It was another game of coulda, shoulda, woulda. The Minnesota Vikings lost to the Denver Broncos on Sunday night, 21-20.
The Vikings ran 18 more plays, for 90 more yards, and held the ball for nearly 10 more minutes than the Broncos. That sort of one-sidedness usually leads to a breezy win.
The Vikings defense smothered the Broncos offense. Repeatedly kept out of the end zone, the Broncos had to settle for five field goals. Three of those field goals were the direct result of those three turnovers. Two of the turnovers gave the Broncos the ball a combined 39 yards from the end zone. The Vikings defense allowed them to get a combined 16 yards closer.
The first turnover never should’ve been.
On the first possession of the game, the Vikings had a 3rd-and-1 on their own 34-yard line. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell decided to pull out a little trickery. Tight end T.J. Hockenson lined up under center, took the snap, and lateraled the ball to quarterback Josh Dobbs. In hindsight, perhaps O’Connell was being a little clever but Dobbs has the sort of athletic ability that entices a clever play-caller. Anyway, Dobbs was smacked as he aimed for the first down and let go of the ball. The issue of the play should’ve been the hit rather than the fumble.
Kareem Jackson.
A little history on this menace.
Fines and punishment this season:
Week 1: $14,819
Week 2: $19, 669
Week 3: $11,473
Week 6: $43,706
Week 7: Four-game suspension. After an appeal, it was lowered to two games.
Week 8: suspended
Week 9: bye
Week 10: suspended
Week 11: On the third play of the game, used his helmet as a weapon to do significant damage to Dobbs.
In response to the fines and suspensions, Jackson said that he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do to make these tackles. Don’t lead with your helmet! Dipshit. How Jackson wasn’t flagged for unnecessary roughness is a mystery. With his current run of recklessness and return from suspension, he should’ve been the most watched player on the field. There is no reasonable reason for the officials to not make the correct call on this play.
Kareem Jackson should not have the privilege of playing in the NFL.
The Vikings should’ve had a first-and-ten at midfield. Instead, Broncos ball on the Vikings 30-yard line with momentum. Considering Sean Payton’s shaky past with the on-field conduct of his players, none of this should be a surprise.
Anyway, the Vikings win streak ends at five games. Russell Wilson connected with Courtland Sutton for a 15-yard touchdown with 1:03 to play. The Broncos offense did so little all game that this last sustained drive was a real surprise. The bulk of the 75 yards was gained on dump-offs to Samaje Perine out of the backfield. After 57 minutes of stifling the Broncos offense, the Vikings defense might’ve been gassed in the thin Denver air. Perine repeatedly caught those dump-offs with space around him. The Vikings had some opportunities to end the drive. They had the Broncos at 4th-and-three to start the possession. Gave that up. Linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. separated Perine from the ball on one of those dump-offs. It was on the sideline. The ball squirted out of bounds before Pace could get a handle on it. On that final heave toward Sutton, I thought that Vikings corner Mekhi Blackmon had it lined up for an interception. He was in fine position to end the game. At worst, he was in position to keep the ball out of Sutton’s hands. Instead of an interception, instead of a pass defense, it looked like he waited for Sutton to act before he did anything. It was too late.
The Vikings now sit at 6-5. They host the Chicago Bears next Monday night. It’s time to start another win streak.
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