Landmarks secured on defense and special teams, but the offense continues to make life hard for itself. Nevertheless, the Vikings got the win against the Colts and now sit alone as the only undefeated team in the league. Fan club member Adam New takes a look back at all the talking points from a historic day.
Expectations were high for the Minnesota Vikings to extend their unbeaten start to the season against an Indianapolis Colts team on the back of a couple of disappointing results that culminated in a chorus of boos from their home fans last time out.
The Vikings were fresh from the bye week and looking healthier with several returning players. Meanwhile, the Colts were dealing with injuries to key players like Sauce Gardner, Tyler Warren, and C. J. Allen. It was a game the Vikings should win, and they did in what has become the customary manner of defensive dominance and offensive dysfunction.
The Vikings defense is a joy to watch
The modern NFL gets so much coverage focused on the offensive side of the ball, I sometimes feel great defense gets overlooked, and that’s what we are seeing in Minnesota right now: truly great defense.
Perhaps I’m in the minority here but when I first got interested in this sport 25+ years ago, it was the hard-hitting tackles that piqued my interest. The game is not as violent as it once was with the new rules that have come in, but there’s still room for some quality defense.
Dubbed a mad scientist by some, watching Brian Flores go to work each week is fascinating. Daniel Jones was the latest in a long line of quarterbacks who could find no answers to what Flores and his men were bringing.
The best thing about this defense is it’s not about two or three star players. On any given week it could be anyone who steps up to make the big plays. This week it was Blake Cashman who stood out as a destructive force up the middle.
Can this defense carry the franchise to its first ever Super Bowl? They’re certainly doing their part, but they’re probably going to start needing a bit more support on the other side of the ball.
The mystery of the Vikings offense
Kevin O’Connell’s offense should be good. Quite frankly, it’s bordering on terrible at times, but keeps managing to do just enough for the team to win games on the back of the defensive effort. After starting with a turnover on downs after four straight runs to start the game, the offense continued to be sluggish – as they have been all season.
When they did get drives going, they stalled out and had to settle for field goals. Will Reichard finally missed one, with a block ending his impressive streak of successful kicks. It was good news for the superstitious among the fanbase who had already been making the comparison to Gary Anderson, and panicking that Reichard would miss for the first time in the playoffs.
When watching this Vikings offense, everything just feels like hard work. Nothing seems to come easy. Kyler Murray made some nice throws under pressure early on but was also inaccurate on others when he had plenty of time. It’s a frustrating watch, not helped by the run game struggling until late in the game.
Then just when you’re ready to give up on him, Murray finally provides a fourth-quarter spark with a long run and a touchdown pass to T. J. Hockenson. With a chance to finish the game, the offense stuttered again but the defense was on hand to bail them out. With a tough run of games coming up against some strong offenses, the Vikings can’t keep relying on the defense to keep the opposition to 10 points.
The hope has always been that Murray settles in and it all just clicks. There have been signs that it’s happening but not consistently enough. Aaron Jones has been playing with a knee injury since Week 2 and after he hobbled off in the game, there will probably be continued focus on a potential move for a running back before the trade deadline.
Jonathan Taylor has been mentioned and we got to see firsthand what he would bring: on an impressive day, he notched over 100 yards from scrimmage and a rushing touchdown. It would be a big swing for the Vikings, when their rushing attack is solid enough. A real X factor at running back could be the bit extra this team needs to be genuine contenders. The state of Jones’ knee could determine if the Vikings make a move.
A special day for my Vikings hero
I chose the Vikings as my team back in the 90s when I first played a Madden game, but it wasn’t until the 2010s that I truly fell in love with the game and the team. My first Vikings hero was Harrison Smith, and on Sunday evening, we saw the Hitman hit a special milestone.
Smith sealed the game with his 40th career interception. It put him into a truly elite group of players with 40 interceptions and 20 sacks since the NFL merger. Smith now rubs shoulders with Hall of Famers Ronde Barber and Charles Woodson. One day Smith will rub shoulders with them in the Hall of Fame, and there should be no doubt.
For a long time it looked like the Hitman wouldn’t return for this season, but he did, and he’s certainly not the player he was a decade ago. He keeps proving his value to the Vikings franchise, though. Smith suggested in a podcast interview last week that this would be his last season. The man whose jersey was the first I bought will be gone. It’ll feel strange when a Vikings team turns out without him, and a sign I’m starting to get a bit old!
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