Most “experts” didn’t expect much from the Minnesota Vikings this season. 6 wins. 7 wins at best. Most had the Vikings chasing the bottom of the division rather than challenging for the top. ESPN’s collection of “experts” had the San Francisco 49ers defeating the Vikings yesterday. All of them. The 49ers didn’t win. The Vikings defeated the defending NFC Champions in US Bank Stadium, 23-17. The Vikings controlled the game pretty much start to finish. If not for a couple plays by 49ers brilliant middle linebacker Fred Warner, the margin might’ve been three or four scores.
Two games are hardly a suitable sample size, but…
The Minnesota Vikings might be pretty good.
The offense is competent and efficient.
The defense is superb.
The Vikings are a deep and talented team.
For the second game, Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was very good.
17 completions
26 attempts
2 touchdowns
1 interception
109.1 rating
Two throws stood out above the rest:
The bomb to Justin Jefferson from the end zone that turned into 97-yard touchdown was a beauty.
So was the 26-yard toss to Jalen Nailor on 3rd-and-8 to the 49ers 28-yard line. That play was the key play in the drive that drained nearly seven minutes from the clock and ended with Will Reichard’s game-clinching field goal.
Darnold was remarkable on that game-clinching drive. The Vikings entered the game without tight end T.J. Hockenson and receiver Jordan Addison. Justin Jefferson was lost in the third quarter to injury. Darnold was without his top three targets for the fourth quarter. The 49ers had just cut the lead to 20-14. With 10:16 to play, the Vikings had to burn the clock and hopefully push the lead back to two scores. On that key drive, Darnold converted three third downs with passes to Brandon Powell twice and Nailor once. The latter throw was every bit beauty as the long touchdown to Jefferson.
Justin Jefferson was his ridiculous self. The 97-yarder will be remembered like Bernard Berrian’s 99-yarder nearly two decades ago. Actually, Jefferson’s will be better remembered because it’s Jefferson.
For the game:
4 catches
133 yards
1 touchdown (97)
Justin Jefferson is the best receiver in the league.
The Vikings were hardly flawless on offense. A promising first drive was derailed at midfield when Johnny Mundt appeared to have a different play in mind than the one called. He went in motion. The problem was that so did Jefferson. Mundt ended up running into Darnold as he was pitching to Aaron Jones. Jones had to scramble to dive on the ball and prevent the miscue from being a whole lot worse. A second quarter trip into the red zone ended in no points when Fred Warner intercepted Darnold at the 10-yard line. His return to the 35-yard line set the 49ers up and gave them the momentum to score their first points of the game. In the third quarter, Jones appeared to be headed to the end zone and a 27-7 late third quarter lead. Warner, again, jarred the ball loose and the 49ers recovered at the one-yard line. They proceeded to drive 99 yards and score their second touchdown of the game and cut the Vikings lead to 20-14. Those are three huge mistakes. They are the kinds of mistakes that can ruin an otherwise well-played game. I suppose it’s a testament to the resolve of this Vikings team that they just went about their business of winning the game. Darnold, in particular, hardly seemed fazed by the miscues. One of the negatives of his play over his turbulent career has been his tendency to have one mistake turn into more. He seems supremely focused on the next play, his next opportunity.
Both 49ers touchdowns, the only 49ers touchdowns, were triggered by Vikings turnovers.
Despite playing so well, so efficiently on both sides of the ball last week and this week, the Vikings are even in turnovers. It could be a lot worse. It could be like last year. The offense is doing so much right. The two turnovers yesterday were generous gifts to the 49ers. They were the only things keeping them in the game. The Vikings must end that generosity.
The defense.
This Vikings defense is so much fun. Nearly all of the offseason additions made significant contributions.
Andrew Van Ginkel was brilliant. Again.
No offense to Fred Warner, but Blake Cashman might’ve been the best linebacker on the field. He made plays against the pass, against the run, and in the backfield. It felt like there were four Blake Cashman’s running around.
Jonathan Greenard collected his first sack with the Vikings. It’s only two games but he’s on pace for about 100 pressures.
Stephon Gilmore and Shaquill Griffin kept the 49ers excellent receivers mostly in check. In fact, Gilmore and Griffin were hardly mentioned on the telecast.
Brian Flores worked wonders last season. He has players that really fit his plans this season. He can send effective pass rushers in waves. Patrick Jones II plays about 50% of the snaps and already has four sacks. The team leads the league with 11 sacks.
This defense is a lot of fun. They wrecked a bad offense in Week 1. They frustrated one of the league’s best offenses in Week 2. I can’t wait to see how they evolve over the course of the season.
A 23-17 win over the NFC’s defending champ. Skol!!!
Next week, the Vikings have another serious challenge. The first eight games are a gauntlet of serious challenges. Next week, the Vikings host the Houston Texans. Stefon Diggs and Danielle Hunter are coming back to Minnesota.
