The Unbelievable Stat from Vikings’ Last Game
The Minnesota Vikings used four field goals — those only — from a rookie kicker, Parker Romo, to knock off the Mac Jones-led Jacksonville Jaguars by a score of 12-7 on Sunday.
The Unbelievable Stat from Vikings’ Last Game
En route, the purple team made semi-favorable history, becoming the first franchise in 147 games to win a game with zero touchdowns while giving the ball away at least three times. If the win felt sloppy — it was — that’s why.
Senior researcher for the NFL Dante Koplowitz-Fleming tweeted Sunday, mere hours after the Vikings’ win: “Teams with zero touchdowns and at least three turnovers were 0-147 since 2010. The Vikings are the first team to win such a game since the Packers in 2006 (against the Vikings).”
Just how everyone drew it up, huh?
What’s more, the Vikings had the ball on offense for 42 minutes and 19 seconds against Jacksonville, the team’s highest time of possession in a game in 25 years. The last time Minnesota bested its 42:19 mark was the 1999 season. So, if the game felt a little weird, both stats probably explain why.
The win was necessary, too. The NFC — unlike the AFC — may have a brutal sprint underway for the Wildcard spots in the postseason. Right now, the Green Bay Packers would get the nod in the seventh seed with a record of 6-3. Usually, in a normal season, a team hovering around 4-5 or so at this point on the calendar would be alive and well for the No. 7 seed. This year could be different. For example, if the postseason began tomorrow, the San Francisco 49ers at 5-4 would not make the January dance. They’re the eighth seed. The Seattle Seahawks, at 4-5, are the 11th seed, if that can believed.
How did the Vikings dominate the Jaguars via time of possession so handily? Simple — long, wonderful drives that ended in Sam Darnold’s interceptions. Minnesota moved the rock at will thanks to Aaron Jones and T.J. Hockenson. Then, when the purple team dipped inside the redzone, Darnold tossed picks, creating the no-touchdown-but-still-won environment.
Had Darnold not been off his game, the Vikings likely would’ve won the showdown by a score of 34-7 or something similar.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters after Sunday’s win at Jacksonville: “I cannot say enough about our defense and the way they battled. Time and time again answering the call and getting the ball back in the second half.”
The defense thrived, and outside of the giveaways, the offense actually played really well.
The Vikings next travel to Tennessee for a date with the Titans, a game oddsmakers expect them to win by six or seven.
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 Vikings 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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