10 Reactions to Chiefs-Vikings
The Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings met at U.S. Bank Stadium in a matchup between two teams at opposite sides of the NFL standings.
Minnesota finally got off the schneid in Week 4 against Carolina after losing three straight games to begin the year while Kansas City had won three straight after falling to Detroit in Week 1.
Ultimately, though, the Vikings would fall just short against the defending champs, losing 27-20 and falling to 1-4 on the season. Here are 10 reactions to that game.
1. Justin Jefferson’s Injury
First and foremost, Vikings fans are collectively holding their breath as they await more news on star receiver Justin Jefferson. Early in the fourth quarter, Jefferson left the game after tweaking his hamstring, and he would not return. Postgame, Kevin O’Connell reaffirmed that it was a hamstring but said it is “too early to tell” how it will impact the receiver moving forward.
2. Garrett Bradbury Returns
After missing the past three games because of a back injury, Vikings center Garrett Bradbury was able to return to the field against the Chiefs. However, he was another Viking who left for a portion of the game with another injury. He sat out for a couple plays and was replaced by Austin Schlottmann but returned to the field later in the game.
3. The Turnovers Strike Back
On the very first play of the game, the biggest issue for the Vikings came back to bite them: turnovers. After catching a 15-yard pass, Josh Oliver fumbled the ball away. Minnesota now has 12 turnovers through their first five games and are yet to win the battle in that department.
4. Patrick Mahomes Is Still Patrick Mahomes
At the end of the day, Patrick Mahomes simply made more plays than the Vikings offense. Between a two-minute drill at the end of the second half, and some terrific conversions to lead TD drives early in the second half, Mahomes showed why he has two Super Bowl rings.
5. Camryn Bynum’s Near-INT
Oh, what could have been. On a 3rd-and-18 to begin the second half, Patrick Mahomes unleashed a 33-yard pass to Justin Watson with both Camryn Bynum and Harrison Smith in the area. Bynum leaped to try and intercept the pass, but it went right over his fingertips and landed in Watson’s arms for the conversion. The Chiefs would promptly score a touchdown a few plays later. A potentially game-changing play that wouldn’t go in the Vikings’ favor.
6. Overall, Kirk Cousins’ Best Game of 2023
Looking at this game from a bird’s eye view, this was probably the best game of Kirk Cousins’ 2023 season. He was decisive with his passes throughout much of the game, and he got the ball out in a timely fashion. Going the whole game without a turnover to his name didn’t hurt, either. In all, Cousins would finish the day completing 29 of his 47 passes for 284 yards and 2 TDs.
7. Second Half Timeouts
The Minnesota Vikings would have benefited a lot down the stretch of this game if they had a couple timeouts in their pocket. Instead, the Vikings used all three of their timeouts before the nine-minute mark of the third quarter. Clock management remains a bit of an issue for Minnesota.
8. Controversial Calls Down the Stretch
With the Vikings hoping to mount a comeback down the stretch, there were a few controversial calls that did not go Minnesota’s way. First, there was a pass interference call on Harrison Smith that allowed Kansas City to convert a fourth down to eventually get their second touchdown of the third quarter.
Then, Jordan Addison did not get a similar call on a third-down play while guarded by Trent McDuffie. L’Jarius Sneed would not be called for taking his helmet off while on the field after the play, either. The refs certainly aren’t to blame for this loss, but the Vikings did not get any extra help from them, either.
9. Cousins’ Sack at the End
Kirk Cousins did play a very solid game, but with the game on the line, he again came up just short. The sack at the end of regulation will be one that Cousins critics remember when looking back on this game.
10. Is the Season Over?
Now sitting at 1-4, the Vikings are three games behind the Detroit Lions for the division lead. They sit in the cellar of the NFC North alongside the Chicago Bears. Next weekend, Minnesota will try to get past the Bears with a game at Soldier Field, but then, San Francisco comes to Minnesota, and then, they will travel to Green Bay and Atlanta in back-to-back weeks. It’s going to be a very tough road ahead to get out of this hole.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
