12 Snap Reactions after Cardinals at Vikings
Each week, we offer a “snap reactions” piece detailing thoughts and analysis after the latest Minnesota Vikings game.
12 Snap Reactions after Cardinals at Vikings
This will be off-the-cuff, a wee bit random, and hopefully insightful.
The Vikings won at home on Sunday afternoon over the Arizona Cardinals 23-22 and are owners of a 10-2 through 13 weeks.
1 — The Vikings have multiple five-game win streaks in the same season for the first time since 1998.
2 — The Cardinals opted not to apply the same defensive coverage as the Chicago Bears last week, and he may Arizona pay. Had the red birds used the Bears’ technique, well, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson would’ve lit up the afternoon. With the Vikings, it’s pick your poison.
3 — Minnesota was 1 for 8 on 3rd Down, and usually when a team is that bad on 3rd Down, it loses. Kudos to the Vikings for finding creative ways to eke out a victory.
4 — Brian Flores’ group was overdue for a cornerback injury — none have missed games in 2024 — and that struck on Sunday with Stephon Gilmore’s hamstring malady. If Gilmore misses time, Flores will have to lean on Fabian Moreau — who got picked on by Kyler Murray in Week 13 — or undrafted rookie Dwight McGlothern. A veteran like Patrick Peterson is also on the free-agent wire. The secondary could feel murky for a while.
5 — Sam Darnold delivered a game-winning drive for the second week in a row, proving once again he can be clutch when the postseason rolls around. The Vikings will need that January, probably more than once.
6 — Kevin O’Connell and Co. need one more win to clinch a playoff spot, and let’s be honest: Who envisioned a 10-2 season at this juncture on the calendar? What a magnificent season, no matter the outcome.
7— The Vikings basically have a 1st Quarter offensive turnover every game, and that desperately needs repair. Teams like the Detroit Lions or Philadelphia Eagles will pounce on that in the postseason and make Minnesota pay. Thankfully for the Vikings’ sake, the turnovers have stopped after the initial 1st Quarter gaffe.
8 — Three penalties accompanied the Vikings all day. Imagine how the 1st Half would’ve felt — even worse — if the game turned into a penalty festival. Minnesota needed other aspects of the game to remain clean to find a dub.
9 — Throughout the season’s first five weeks, fans wondered how the team would perform when faced with adversity or playing from behind. They got their wish. The last several games have featured adversity and playing from behind. And Minnesota is 5-0 since losing to the Los Angeles Rams.
10 — Defensive tackle Jalen Redmond — the UFL signing last spring — has morphed into a playable defender. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah should keep him around for depth in 2025. He banked 2 tackles for loss versus Arizona.
11 — Kirk Cousins has produced terrible games in back-to-back contests for the Falcons. He rarely has three consecutive bad games, so the Vikings better be ready. In fact, the last two quarterbacks to carve up Flores’ defense were Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford — and Cousins’ talent and experience fall right in that category.
12— It’s always a different defender forcing a turnover on defense, which is really fantastic. Today, Shaquill Griffin sealed the deal in the 4th Quarter. That diversity in playmaking will be important in January.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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