a Jets player. Big surprise there as Harvin seems to play with extra pep against the team that drafted him. The Jets first big offensive play was a 45-yard pass when Vikings corner Captain Munnerlyn decided not to cover Harvin. Fortunately for the Vikings, that play led to no points. Harvin also provided the Jets first offensive points on a 35-yard touchdown reception. Harvin later had a 47-yard kick return that set up a Jets field goal. He had six receptions for 124 yards on the day. He didn't do much on runs out of the backfield but he did enough everywhere else.

The Vikings defense was a bend-but-don't-break defense yesterday. The Jets offense gained over 400 yards. Last week against the Miami Dolphins, the Jets were very, very run heavy. They were more balanced yesterday. Effectively balanced. 168 yards rushing. 242 yards passing. The best thing that the Vikings defense did was prevent touchdowns. That's usually an effective strategy in winning football games. The Jets entered the redzone on five occasions. Four resulted in field goals. They also fumbled the ball away on the 4-yard line. The Jets had their opportunities but couldn't punch the ball in for touchdowns. The Harvin touchdown reception was the Jets only touchdown on the day. Nick Folk kicked five field goals.

There were moments in the first half that felt like the Vikings were about to blow the game open. The Jets never let it happen.

There were moments, a lot of moments actually, in the second half that felt like the Jets were going to steal this game from the Vikings.

The Vikings still had a few opportunities to seal the win before it got to overtime. Blair Walsh missed a 39-yard field goal in the third quarter that could have pushed the lead to 24-18. Seeing as the Jets couldn't score touchdowns that could have made it a two-score game. Early in the fourth quarter, Vikings defensive end Brian Robison deflected a Geno Smith at the line. Fellow end Everson Griffen had the ball in his hands and over 90 yards of open field ahead of him. He couldn't hold onto the ball and it fell to the ground. That allowed the field that tied the game up at 21. Late in the fourth quarter, Jets punt returner Jeremy Kerley muffed a punt. Vikings safety Antoine Exum was in position to recover but his momentum carried him past the ball. That allowed the drive that ended in another Jets field goal that tied the game at 24. Blair Walsh missed a 56-yard field as time expired that would have given the Vikings the win in regulation.

I can't remember Walsh ever missing two field goals in a single game.

Both teams missed a key defensive player in the game due to injuries. The Vikings were without Barr. The Jets were without their tremendous defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson. Hodges played well in place of Barr. The Jets made do without Wilkerson as they were able to put pretty consistent pressure on Bridgewater.

The Jets have a very effective front seven. When healthy, there are few better defensive end tandems than Wilkerson and Richardson. Outside linebacker Jason Babin can still get to the quarterback. It feels like inside linebacker David Harris has been playing for a decade but he keeps making impact plays. Head coach Rex Ryan is an excellent defensive coach and he has some nice defensive talent. Especially in the front seven.

It was Richardson, all 300+ pounds of him, chasing Wright down the sideline on the game-winning touchdown.

The Jets rough season will probably get Ryan fired. There are rumors that he could have a TV job waiting for him but I don't see him leaving coaching. Despite recent rough seasons, I think that he loves coaching too much to leave it. Someone will hire him to coach their defense.

Vikings receiver Charles Johnson has really made an impact over the last few games. He gets open a lot. He had a 56-yard touchdown yesterday. He made the corner look foolish on a double move to get wide open. He gets open deep. He gets open on crossing routes. He just gets open. The Vikings signed Johnson off of the Cleveland Browns practice squad earlier in the season and has been a real nice find. One thing that he could do better is securing the ball once he catches it. He bobbled the ball on a crossing route before finally securing it. He should have had a second touchdown but fumbled at the goal line. Fortunately Jerome Felton recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. If Cordarrelle Patterson can get back to his explosive self, the Vikings have terrific young receivers in Johnson, Patterson, and Jarius Wright.

I'd sure like to see recently signed running back Ben Tate get more carries. He had three carries midway through the second half for 15 yards. He has much more burst than the plodding Matt Asiata. Asiata had 19 carries for 54 yards. With rookie Jerick McKinnon placed on injured reserve the Vikings have Asiata, Tate and Joe Banyard carrying the backfield load over the next three games. Unless, Adrian Peterson finally and justly returns from his excessive suspension.

Vikings rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater took another solid step forward. He completed 19 of 27 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns. That final 87-yard touchdown pass to Wright was a big boost to his yardage totals. He takes good care of the ball. He threw an interception on his "Hail Mary" to end the end of the half. An interception that only factored into the stat sheet. It had no impact on the game. He remains calm behind a porous offensive line. Guard Charlie Johnson left in the second half with a lower leg injury. Even when healthy the line was rarely doing Bridgewater any favors. Johnson's injury left the Vikings with only two original starters in Matt Kalil and John Sullivan.

The only stat that matters, Teddy Bridgewater is 5-4 as the Vikings starting quarterback.

The Vikings have to get the line patched up immediately. They face that buzzsaw of a defensive front in Detroit next week.

I hope that Bridgewater's 56-yard touchdown pass to Johnson silences the "he can't throw deep" critics that have been trailing him for months. Nice timing and touch on that throw and others.

As for the Jets young quarterback, Geno Smith looked good. Take away that first horrible throw to start the game and he might have led a solid Jets win. He completed 18 of 29 passes for 254 yards. He was also aware and elusive in the pocket. He ran much better than I expected. His 18-yard run at the end of regulation set up the overtime-forcing field goal.

The Vikings had two 100-yard receivers. Johnson with 103 yards. Wright with 123 yards. It had been ten years since the Vikings last had two receivers with over 100 yards in a game (Randy Moss and Nate Burleson).

The Jets-Vikings game was on CBS. I don't see many Vikings games on CBS. I don't think that I have ever heard Spero Dedes call a game. He really needs to do his homework. He had left tackle Matt Kalil playing on the right side of the Vikings line. He had right guard Joe Berger at center. He said that Bridgewater started the season as the Vikings #2 quarterback behind Christian Ponder. He said that Charles Johnson was undrafted out of Grand Valley State. None of these were accurate statements. This homework has to be the easiest part of a broadcasting job. Come on! Just peak at a media guide.

In his postgame press conference, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said that the Vikings are Bridgewater's franchise. When told of this Bridgewater said that this is "everyone's franchise. This is the Vikings franchise and I'm the quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings. This is...Vlad Ducasse's franchise. Jabari Price. Jerick McKinnon. All of us play our role."

I really like this Bridgewater kid.

Vikings get the Lions in Detroit next week.

Another impressive comeback from Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck against the Cleveland Browns. He hit TY Hilton for a 1-yard touchdown with 32 seconds remaining for a 25-24 win. The Browns defense put up two touchdowns to take possessions away from the Colts and put points on the board. Luck had a rough day. He was his team's leading rusher with 37 yards. Pretty shitty ground game. He completed less than 50% of his passes. 24/53 for 294 yards. Great quarterbacks find ways to win games when things aren't going their way. The Colts may have some deficiencies but they have Andrew Luck. As long as he's still standing they will always have a chance.

The NFC South really is a mess. The Carolina Panthers were horrible against the Vikings last week. They did very little right in that 31-13 loss. They visited New Orleans yesterday and slapped the Saints around 41-10. I thought that the Saints aren't supposed to lose at home. The Atlanta Falcons are 5-7 and play the Green Bay Packers tomorrow night. They are ahead of the 5-8 Saints and in first place in this sad division. This division isn't right. The Panthers are 4-8-1 and in the thick of this pathetic division race. Hell, the 2-11 Tampa Bay Buccaneers could still stumble their way into a tie for first place before the season is over.

Big win for the Arizona Cardinals over the Kansas City Chiefs. Both are playoff hopefuls and both have struggled the last couple of weeks. The Seattle Seahawks are heating up and the Cardinals needed this win to stay a game up with three to go.

The Seattle Seahawks-Philadelphia Eagles game had a playoff feel to it. The Seahawks defense dominated in the 24-14 win. Chip Kelly's genius offense piled up 139 total yards. The Seahawks offense gained 440 yards. You'd think that the Seahawks should have blown out the Eagles. The Seahawks offense managed to make enough mistakes to keep the Eagles in the game.

It should come as no surprise that the Seahawks defense starts playing like the Seahawks defense with the return of linebacker Bobby Wagner.

When the New England Patriots acquired linebacker Akeem Ayers from the Tennessee Titans for a late-round pick before the trade deadline there was barely a ripple of news. Ayers seems to make an impact play for the Patriots every week.

The New England Patriots-San Diego Chargers game was another one that had a playoff feel to it. With a brutal closing schedule, the Chargers needed that win. The Patriots got it and are in great shape to seal the #1 seed in the AFC.

I know some people that weren't surprised that the Oakland Raiders upset the San Francisco 49ers. I wasn't one of them.