12 Snap Reactions after Vikings-Colts
Dustin Baker
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12 Snap Reactions after Vikings-Colts
From a suggestion by a reader, we continue our “snap reactions” weekly piece detailing thoughts and analysis after a Minnesota Vikings game.
This will be off-the-cuff, a wee bit “random,” and hopefully insightful.
The Vikings climbed to 11-3 atop the NFC North, winning the division for the first time since 2017. And while doing so against the Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota manifested one of the wildest games imaginable.
12 Snap Reactions after Vikings-Colts
1 – It was a product of self-sabotage, but Saturday’s game was the greatest regular season game in Vikings history — just has to be.
2 – The Vikings trailed 36-7 with about two minutes remaining in the 3rd Quarter. Stop what you’re doing, decompress, and think about that. A 36-7 deficit with about two minutes left in the 3rd Quarter.
3 – Minnesota was robbed of two defensive touchdowns, making an argument that the Vikings could’ve won the damn game by a score something in the ballpark of 39-23.
4 – Matt Ryan is simply cursed, leading teams on the wrong end of the comeback-against stats to the tune of godforsaken futility. The first one was Super Bowl LI (the 28-3 fiasco versus the Patriots) and now Saturday’s debacle. Too bad, so sad.
5 – K.J. Osborn played like an absolute hero, snatching 10 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown. It was the best game of his career, and if he retired on Saturday night, you’d still remember him for the comeback theatrics. This just in — Justin Jefferson was pretty marvelous, too.
6 – Greg Joseph has quietly stabilized, making all extra points without gaffes, plus drilling the game-winner when it mattered the most. Perhaps he’s back on track. Thank God.
7 – Kirk Cousins threw for 400+ yards and 4 touchdowns in the 2nd Half, despite a reputation of “not getting it done in crunchtime.” The narrative is simply false.
8 – Speaking of Cousins, the man’s only gaffes were attributable to Jalen Reagor, who evidently isn’t on the same page as his quarterback. That’s a problem. Cousins’ two picks were not Cousins-driven.
9 – The Vikings had the ball on offense 19 times. They conducted 19 offensive drives, which is mind-boggling. Most teams in an NFL game will have 10 or 11.
10 – It will be impossible to erase the memory of how bad the Vikings played in the 1st Half, but let’s hope that rubbish is out of their system. They won’t be able to execute 30+ points comebacks on the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, etc. Won’t happen.
11 – We have no idea what to expect next weekend versus the Giants. Unlike the Colts, the Giants will be desperate, likely needing a win to remain relevant in the NFC wildcard chase. Can the Vikings be trusted to play a total game?
12 – Minnesota won the NFC North on Saturday, a factoid that was somehow a footnote to the elephantine comeback. They’ll now host a home playoff game — and maybe even two.
**Bonus: Ironically, the Vikings broke the ‘biggest comeback of all-time’ statistic held by the Buffalo Bills in 1992, a team led by quarterback Frank Reich. That’s the same Frank Reich fired by the Colts in November. So, Mr. Reich probably had a weird day.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. 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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