The View from the Outside of the Vikings Huge Win in Detroit
Sunday proved to be a great day in Detroit for the Minnesota Vikings, who proved the doubters wrong and came away from the Motor City with a huge win over the Lions.
VikingsTerritory looks at the view from the outside of the Vikings’ big win over the Lions in Detroit on Sunday.
It was an important victory that put the Vikings back in the mix in the ultra-competitive NFC North division. The NFL’s official social media team had some nice pun work on hand when the game was sealed.
Vikings Take Down Lions for First Time since 2022
Unsurprisingly, much of the attention was on the Vikings’ returning young quarterback, JJ McCarthy. Projections of his demise after just two starts looked premature as he led his team to victory with two passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, and the game-sealing first down conversion. The mutual show of confidence that McCarthy had in his team and the team had in their young QB was visible to all and was noted.
Former NFL safety and ESPN broadcaster Louis Riddick was the outside voice for what many of us have been saying inside the Vikings orbit about McCarthy. This scenario needs time to develop, and the results after a few weeks from the 3 QBs who were with the team last year are not definitive.
Praise for the Vikings’ young QB came from other sources, too, including Pro Football Talk’s acknowledgement of McCarthy rising to the occasion and the importance of Minnesota winning in Detroit for the first time since January 2021.
Finally, former All-Pro punter Pat McAfee was full of praise for McCarthy’s game-winning pass. There is still plenty to improve on, but the Vikings’ young QB has been a serial winner ever since he stepped foot on a football field, and he proved it again on Sunday.
The Other Big Vikings Return on Sunday
It might not have gotten the national attention that a QB gets, but there was another big return for Minnesota on Sunday that was just as impactful. The Vikings are 3-0 when Andrew Van Ginkel plays this season, and Brian Flores’ defense looked like a different animal with the key edge defender back. The whole defense looked more physical and dynamic outside, except for some poor tackling in the secondary.
Bill Barnwell provides a couple of clips that showcase what Flores was missing from his defense during Van Ginkel’s absence due to a neck injury. Minnesota’s defense thrives on disguise and the players’ ability to sell it. Last year’s second-team All-Pro does a phenomenal job of fooling one of the best tackles in the game in Penei Sewell.
It was a statement win for Kevin O’Connell’s team, but if they want to be back in contention. They need to keep them coming during a tough stretch of the schedule that includes the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, and first the Baltimore Ravens.
You must be logged in to post a comment.