The 5 Spookiest Moments of the Vikings 2021 Season with Halloween Nearing
Dustin Baker
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Halloween is one week away, and the Minnesota Vikings have authored spooky moments so far in the 2021 season. Too many, in fact.
The team is 3-3 entering a bye week with the Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers, and Green Bay Packers on the horizon. To wiggle out of that four-game stretch in a prosperous spot, the scary moments must be minimized. We shall see.
These are the five spookiest Vikings moments to date in 2021, ranked in ascending order of fear-inducement.
5. Patrick Peterson Injured in Week 6
Depending on the upcoming performances by Cameron Dantzler and Harrison Hand, the injury to Peterson could be the pinnacle of spookiness. Peterson has performed wonderfully since starting his second career act with the Vikings. He’s generally assigned the opposing team’s best wide receiver, and now those assignments will be assigned to the up-and-down Bashaud Breeland or second-year corner Cameron Dantzler.
Peterson is responsible for a 90.8 passer-rating-against in 2021, a commendable figure. He’s a beacon for leadership and a steady-eddy of sorts on a Minnesota defense that continues to improve.
He’ll be eligible to return when the Vikings host the Green Bay Packers in Week 11 if his hamstring is in a good mood, Let’s hope the season isn’t something rotten like 3-6 by then.
4. A Near Meltdown vs. Detroit
Head coach Mike Zimmer witnessed his employment flash before his eyes a few weeks ago. The winless Lions took the Vikings to the brink of embarrassment, swiping a lead late in the 4th Quarter of the Week 5 contest — when Minnesota could have stepped on the Lions throat at any time in the two hours prior.
But they didn’t.
The Vikings embraced conservatism until it almost ended in Armageddon. The offense stalled, the playcalling seemed as if it was accommodating second-grade football players, and Minnesota damn near coughed away an easy win.
Thanks to Kirk Cousins and Greg Joseph, Minnesota won 19-17, avoiding a franchise-altering loss.
3. Dalvin Cook Allegedly Fumbles in Overtime Week 1
This set the early-season tone for the Vikings. Minnesota played like imbeciles in the 1st Half versus the Bengals but “figured it out” in the 2nd Half. The 1st Half of the Week 1 game might’ve even been scarier than the Cook fumble. Penalties piled upon penalties.
But the Vikings caught up the Cincinnati in the 2nd Half. Thanks to Cousins, Minnesota had a reasonable chance at winning the season’s first game. Yet, Cook fumbled, thus handing the game to the Bengals. The call was controversial — it appeared Cook was actually down before the football squirted from his grip — but hometown referees had no appetite to change the call on the field. Because — of course they didn’t.
At the time, the Bengals were considered a middling [if not, bad] team, and they cooked the Vikings in overtime. Since then, Cincinnati has proven critics wrong, carrying a 4-2 record into Week 7.
2. Irv Smith Jr. Lost for All of 2021
What a fatal blow.
Everybody associated with the Vikings, their fans, the general NFL population, and your great aunt predicted a breakout season for Smith. No such luck.
Late in the summer, Smith — out of nowhere — was announced as a meniscus casualty, causing the third-year tight end to miss all of 2021. The Vikings rushed to trade talks for a Chris Herndon deal with the New York Jets, which cost a 4th-Round draft pick.
In Smith’s absence, Tyler Conklin has played well, but he does not receive the targets that would’ve been sent in Smith’s direction. Smith was on tap to fully bust out in 2021 as long-time Viking Kyle Rudolph found a new home with the New York Giants.
Smith got hurt, though. And he won’t return until September of 2022. The way this offense conducts business — Smith could have been a masterful addition.
1. Joseph Misses a Game-Winner in the Desert
This was vicious. Absolutely vicious.
Vikings kicker Greg Joseph had the opportunity to dagger the NFL’s best team but missed a 37-yard field goal as time expired, sinking the Vikings to 0-2 and sending fans to 2022 mock draft boards.
This missed kick will continue to hurt for two reasons. a) It’s what separates the Vikings right now from consideration as a Top 10 NFL team b) The trust meter for Joseph will never fully recover, particularly for Vikings fans who are already cynical beasts.
Joseph’s miss felt like a playoff loss, even though it was a Week 2 tryst. Thankfully, he kinda-sorta made amends in defeating the Lions three weeks later with a clutch kick.
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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