Bucs at Vikes Game Wrap: Return of the Vikings’ Offense
Joe Oberle
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The Vikings team that starred in the season opening win against the New Orleans Saints returned to the U.S. Bank Stadium for another game on Sunday, this time in a 34-17 thrashing of the Tampa Bay Bucs. The Vikings dominated the game from the early going and looked little like the team that got drilled last weekend in Pittsburgh.
Case Keenum, with a week of practice with the first team under his belt, looked much more like the starting quarterback he was in the preseason. He was efficient and confident leading the team to 34 points, something they last did in the garbage game season finale of 2016 when they scored 38 against Chicago. The defense was also locked and loaded in this one, as they frustrated Jameis Winston and his talented group of receivers all afternoon.
The win, another total team effort, was big for the Vikings, as they moved to 2-1 on the season and in a tie with the Detroit Lions (who lost to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday) in the NFC North Division. That’s the same Lions team that will come into U.S. Bank Stadium next Sunday for a game with the division lead on the line.
Trending
Case Keenum got his second consecutive start for the injured Sam Bradford and had a great afternoon (including a career high passing yards). Behind decent protection from the Vikings offensive line, Keenum hit long, intermediate and short passes—one of those short ones for the Vikings second touchdown—a two-yard pass to Jarius Wright. It prompted this tweet from the @PewterReport:
“So, um, Case Keenum once again looks like a Pro Bowler against the #Bucs. Not rattled whatsoever under pressure. Football is weird.”
Keenum had a couple overthrows, missing a wide-open Kyle Rudolph and overthrowing Adam Thielen early, plus he could have thrown Diggs open for a big gain. But he also had a bad drop by Diggs attributed to his numbers. On the day, Keenum was 25 of 33 for 369 yards and three touchdown passes (142.1 quarterback rating), easing some nervousness as to how the offense would fare without Bradford at the helm. It actually looked very similar to how it was the opening weekend when Bradford was healthy.
The Vikings went to running back Dalvin Cook early and often on the first drive of the game, resulting in Cook’s first touchdown of his NFL career—a one-yard run. The Bucs came into the game with a depleted defensive front seven, and the Vikings took advantage of it. Cook ran hard, showing off his power and quickness. He also kept moving his legs with tacklers draped all over him, grinding out extra yards where there shouldn’t have been any available. On the day, Cook ran 27 times for 97 yards and had five receptions for 72—and the crowd uttered a collective gasp when he stayed down on the carpet with an apparent injury in the third quarter (he got up and ran off the field and then returned to the game). Cook is really becoming a great rookie and well worth Vikings trading up in the draft to get him.
It’s beginning to look like you can’t talk about one Vikings wide receiver without talking about the other, because when the passing game is on, both Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs are going to get theirs. It started early with Thielen making a great catch while being hit on a 45-yard bomb, and then suddenly Keenum found Diggs and rarely looked away from him after that. Diggs steals the headline with his 173 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions. One point worth mentioning is that on Diggs’ 59-yard touchdown reception, he started celebrating a little too early, nearly losing the ball before he crossed the goal line (see the Chicago Bears and also Leon Lett from years ago). Keep those emotions high, Stefan, but don’t start those cellies too early. There is nothing worse in the game than what the Bears did today.
Worth Defending
We still have to talk about Adam Thielen, as he also had a very productive day. Thielen got the team rolling early and then made more big catches throughout the afternoon (five catches for 98 yards). He didn’t get in the endzone, and hasn’t yet this season, but his precise route running, large catching radius and excellent hands when the ball isn’t exactly on target, have made him an indispensible part of the Vikings offense. He is a constant target of no matter who is throwing the ball as he is always in the right place and most likely open. The touchdowns should be coming soon.
The defense fed off the offense today. The Vikings scored on their opening drive and the defense held the Bucs to a field goal. The next two drives the defenses for both teams held serve. And after the Vikings offense went down the field for their second score, the Vikings defense responded with a sack for a three-and-out for the Bucs. It resulted in a decisive 21-3 halftime lead for the home team. In the second half, the Vikings offense kept rolling, while the defense held their own through an aerial onslaught by the Bucs. Tamps had to start moving the ball in big chucks, and they did so, connecting on two touchdown passes to pull within 14 points. But that’s when Andrew Sendejo came up with the defense’s second interception of the game and set up the offense for a decisive field goal. The Harrison Smith grabbed a third one, this time in the end zone when the Bucs were marching, and put the Tampa team away for good. The defense bent all day but didn’t really break—and they played more than well enough to secure the win.
The offensive line gave Keenum plenty of time to throw the ball downfield against the Bucs. Tampa’s front seven were a little undermanned due to injuries, and the Vikings offensive line took advantage of it. Their numbers on the day in the pocket were pretty good with Keenum being sack just one time and hit four times. On the run game, the offensive line opened up plenty of holes for Cook, who had room to run between the tackles. On the day, the offense put up 494 yards and 34 points, which are all that are needed by a team with a defense like the Vikings have. Once again, the Bus defense wasn’t as tough as the Steelers’ defense last week, so the afternoon has to be taken with a grain of salt. But it is moving, once again, in the right direction.
Should be Ending
Kai Forbath’s extra point problems appear to be a thing of the past, at least for this game, anyway. And in the victory, the Vikings offense gave him plenty of opportunities to kick them. Forbath was 4-for-4 on the day in extra points (and he also connected on two of two field goals. Forbath, who had missed two PATs coming into this game (one in each of the preceding two games), doesn’t appear to have the same mindset that his predecessor has when it comes to responding to his own failure. Here’s hoping that he keeps it up.
Penalties were better this week than last week (they had five for 53 yards compared to 11 for 131 yards last week), but the taunting penalty on Xavier Rhodes on the play when Trae Waynes picked Winston in the endzone is the kind of thing that will tick a head coach off. The Vikings survived the penalty, thanks to a bomb by Keenum to Diggs that setting up a score before halftime, but Rhodes will hear about that one from his head coach.
Anxiety over the anthem. The Vikings responded to the latest President-induced hubbub over the national anthem and Colin Kaepernick’s protest of it by locking arms in a show of solidarity. (Most of the Bucs players did the same.) It was a fine response in my opinion. Other teams took a different tack, such as the Pittsburgh Steelers staying in the locker room during the playing of the anthem. My views (not that anyone would want to hear them) are that Kaepernick’s protest is a peaceful one; it harms no one, except for the sensibilities of some—which means it is an effective peaceful protest. As a citizen of this country, he has every right to do it. Just like the rest of the NFL teams have every right to not hire him, if they want. However, even if this protest (or the perceived distraction it might become) is the reason for them not hiring him, I think it is wrong, if you don’t hire him despite thinking Kaepernick could help your team. But the team owners are free to make any decision they want.
The President of the U.S. should do a better job in recognizing these freedoms, as he is the top person in the country in the job of protecting those freedoms. But, in effect, he has only broadened the reach of Kaepernick’s protest, and has galvanized much of the rest of the other NFL players and coaches in his defense. I am not sure that is what he had in mind. On the other side of the situation, if the Vikings feel like Kaepernick can help their team in the wake of Sam Bradford’s knee injury, well, they should sign him—and leave the politics out of it.
Here is the Vikings statement on the situation:
“Professional sports offer a platform unlike any other, a platform that can bring people from a variety of backgrounds together to impact positive change in our society. As owners, it is our job to foster an environment that recognizes and appreciates diversity of thought and encourages using this platform in a constructive manner. Rather than make divisive statements, we believe in promoting thoughtful, inspiring conversation that unifies our communities. We are proud of our players, coaches and staff for the important role they play in our community, and we fully support their constitutional right to respectfully and peacefully express their beliefs.”– Zygi and Mark Wilf and the entire Wilf family.
Enough said.