Another Thriller, Another Win for Vikings
Dustin Baker
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Five of the six football games involving the 2021 Minnesota Vikings have gone down to the final play.
Mike Zimmer’s team has battled to a 3-3 win-loss in those barnburners, saving the season in Week 6 at Carolina with a 34-28 win over the Panthers.
Minnesota tabulated 571 yards on offense, the third-most for a single game in franchise history. At times, the defense suffocated the Panthers while the offense temporarily sputtered. At times, the offense was high-flying while the defense temporarily sputtered.
In the end, quarterback Kirk Cousins delivered — the fourth time in six games this season Cousins engineered a drive in which the team should’ve won. In overtime, the 33-year-old found wide receiver K.J. Osborn for a flawless 27-yard completion, ending the game as Osborn stretched the football over the goalline.
It was the most meaningfully dramatic win for the Vikings since the Wildcard Round of the 2019 playoffs.
The Vikings were absolutely required to win the Week 6 contest if they wanted to contend for the postseason. Up next on the schedule are the Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers, and Green Bay Packers — all some degree of Super Bowl contender. Had the Vikings sunk to 2-4, Zimmer’s team would be theoretically incapable of conquering that four-game gauntlet. Now, Minnesota has a clean slate at 3-3, focused on holding serve or even outgunning some of the next deadly opponents. There would be none of that optimism if the Vikings lost to the Lions or the Panthers in the last two weeks.
Dalvin Cook, who was still a bit hampered due to injury, tore up Carolina with 140 yards from scrimmage and a paydirt. Cousins attempted 48 passes and was not sacked. That feat has only been accomplished three times in team history — the last time in 1995. Penatlies were burdensome, setting the Vikings back to the tune of 98 yards on 11 infractions. Minnesota’s defense could not stifle a 4th and 10 late in the 4th Quarter for Sam Darnold — who was terrible most of the afternoon — and allowed the game to reach overtime. And the kicker continued his soap opera-ish 2021, missing a game-winning field goal from 47 yards at the end of regulation after drilling such a kick seven days ago.
These are the 2021 Vikings, evidently unable to put together a full game. Every contest is beset by bone-tingling anxiety and swings of emotion for fans only toddlers experience.
Thankfully, Vikings coaches, players, and fans have two weeks to cool down. The bye week is now. Zimmer and his staff will start to simmer a gameplan for the 5-1 Cowboys, a team absolutely running away with the NFC East.
Get ready. That game at U.S. Bank Stadium in nearly guaranteed to be a thriller. Again.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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