The Minnesota Vikings beat the Detroit Lions 28-24 on Sunday in a win that didn’t quite feel like one. The Vikings got down by ten twice, rallying in the second and fourth quarter to get the win. Minnesota struggled with consistency on both sides of the ball. They couldn’t move the ball well on offense and the defense had fits with Detroit’s. Minnesota was terrible on fourth down acting like it was first, allowing Detroit to keep drives alive. On the flip side Minnesota was able to rally in the fourth, led by Kirk Cousins who hit K.J. Osborn for a 28-yard touchdown and the Vikings defense got an interception to seal it. It was ugly, but they got the win and that’s what matters. With that, let’s take a look at my takeaways from their week 3 win.
Consistency Is A Big Issue
This issue isn’t just on offense or defense but both. Minnesota has struggled to be consistent so far this year, and it was obvious Sunday. Minnesota couldn’t do anything offensively in the first or third quarter, but came to life in the second and fourth putting up 14 points in each. The Vikings also had two missed field goals from 50-plus yards. The offensive inconsistency was shown in week 1 against the Packers as the Vikings had a great opening drive, but struggled too much after that on offense in the first half. Sunday it was shown all game long as either hit or miss.
On the defensive side, the Vikings struggled allowing the Lions to move the ball up and down the field, sometimes at will during the game. The Vikings allowed seven points in the first and second quarter and ten in the third, before shutting down Detroit in the fourth. The Lions also missed a field goal on their opening drive and another late in the game. Minnesota needs to sharpen up outside of the fourth quarter, especially in the first half where they have allowed 38 points in their last two games (24 of which came against the Eagles last week), compared to just ten in the second (a 28 point differential).
The Defense Needs To Step It Up In The First Half
This ties right in with the lack of consistency. Minnesota so far this season has given up 38 points in the first half out of 55 total points allowed. Now Detroit is a good team and they have proven it so far, but this game was frustrating to watch at points. In the first half the defense looked like they couldn’t stop Detroit. The Lions had 416 yards of total offense (277 passing and 139 rushing). They also averaged 5.5 yards per play causing fits for Minnesota’s defense.
The Vikings fourth down defense was horrendous. The Lions converted four of their six fourth down attempts yesterday. Of the four conversions, all of them allowed the Lions’ drives to stay alive and score 17 points. Detroit converted a fourth and five that led to a touchdown on their second drive. On their third drive they converted two fourth and ones that led to a touchdown and a fourth and two that led to a field goal in the third quarter. That means Minnesota could have prevented 17 points if they could’ve stopped Detroit on fourth down. The Vikings need to be better here. This is just unacceptable defensive play.
But The Second Half Defense Is Great
Thankfully the Vikings second half defense is great, specifically in the fourth quarter. Minnesota has yet to allow a team to score in the fourth quarter, a big reason for Sunday’s win. Also, of their 55 points allowed, 17 have been in the second half. Minnesota’s defense might not be good in the first half, but Ed Donatell is able to make adjustments at halftime to keep their opponents at bay. This is big for Minnesota and why even when they have felt out of games, they are still in it when you take a closer look. If the offense can find consistency and the defense can play better in the first half, Minnesota could become a tougher team, especially if they can continue to shut teams down in the second half.
The Running Game Looks Good
The Vikings offense was inconsistent Sunday, but even with that the running game looked good. Dalvin Cook rushed for 96 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown, while Alexander Mattison had 28 yards on seven carries and a touchdown. While these are not massive numbers, the two averaged 5.1 yards per carry. The offensive line was able to create holes and they hit them hard, gaining big chunks of yardage. While the passing game with Justin Jefferson and Kirk Cousins has looked inconsistent, the running game looks like it’s starting to find its stride, something that the Vikings need right now. If they can get balance in the run game, it should help open up the passing game giving Minnesota some much needed balance
A Look At Next Week
Next week the Vikings head to London to take on the Saints. New Orleans is coming off of a 22-14 loss on the road to the Panthers, continuing their season struggles under new head coach Dennis Allen.
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