It wasn't always pretty – and it wasn't always pretty on Sunday either – but the Minnesota Vikings won their third straight game after defeating the Tennessee Titans 23-13. This win gives the Vikings their third straight win after losing the previous two games. More importantly, the win puts the Vikings in control of the AFC South this season and puts the Vikings just one game behind the Detroit Lions in the NFC North standings.
Despite some exciting moments, particularly towards the end, there were a lot of positives for the Vikings to take away from this win. Sam Darnold, who has struggled greatly in the Vikings' last two wins, had a good day against the Titans, making a number of plays with his arm and legs. The Vikings were hit in the face a few times late, but instead of giving up, they were able to step up and secure the win – something they had failed to do in their two losses this season.
Overall, it was a good, not great, day for the Vikings. Ultimately, though, a win is a win, and we have another Victory Monday to talk about the studs and duds of the week.
Mandatory attribution: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
It wasn't the best or most impactful game of Justin Jefferson's career with the Minnesota Vikings. He was held out of the end zone that day and received less than 100 yards receiving. But every time you set not only team records, but NFL records, you deserve to be recognized as a “stud.”
With his six catches for 81 yards, Jefferson passed Vikings legend Randy Moss for the most receiving yards in a player's first five seasons in team history. Even more impressive, he surpassed St. Louis Rams legend Torry Holt's NFL record for receiving yards in a player's first five seasons – and Jefferson still has seven games left in his fifth season. Jefferson has a chance to put this record out of anyone's reach, potentially for a very long time.
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One of the biggest weaknesses for the Vikings' offense last season was the running game – or rather, the lack thereof. A year after the departure of key running back Dalvin Cook, the Vikings' running game consistently struggled to get going all season long, no matter who was running the ball.
This year, there was hope that the running game would turn around. Minnesota went out and grabbed running back Aaron Jones from the Green Bay Packers in the offseason, hoping he would maintain his Pro Bowl form in purple. Jones has been solid but unspectacular for the Vikings so far, and Sunday was another tough day for the running back.
Many of the Vikings' problems in the running game can be traced to the offensive line, particularly the team's problems at guard. Dalton Risner got the start against Ed Ingram on Sunday, but the shakeup at the line didn't really improve the running game. Jones had 15 carries for just 39 yards on the day, with Cam Akers getting the ball 10 times for just 25 yards. At this point in the season, an average of less than 3 yards per carry is alarming.
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There was a lot of anxiety going into this season for many Vikings fans. A big part of it revolved around the idea of how the Vikings would replace the loss of edge rusher Danielle Hunter. Hunter had been one of the league's best passers during his time with the Vikings, and when he was traded to the Texans as a free agent, fans rightly wondered how the team would repeat that performance.
There was a lot of skepticism when it emerged that the answer was the combination of former Texans executive Jonathan Greenard and former Dolphins executive Andrew Van Ginkel, but through ten games it has proven that this duo is the money that general manager needs Kwesi Adofo-Mensah gave them more than they were worth in the off-season. Both players made significant contributions on the day, with Greenard being a threat in the backfield and AVG recording two sacks and three tackles for loss on the day.
Van Ginkel has reached a high point in Sacks' career, and both players were integral parts of the scheme that defensive coordinator Brian Flores used to confuse quarterbacks all season.
Mandatory Credit: Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
It was another tough day for the Vikings cornerbacks that threatened to ruin the game for Minnesota. The cornerback room has been a concern for the Vikings all season, and on Sunday it reared its ugly head again at the most inopportune moment.
The Vikings offense was in control for most of the game and gave the team a good lead. But that was in danger of failing when the Titans' offense burst into flames late in the second half, thanks largely to a 98-yard touchdown pass from Will Levis to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. A play made possible by Vikings defensive chess piece Joshua Metellus being turned around in coverage and allowing Westbrook-Ikhine to release for the big gain.
There were a number of other failed tackles and gaps in coverage that day that made the final score look tighter than it actually was. But at the end of the day, a win is a win. The mistakes didn't cost Minnesota the win – but they certainly could against a better opponent.
Mandatory Source: Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union
Sunday's game against the Titans was a big game for Sam Darnold in more ways than one. Darnold had struggled greatly in the team's last two wins – and in the team's previous two losses – and doubts began to arise as to whether or not the “real” Darnold would emerge. The Darnold who flopped in New York and served as a career backup before reviving his career at Minnesota.
Darnold began to allay some of those fears with a great comeback performance on Sunday. It wasn't a great Tennessee team, but it was against a very solid defense. It wasn't without problems as Darnold lost a fumble and took a few hard hits. But more importantly, Darnold didn't let the fumble get stuck in his head and affect his performance from then on.
Darnold was calm and collected the entire game and made big throws with his arm. Perhaps more importantly, Darnold was also able to escape pressure when needed and made some big plays with his legs. It was an all-around strong performance from Darnold, more similar to his games earlier in the season than the Darnold of the last few weeks – or years.
