Vikings Overcome this Incredible Stat in Week 12

Vikings Overcome this Incredible Stat in Week 12

The Minnesota Vikings became the fifth team in NFL history to allow two fumble returns for touchdowns – and still win the football game. Before the Vikings and Panthers hooked up inside U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 12, teams that registered two fumble returns for touchdowns had a 51-4 record. That’s a win percentage of 92.7%. When rookie safety Jeremy Chin scored his second defensive touchdown – within 10 seconds – the Vikings effectively had a 7% chance to win the contest if the efficacy of this stat is to be utilized for win probability. 

Therefore, Minnesota dramatically upending Carolina was somewhat miraculous. The numbers mandate that a team indebted to such follies must pay for the miscues. The Vikings did not necessarily roar back like a panther when the two touchdowns hopped onto the scoreboard, but they did grind out a win – as unlikely as it felt at times. 

Teddy Bridgewater returned to Minneapolis for the first time since 2017 after Minnesota opted not to renew his contract for the 2018 season. Instead, the Vikings inked Kirk Cousins to a meaty deal and extended that contract last spring. On this day, Cousins proved to be the better option at quarterback as the Panthers whiffed a game-winning 54-yard field goal as time elapsed. 

Despite their best efforts to gurgle the game away, the Vikings found a way to keep their already-faint playoff hopes alive.

First Time since 2009

Four teams before November 29th, 2020, won a game in which they surrendered two fumble return touchdowns to opponents. They are: the 1975 San Francisco 49ers, 2000 Denver Broncos, 2002 St. Louis Rams, and 2005 Arizona Cardinals. The 2020 Minnesota Vikings now join the rarefied company after circumventing a dreadful start to the second half of their Week 12 tryst with the Panthers. 

With 14 minutes to go in the third quarter, Cousins was bull-rushed by Carolina. He fumbled, and the ball was scooped by the aforementioned Jeremy Chinn for a 17-yard fumble return touchdown. Less than an NBA shot clock later, Dalvin Cook ran into a collection of large men, fell injured, dropped the football, and Mr. Chinn scampered for a 28-yard touchdown. Per ESPN’s win probability machine, Minnesota’s victory odds shrunk to just 21%.

Evidently though, these Pandemic Vikings are resilient. They became the first team in over 10 years to surmount a two-fumble return touchdown obstacle course.

Again, Cousins Brilliant 

At the moment that Chinn took the Cousins’ fumble back for six points, the quarterback’s today reached a low point. Cousins battled fumbling issues in Washington during his three-year stint as the team’s starter. He also put the ball on the ground too much during his first year in Minnesota. Since the beginning of 2019, Cousins ball security has improved. 

Seconds later, as mentioned, Cook was injured and played sparingly the rest of the way. It did not Matter to Cousins. Proceeding the Panthers defensive touchdowns, he was masterful. In total, Cousins passed for 307 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions en route to a 115.7 passer rating. 

Cousins has been savaged as of late – by his own team’s fans – for not single-handedly pioneering the Vikings to victory in fourth-quarter situations. Against the Titans, Seahawks, and Cowboys, Cousins engineered lead-changing touchdown drives and passes while Minnesota’s defense soiled the bedsheets. For an alarming portion of the Vikings fanbase, Cousins has been to blame for not overcoming these defensive, late-game shortcomings.

In Week 12, Cousins delivered — again. Soon after his touchdown pass to the redemption-seeking Chad Beebe, the Vikings defense tried to hand over another Cousins’ comeback to the opponent. But Carolina kicker Joey Slye disallowed it.

Stayin’ Alive

Outside of the realm of the Vikings control, everything else necessary for Minnesota’s postseason aspirations played like a fiddle. The Arizona Cardinals were shocked by the New England Patriots. The injury-riddled San Francisco 49ers stunned the Los Angeles Rams. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers late-run against the Kansas City Chiefs fell short. 

Rick Spielman himself could not script a better three-game scenario for Week 12 to play out in the interest of the Vikings playoff outlook. Arizona must now lose two more games – if the Vikings win four out of their final five. Or the Vikings can win next week versus Jacksonville and take that momentum to Tampa Bay who currently owns a 7-5 record. A win in Florida would give both teams a 7-6 record — with the tiebreaker favoring Minnesota. 

They just need to avoid turnovers that immediately lead to touchdowns. The numbers assert today’s victory was an extreme outlier in that regard.

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