Another missed opportunity. Another could’ve had it. Another loss. The Minnesota Vikings lost another single-score game. The Vikings lost to the Baltimore Ravens 34-31. The difference in the game was an overtime field goal.
For the first 30 minutes and 13 seconds the Vikings played sound, complimentary football. The offense had some big plays, scored some points. The defense was doing a fine job of limiting, often containing, Lamar Jackson. For the first time in years, the Vikings had a kick return touchdown. Offense, defense, even special teams. After rookie running back Kene Nwangwu returned the second half kick off 98 yards for a touchdown, it all felt pretty great for the Vikings. With a 24-10 lead, everything was beautiful.
Then it wasn’t.
That 14-point lead evaporated because of a problem that’s torpedoed the Vikings all season.
Too many pathetic offensive possessions.
The first 30:13 of the game was wonderful, complimentary football. The final 29:47 was the opposite of that. The Ravens answered Nwangwu’s touchdown return with three offensive possessions that flipped the game.
1. 10 plays, 72 yards, 6:08-Touchdown
2. 18 plays, 82 yards, 10:17-Touchdown
3. 7 plays, 61 yards, 4:16-Touchdown
Over the first 26:31 of the second half, the Ravens held the ball for 20:41. They ran a ridiculous 35 plays. They gained 215 yards. Between those Ravens possessions, the Vikings offense had two opportunities with the football.
1. 7 plays, 16 yards, 4:03-Punt
2. 3 plays, -3 yards, 1:34-Punt
The lone first down came on a fake punt. It was Nwangwu again. He took the snap and scampered for the first down. For a moment, it felt like a turning point. A jolt. It wasn’t. The Vikings offense came back on the field and did nothing. A couple penalties. A couple incompletions. The fake punt gave the offense a new set of downs at their own 42-yard line. The punt team returned to the field with the ball at their own 41-yard line. Not good.
215 yards vs 13 yards! 13 yards! That sort of offensive ineptitude should never happen with players like Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and Kirk Cousins on the roster.
Too many pathetic offensive possessions.
The defense forced two turnovers. A diving interception by rookie safety Camryn Bynum. A brilliant tip and catch by Anthony Barr. In the second quarter, Bynum’s interception and 27-yard return set the offense up nicely at the Ravens 16-yard line. Instead of a touchdown and a 21-3 lead, the Vikings offense gained -1 yards on three plays and settled for a field goal. Not good. Barr’s great play came on the Ravens opening possession of overtime. My goodness, it felt like the play that was going to deliver a hard-fought win for the Vikings. The Ravens were driving and Barr and the defense took the ball away. The offense just needed a field goal. Gain about 25 yards and win this game. Nope. Three plays, one yard, punt. Not good. Those two turnovers should’ve been the difference in an important win. Instead, they were just stats.
Too many pathetic offensive possessions.
It looked like chasing and containing Lamar Jackson for most of the game eventually gassed the Vikings defense. The Ravens long, second-half drives and the Vikings offense doing nothing to give them relief took it’s toll. It also didn’t help being without Danielle Hunter, Michael Pierce, Harrison Smith, Patrick Peterson, and Bashaud Breeland (for the second half). Despite getting gassed in the second half, the Vikings defense played well enough to win this game. On their first two touchdown drives of the second half, the Ravens needed fourth-down conversions on their side of the field to keep the ball. These are gambles that most teams don’t take. The Ravens aren’t most teams because they have Jackson handling the football.
If one’s to get really bitchy about this game, one can look to the Ravens opening possession of the game as a turning point. On fourth-and-two from the Vikings 49-yard line, D.J. Wonnum chased down Jackson. As Wonnum’s pulling him down, Jackson pitches the ball errantly and Barr recovers it. The Vikings should’ve been rewarded by this great defensive play by Wonnum with the ball on the Ravens 47-yard line. Instead, the officials called Wonnum for a horse collar tackle despite his hand clearly being on Jackson’s #8. It wasn’t a horse collar. It wasn’t even close to being a horse collar. The first break of the game should’ve been a Vikings turnover. Instead, it was a botched call by the officials that greatly benefited the Ravens. That botched call allowed the Ravens to continue on to a field goal. In a game that was ultimately decided by a an overtime field goal, that early gift was significant.
If the Vikings had played against the Bengals, Browns, and Cowboys like they did against the Ravens, they wouldn’t be looking up at .500. The Vikings lost another game they could’ve won and are now sitting at 3-5. They need a run. They might need a nine-game run. In order to go on that run, they must stop with the pathetic offensive possessions. Despite missing many key players, the defense is improving each week. Despite that improvement, they need to get Pierce, Peterson, Smith, and Breeland back on the field. As a team, they must get their shit together.
It’d also be nice if the unvaccinated players get vaccinated. I’m not sure how much more of that stupidity and selfishness I can take.
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