Many fans and most pundits will complain about wins like this. I’m not quite sure how anyone complains about a win. A win is always a win and all wins are great. I get being frustrated about one’s team not playing well. I was frustrated for most of this game. The Vikings had two offensive possessions that lasted a total of six plays and gained a combined -8 yards. Through nearly three quarters, they could only mange six points. The Cardinals offense routinely approached or entered the red zone. The Vikings offense rarely did. It wasn’t until the end of the third quarter that the Vikings offense really did anything to concern the Cardinals. Excluding the end-of-game kneel-downs, on their final three possessions, the Vikings offense went touchdown, field goal, touchdown. They outscored the Cardinals 17-3 over the final 17 minutes of the game. That’s exactly what they needed to overcome a 13-point deficit.
For the bulk of the game, the best thing the Vikings defense did was hold the Cardinals to five field goals. They had interceptions on the Cardinals first play of the fourth quarter (Byron Murphy Jr.) and last play of the game (Shaquill Griffin). Those were pretty great. Griffin’s interception sealed the game.
The Cardinals offense really came to life when Vikings cornerback Stephon Gilmore left the game with a hamstring injury. Fabian Moreau replaced him and Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray immediately started picking on him. A couple pass interference penalties on Moreau triggered a couple of Cardinals scoring drives. The most significant one gave the Cardinals an opportunity to score their lone touchdown. That was a Murray toss to rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. Moreau was in coverage on Harrison.
The best takeaway from this game is that the Vikings found a way to win. For about 75% of the game, things rarely went their way. When they most needed something, anything, Sam Darnold guided the offense to 17 desperately-needed points. He was brilliant over the final twenty minutes of the game. He found Justin Jefferson. He found Jordan Addison. He found T.J. Hockenson. Aaron Jones scored the go-ahead touchdown. All of the playmakers made plays. For the entirety of the game, the Vikings defense did just enough. Just like last week’s overtime win over the Chicago Bears, the best sequence of the Vikings defense was the Cardinals final offensive possession. Jonathan Greenard was a beast. Griffin sealed the win with a fourth-down interception.
Through Kevin O’Connell’s two-plus years as head coach, the Vikings have routinely found a way to win close games. If only they could figure out a way to play a complete game. If they could play an entire game like they do when their desperate, one-score games will be a thing of the past. Their wins will be pretty wins rather than gritty wins.
The Vikings are now 10-2. Next week, Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons come to US Bank. The Vikings need Stephon Gilmore healthy. The pass rush needs to get to Cousins. The offensive line must keep Sam Darnold safe. It’d be nice to see the Vikings play well for 60 minutes.
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