Nov 3, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) warms up before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
The Minnesota Vikings chipped off the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, using 4 field goals from kicker Parker Romo as the only point source.
No touchdowns funneled into the stat sheet, but somehow, Minnesota escaped Jacksonville with a win and the requirement of just a 3-5 record the rest of the way to reach the playoffs. In fact, 2-6 might even get the job done, if that can be believed.
The Vikings next play the Tennessee Titans on the road, but before that, these are the five main takeaways from Jaguars-Vikings.
Parker Romo joined the Vikings in March, on deck as the 2024 kicking solution.
But six weeks later, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah drafted Will Reichard, and Romo hit free agency soon after. Reichard injured his quad, however, in Week 9, so Minnesota picked up the phone and called Romo.
All he did Sunday was perform perfectly and score all Minnesota’s points. Until Reichard returns in December, the Vikings are in good hands at kicker if Sunday was a reasonable indicator.
Jacksonville’s defense — which ranked 32nd in the NFL per EPA/Play entering Week 10 — stifled Minnesota’s wide receivers, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
So Sam Darnold relied on T.J. Hockenson, who missed the season’s first six games with a torn ACL. And Hockenson responded. He grabbed 8 receptions for 72 yards and moved the sticks on 3rd Down repeatedly.
There is no way that Minnesota would’ve won that game without Hockenson in September or October, for example. He kept the offense efficient.
Sam Darnold is not an elite quarterback. He never will be.
In September, though, he convinced onlookers that all of his previous work with the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, and San Francisco 49ers was a mirage. The Vikings had truly unlocked the third overall pick in the 2018 draft.
But now it’s apparent that Darnold has limitations, and his on-the-field processing in real-time is not flawless. Vikings fans must now worry about Darnold because Sunday was a clear regression.
Jaguars-Vikings would’ve been a blowout without his 3 turnovers.
Brian Flores’ defense began the season as gangbusters, taking on all comers and spanking them.
Then, after the Week 6 bye, the unit felt flat in games against the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams. Those losses caused concern and a fear that Flores’ scheme had been “figured out.”
Well, it’s back, ranking second in the NFL per EPA/Play in the last two weeks behind the Philadelphia Eagles. Minnesota also ranks first leaguewide per the same metric for the whole season.
If the 2024 Vikings were like the 2003 or 2016 Vikings — teams that started seasons at least 5-0 and later collapsed — they would’ve found a way to lose in Jacksonville.
Minnesota did no such thing. So long as it doesn’t fire up a 2-6 or 1-7 record in the next eight games, the purple team will revisit the postseason tournament.
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.