Vikings - Jets

This team is going to be the death of me. 

The Minnesota Vikings held off the New York Jets. 27-22. The game wasn’t over until Camryn Bynum intercepted Mike White’s 4th-and-10 throw to the goal line with about 10 seconds to play. 

The Vikings defense started and ended the game with an interception. One could argue that those were the only two plays that the defense made. That’s a little harsh. They had a goal line stand with less than two minutes to play. That was huge. They forced the Jets to “settle” for five field goals. That proved to be huge. They gave up a single touchdown. That single touchdown was a one-yard Mike White sneak on fourth down and the Jets needed replay to award them the score. The Vikings defense held up well when the Jets got close. The problem was that the Jets got close often. The Jets traveled to the red zone six times. They scored 16 points. The Jets left a lot of potential points on the field. Those missed points were the difference in the game. The Vikings defense made it very difficult for the Jets offense to get into the end zone. Isn’t that the ultimate goal of any defense? 

The Vikings have won ten of 12 games. They’ve followed an unusual script for those ten wins. Nine have been by a single score. Each has been so damn tense. In each, the Vikings have found a way to win that game. Offense, defense, special teams. Each has made a play at just the right time. A Camryn Bynum pick here. A Justin Jefferson catch there. A booming Ryan Wright punt when a booming punt is desperately needed. This Vikings team simply finds a way to win. If nothing else, they are battle-tested. It’d nice for the heart, if they could find a way to put it all together from opening kickoff to the final second and cruise to a multi-score win. The playoffs are going to be tense. It’d be nice if some of these final five regular season games aren’t so tense. 

This game against the Jets started like it wasn’t going to come down to the final play. Harrison Smith intercepted a deflected pass on the first possession of the game. The Vikings settled for a field goal. They scored two touchdowns and two field goals in the first half. They led 20-6 at the half. It felt like it could’ve been a larger lead. The Vikings started two possessions on the Jets side of the field. Those were the possessions that ended in field goals. Kirk Cousins was off on some throws. The offense was a little rough. The defense was doing ok. It wasn’t perfect but the Vikings had a 14-point lead and the ball to start the second half. This was going to be that “easy” win. 

Nope.

The Jets defense controlled the second half. Their offense started making some big plays. The Vikings offense had four three-and-outs. Their second possession of the second half had potential. Six plays. On one of those plays, Cousins missed a wide open T.J. Hockenson behind the defense. On another of those plays, Jefferson dropped a pass that he routinely catches. Six-and-out. The Vikings offense finally put a drive together early in the fourth quarter. Seven plays, 75 yards, it ended with a 10-yard Cousins toss to Jefferson. Typical of too many games this season, the offense slept through a significant chunk of the game and woke up when they desperately needed to wake up. That touchdown made the score 27-15. A two score lead with 8:33 to play. The Vikings are going to close out an easy win. 

Nope. 

The Jets scored a touchdown to make it 27-22. The Vikings followed that with a three-and-out. The Jets drove to the goal line. The Vikings defense survived a first-and-goal from the four-yard-line. The Jets ran three three plays from the one-yard-line. The Vikings took over, did nothing, and Wright had to punt from the back of his own end zone. Two plays and the Jets had a first down on the Vikings 19-yard line. 32 seconds to play. The Viking defense survived four plays from the 19. The game wasn’t over until Bynum intercepted White’s throw to the end zone. 

I could finally relax and breathe. 

Inside of three minutes to play, the Jets offense ran 12 plays. Ten of those plays were snapped inside the Vikings 20-yard line. On any one of those plays, it felt like the Jets could win the game. It’s a nerve-shattering way to play football. 

The Vikings won. They are now 10-2. They travel to Detroit in Week 14. A win over the Lions will clinch the NFC North. Hopefully, left tackle Christian Darrisaw is in the lineup. Kirk Cousins and the entire offense will benefit immensely with his return. Maybe cornerback Cam Dantzler is back. The defense will benefit immensely with his return. 

The Minnesota Vikings are 10-2.