A Gutsy Minnesota Vikings QB and 7 More Thoughts Following Week 10’s Win
K. Joudry
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The Minneapolis Miracle still takes top spot in my lifetime, but that win over the Bills was sensational. The Minnesota Vikings put together a remarkable comeback, and much of the credit goes to their oft-criticized QB. Kirk Cousins overcame some poor play and bad interceptions to lead his side back from being down three-scores in the third quarter.
Cousins isn’t the only one responsible for putting another game in the win category. Justin Jefferson, Patrick Peterson, Eric Kendricks, Dalvin Cook, and several others all made game-changing plays. Let’s unpack some of what we saw in yesterday’s victory.
The Minnesota Vikings QB and a Stellar Effort
1) I’ve been among those who have criticised Kirk Cousins for his inability to lead his teams to wins on a consistent basis.
In 2022, that criticism simply don’t apply (as Joe Oberle discussed recently). The Vikings are 8-1 and the Minnesota Vikings QB is a major reason why. True, throwing for a single TD pass and then a pair of INTs isn’t a great statistical effort. Folks who watched the game, though, would have been able to see just how well he played, especially down the stretch.
Cousins is a major reason why the Vikings are at 8-1. This is the best he has ever played for Minnesota. His willingness to give his guys a shot (even when there are interceptions) is crucial.
2) During the offseason, the Wilfs insisted that they thought the team could compete in 2022. Rather than rebuild, the new GM and HC would need to retool, adding pieces to the core in an effort to snag that elusive Lombardi. Winning the Super Bowl is still a long way away, but Minnesota has proven that they’re among the top teams in the NFL.
3) A sack apiece for Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter. Combined, they’re up to 15.5 sacks for the season. If they can put together 14.5 sacks over the final 8 games – a touch more than 7 per player – then they’ll hit that 30-sack benchmark. Hopefully, Smith will be ready to roll after needing to miss time in the Bills game.
4) The Justin Jefferson catch is in contention for best catch in regular season history. Coming out of the two-minute warning and facing a 4th & 18, Jefferson snatched a high ball from the DBs hands. Oh, and he did so with just one hand. Stefon Diggs had his own phenomenal catch, but the Vikings’ WR had the better one. Again, credit to the QB for giving Jefferson a chance; the Minnesota Vikings don’t win unless Cousins trusts his WR1.
5) A pair of interceptions for Patrick Peterson. Both kept points off the board, allowing the Vikings to win the game. The last one, of course, most directly impacted the game since it officially ended things. I thought he’d be a solid CB2; instead, he has been a great CB1.
6) The first thing I’ll say is that the Buffalo offense deserves credit for rushing to the line to make another play. Obviously, they’re a well-coached group that understood the situation. Nevertheless, the NFL not pausing the game to review the catch (it wasn’t a catch) from Gabriel Davis was a major error. There needs to be an adjustment to ensure those plays get the chance to be reviewed.
7) In my mind, the best case scenario was for a safety when Buffalo was backed up on their goal line. I didn’t expect the Minnesota Vikings to score a TD following a fumble from Buffalo’s QB. Credit to Eric Kendricks and the defensive front.
8) At this point, there’s no way you can doubt that Minnesota is for real. For many people, simply playing a competitive game in Buffalo would have been enough to show that the Vikings are a top team. Overcoming a 17-point deficit in the second half proves that the Vikes are among the NFL’s best teams.
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