Oct 6, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings cornerback Stephon Gilmore (2) celebrates with teammates after intercepting a pass in the fourth quarter against the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
Each week, we offer a “snap reactions” piece detailing thoughts and analysis after the latest Minnesota Vikings game.
This will be off-the-cuff, a wee bit random, and hopefully insightful.
The Vikings won on the road — but technically a home game — Sunday afternoon in London over the New York Jets 23-17, continuing their blistering hot start that feels out of nowhere. Minnesota has now toppled the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans, Green Bay Packers, and Jets to start the season en route to a 5-0 start.
1 — The Vikings are undefeated in a season considered “flyover country” toward 2025. Pundits expected the club to win about six or seven games, so enjoying a 5-0 mark heading into the bye is just fantastic.
2 — The team has sprinted to this unblemished start amid the murderous part of the schedule. From the moment the opponent docket dropped in May, folks looked at the Week 7 game at Detroit as the end of murderer’s row. Somehow, Kevin O’Connell’s group is undefeated during the worst part of its schedule. The opponents really soften up right before Halloween.
3 — The Jets’ defense is fantastic. If Sam Darnold were going to produce a blah game, it would probably be against the Jets, especially their ferocious secondary. Some onlookers panicked about “Darnold turning back into a pumpkin,” but he faced a stingy defense without Aaron Jones most of the game. Even elite quarterbacks experience games like Darnold’s. No need to panic.
4 — That said, Minnesota’s offense utterly faceplanted when Jones injured his hip. The offense crumbled when he left the game — not a good sign. Jones should be fine before too long, but if he were not, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah might have to explore a one-year RB rental via trade since the team is contending for a Super Bowl. Free agents like Matt Breida and Latavius Murray are also available.
5 — Justin Jefferson had a “bad game” by his standards and still tabulated 92 receiving yards. It’s pretty sweet that his career is at that juncture. Bad games = 92 yards.
6 — Will Reichard was the game’s MVP; his dependability is invaluable. Had he missed just one kick, the butterfly effect would’ve changed everything. We actually hope Reichard misses a regular field goal soon so he doesn’t take a perfect streak into the postseason like Gary Anderson in 1998. Bad voodoo.
7—The win in London was the first in 2024 in which defense won the game for the enterprise. The other four wins were more balanced. Defense [and Will Reichard] won this one.
8 — The Vikings’ cornerback trio of Stephen Gilmore, Byron Murphy, and Shaquill Griffin really does the trick. Some didn’t think that trio was trustworthy, but it has proved through five games that it can hold up, particularly against this schedule.
9 — Both teams were horrid on 3rd Down — that will pump up the defensive 3rd Down stats — and O’Connell must work on that during the bye. That was part of what made Darnold and the offense special until Sunday — 3rd down efficiency.
10 — Credit to Nick Mullens for coming into the lineup for one play when Darnold got hurt, fearlessly hurling a completion to Aaron Jones. That’s the Nick Mullens we know and love.
11 — In his final game against the Vikings [probably], Minnesota got the best of Aaron Rodgers, complete with 3 interceptions. The team was wildly overdue to force 3 picks from that man.
12 — The bye week arrives at a wonderful time, affording Aaron Jones to heal up and T.J. Hockenson to return in Week 7 or 8. Who on earth would’ve thought Minnesota would be undefeated by now?
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.