Vikings Takeaways: Defense Picks Up the Slack
Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
I don’t know about you guys, but after the last two weeks, I for one am looking forward to next week’s bye.
The Minnesota Vikings may have won yet again, but did so in a much more nerve-wracking fashion than we have seen in the past four games. Despite yet another early big lead by the Vikings, they found themselves barely holding on at the end for their second game in a row. The New York Jets offense had a chance to take the lead with less than a minute remaining. This week Stefon Gilmore was the hero in crunch time, as he helped the Vikings defense stand strong with a game-ending interception.
While London games always tend to be a little bit strange, the Vikings didn’t look nearly as dominant as they had in the first four weeks of the season. It’s a concern, but they’re 5-0 at the bye, and you can’t really do better than that. Let’s find out what else we learned today.
Aaron Jones Makes the Offense Run
Coming into this season, Vikings fans everywhere were excited about the addition of Aaron Jones. It wasn’t just that they got a great back from a rival team, but it was a chance to dispel the memories of going through 2023 without a stable run game. While Jones would provide an immediate boost in talent, injuries were always going to be a concern at his age, and given his history. Those fears came to fruition, and we saw just how integral to the offense Jones is today.
Jones left the first quarter of the game with a hip injury, and the Vikings offense suffered. Despite Kevin O’Connell talking about how much they trusted running back Ty Chandler, the offense didn’t run the ball very much, and when they did, they were wildly inefficient. Chandler averaged just 2.1 yards per attempt, and the Jets’ defense no longer had to respect the run and dropped more bodies back into coverage.
The Vikings’ previously explosive offense became one-dimensional and stagnant. Jones’ loss was also felt in the passing game, as Darnold lost a reliable check-down option who could break tackles and extend the play. Luckily for the Vikings, it looks like Jones might have dodged a severe injury, and with the bye, he’ll have an extra week to rest up.
The Punting Game Needs Work
Once again, special teams blunders haunted the Vikings. While the kicking game seems to be running smoothly (yay, Will Reichard!), both the punt return and coverage teams have played poorly this season. Minnesota’s special teams almost gave the ball up early as Akayleb Evans allowed himself to get pushed into Brandon Powell, which nearly resulted in a muffed punt. While they escaped disaster then, they wouldn’t be so fortunate later as an illegal block in the back penalty by Jay Ward pushed Minnesota back to their own five-yard line.
The coverage team did no better, allowing a 31-yard return near the end of the first half to allow the Jets an easy touchdown drive to work their way back into the game. The punt team later had another huge mistake, committing a roughing the punter penalty that turned a dead drive into a field goal to get within seven of the Vikings. Minnesota remains undefeated, but sloppy play like this will bite them eventually.
Defensive Adjustments Pay Off
With Jones out and the offense sputtering, the Vikings’ defense needed to save the day. In particular, Minnesota’s offseason additions stepped up. It started when Andrew Van Ginkel was able to disguise his rush and drop back up into coverage, getting into a passing lane and intercepting a pass, taking it to the house.
Andrew Van Ginkel has quietly been one of the best free agent signings of the offseason. This is already his second pick-six of the year.pic.twitter.com/Je6ekNI4v0
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 6, 2024
New cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin were also incredible today, and for more than Gilmore’s interception. What is most impressive about both of their performances is how, despite facing a quarterback patented for pushing the ball down the field, they didn’t allow any plays behind them. They were able to keep both Garrett Wilson and Mike Wiliams quiet all game. While Wilson finished with 101 yards, he was targeted 22 times. His 101 yards on 22 targets were the second-lowest for any pass-catcher with 20 targets since 2006. The Vikings secondary was able to keep everything in front of them. After last week, when the Packers were able to shred the defense for multiple deep plays, watching the Vikings adjust and not get burned was a welcome sight.
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