5 Quick Takeaways from the Vikings’ Week 14 Victory
After a miserable four-game losing streak, the Minnesota Vikings looked like what they intended to be entering the season. It was a dominant performance of complementary football, and the win was never in doubt. Sure, it’s too little too late to save the season, but it was still good to see the squad showing some life.
5 Quick Takeaways from the Vikings’ Week 14 Victory
Here’s what we learned from the 31-0 triumph.
1. J.J. McCarthy bounces back.
Quarterback J.J. McCarthy envisioned his first year as an NFL starting quarterback to go a whole lot differently. A couple of injuries cost him half the season, and the on-field performance was so poor, folks wondered whether he’d even get a second campaign as the QB1.
On Sunday, he finally showed some growth, looking like the guy the Vikings drafted in April of 2024. He still had his mechanical struggles, but it didn’t lead to any horrific passes this time. For the first time (likely) in his NFL career, he didn’t egregiously miss a receiver.
Furthermore, he looked decisive and didn’t put the ball in harm’s way, posting a goose egg in the interception column for the first time in his career. Ultimately, his numbers show 16 of 23 completed passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns. The offense was simplified, which helped him thrive. That can’t be the long-term solution, but it will benefit him in the near future.
2. Historic drive shows a different Vikings team.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell finally stuck with the running game beyond the first quarter. His unit rushed for 162 yards. All three backs — Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, and Zavier Scott — were efficient on the ground, and McCarthy also stole a couple of first downs.
That was especially displayed on the historic 19-play sequence.
It took 12 minutes and one second, and the Vikings collected 98 yards along the way, nearly split in half between running and passing yards. The philosophy for the remainder of the season should continue to feature a heavy running workload.
3. Shutout revenge.
Just last week, the Vikings suffered a brutal 26-0 shutout. The offense was completely dysfunctional, and the team looked like it was about to fall apart. It was hard for Vikings fans not to call for people’s jobs.
A single week can make all the difference. This time, the Vikings were on the good side of a shutout, holding the Commanders to zero points. The last time a team did that, a week after being shut out, was the Denver Broncos in 1992.
4. Justin Jefferson quiet again.
Once again, Justin Jefferson had a quiet day. Both McCarthy and O’Connell tried to get the ball his way a few times, but the defense doubled him pretty much the entire day, and McCarthy smartly didn’t force anything.
After only gaining 11 yards, he now sits at 810 yards on the season, which is a ridiculous number for an elite receiver after 13 games. The 1,000 yards should never be in jeopardy for a talent like that — he eclipsed that mark in 2023 despite only playing in ten games — but he is in danger of reaching 1,000 yards this year.
Jefferson needs to average 47.5 yards in his final four games. His average with McCarthy is exactly 47.0 — about half of his career average.
5. Two defenders add to their resume.
We saw a couple of sweet plays on Sunday. A pair of star defenders pulled off their signature moves.
All-Pro Andrew Van Ginkel finally caught one of those passes in the flat. He’s jumping one or two every single week, but he had failed to snatch one. Against Jayden Daniels, he logged his first interception of the season. Though this time unable to return it for six, it was fun to watch him rumble with the ball. He also forced a fumble.
Future Ring of Honor inductee and Hall of Fame candidate Harrison Smith caught interception 38 of his career. That leads all active players. It was the first interception of the season for Smith. On a bittersweet note, there’s a chance the legendary safety has only four games left in his career, and the pick might have just been his last.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.