The Minnesota Vikings left London with a 28-25 win over the New Orleans Saints. These overseas games are a nuisance. The Vikings never really looked comfortable, especially on offense. This game shouldn’t have been close. Five field goals is too damn many field goals. Two of them were kicked from the red zone. Those have to be touchdowns. If they were touchdowns, I would’ve been breathing easier at the end of the game. The Saints wouldn’t have been close to being in position to end with the game with a double-doink miss with no time on the clock. The Saints thought that they had forced overtime. The Vikings thought that they were going to overtime. I thought that the game was going to overtime. The ball has to go through the uprights. It didn’t.
It’s a win.
The win isn’t all smiles as the Vikings lost rookie safety Lewis Cine to one of those gruesome lower leg injuries. It’s apparently so serious that the necessary surgery will be done in London. Vikings support staff will remain with him. He’ll come home when he’s able. Here’s to a complete and speedy recovery for Lewis Cine.
The Saints were missing a lot of players for this game. Jameis Winston, Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas, Andrus Peat, Marcus Maye. Who’d I miss? The situation was mentioned so often that the Saints became the emotional favorite of everyone with a voice. The announcers, the analysts, the general public. Everyone. I don’t remember anyone voicing similar sympathy when Kamara and the Saints ripped apart a Vikings defense made up of backups and street free agents on Christmas Day in 2020. Screw the Saints and the sad tears shed for them.
Justin Jefferson is back. After a couple quiet games, Jefferson had 150 of the 344 yards gained by the Vikings. He had 10 catches for 147 yards and scored on a three-yard run. If the connection between Jefferson and Kirk Cousins was slightly better on a couple plays in the red zone, there would’ve been at least one more touchdown and at least one fewer field goal. This game wouldn’t have been close.
This game shouldn’t have been close.
The Vikings scored points on six of their last seven possession. While it never felt like the offense was in sync, that’s efficient, consistent offense. Unfortunately, five of those possessions ended in field goals rather than touchdowns. They could move down the field with ease but couldn’t get into the end zone often enough. They have to get those touchdowns. The Vikings even started a possession on the Saints 20-yard line. They have to get that touchdown. This game shouldn’t have been close.
Taysom Hill is a pain-in-the-ass. That is all.
The Vikings defense is a work in progress. For most of the game, they controlled the Saints offense. Then there were a couple (three) possessions during which they couldn’t slow the run. Staying ahead of the chains on those possessions allowed an efficient Andy Dalton to play a little pitch-and-catch. Since the Vikings offense was too often settling for field goals, the Saints only needed two possessions to match what the Vikings did on five possessions. This game shouldn’t have been close.
It’s a win.
It’s great that the Vikings have won a couple games despite not playing as well as I believe that they can. It’s frustrating to see them out of sync. If they can ever get in sync, that could be something pretty great. The Vikings are 3-1 at near the first quarter of the season. The 17 game schedule sure hacked up the beautiful symmetry of an NFL season. They split against two of the most difficult opponents on the schedule (Green Bay and Philadelphia). It’s a very good start to the season.
These London games are such a nuisance. I’m happy for the UK Vikings fans that get to see their team in person. They’re beautiful people. Vikings fans are beautiful people. I’m so glad that the team got out of London with a win. Get out of London. Get back to Central Time. Get re-adjusted to Central Time. Get ready for a home game with the Chicago Bears.
Get well soon Lewis Cine.
No comments:
Post a Comment