Mike the Vike’s Weekly Musings; An Ode to the Potential Playoff Path Ahead
Mike Phetteplace
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Conservatism and a comedy of errors/terrors threatened to doom Minnesota against Jacksonville at US Bank Stadium, but in the end they were able to knock off the Jaguars with a walk-off field goal in overtime, 27-24. While wresting away the seventh playoff seed from struggling Arizona in the process, plenty of questions linger as to whether this team has what it takes to make noise in the playoffs. Special teams (two missed extra points, one missed field goal) and turnover (pick six, red zone fumble) gaffes aren’t going to get it done against less forgiving teams like New Orleans in January. Despite a capable receiving corps who thrived last week, Thielen’s return meant a reversion to the predictable, run-first theorem that’s plagued the offense in recent weeks. Such disjointed philosophy will only take us so far. Times, after all, they are a-changing!
Midway through the second quarter when the Jaguars lead 9-0 and were looking for more, momentum threaded through the disciplined eye of “Needle” Cameron Dantzler back to Minnesota. Recognizing a pass play and its intended target, the first year cornerback jumped a route and wrestled the ball away for his first career interception. Suddenly, it lit a fire under our lethargic offense, who marched right down the field for their first points of the game. Late in the second half, Dantzler came through again. With Jacksonville on the move and threatening to retake the lead, he forced a fumble from a receiver and promptly fell on the pigskin for a recovery. His two turnovers were vital in sealing the narrow victory. Arguably the best from our 2020 defensive draft crop, Dantzler’s confidence and acumen are growing by the game. Expect to see performances like this with more regularity as he matures further!
It’s safe to say that receiver Justin Jefferson has shattered the glass ceiling of expectations Minnesota had when they drafted him twenty-second overall in April. The LSU standout has stood out in twelve games as a professional, and is already over the millennium mark in yardage! His historic pace is threatening some long-time rookie records held by Randy Moss from 1998, including catches (61 to 69), yards (1039 to 1313), and touchdowns (7 to 17). Jefferson has already surpassed the Superfreak for most 100 yard games with five. The truly scary thing about Number Eighteen is that, while ranked fourth league-wide in production, he’s accomplishing it all on far fewer targets and receptions than other top wideouts. Imagine the stratospheric possibilities if a greater portion of the offensive scheme was directed towards Jefferson. The kid is just that darn good!
The fact that we’re talking playoff scenarios is nothing short of a miracle, considering Minnesota was on death’s doorstep six short weeks ago. However, after starting 1-5, Minnesota has defied all odds by winning five of six and now sits at the big boys’ table as the seventh and final seed. The Saints (10-2) and Packers (9-3) are likely out of reach at this point, while the LA Rams (9-4)are third as leaders in a tough NFC West division. Nobody’s fearing the NY Giants (fourth at 5-7), who will likely be the purple path of least resistance if we can somehow climb high enough to snatch the fifth seed from the Seahawks (7-5). The next rung in that ladder begins with a tilt at Tampa (sixth at 7-5) this Sunday, with whom we would switch places in victory. Sure, getting to this point has been an amazing accomplishment, but a rocky four week road still lies ahead of us!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Few wins by Minnesota this year, especially against the league’s bottom feeders, have been of the aesthetical variety, yet they embolden a team that believes it’s too legit to quit. Further validation looms in tomorrow’s tilt with Tampa. Will Kirk Cousins once again become a big shot in a big spot, standing tall amidst a blitz-happy Buccaneers defense (who also ranks first against the run) to deliver if Dalvin Cook is stonewalled? Tom Brady’s savvy, well-versed veterans (Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, Rob Gronkowski) know what it takes to succeed, so can our defense weather the storm and slow them down enough to give the offense a chance to strike back? Assuming that costly miscues, which have plagued us recently, are deftly avoided, and all three phases execute for the entire sixty minutes, a 31-30 upset is not out of question! SKOL VIKINGS!
Editor’s note: this article is collected from my person Facebook profile page, and has been slightly edited for content.