MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Vikings began their 34-26 win over the Arizona Cardinals with a 75-yard touchdown run and ended with a sack. He had 381 yards on offense, four sacks and two interceptions on defense, and a special squad takeout. They were solid and efficient, which allowed me to say with confidence: (How Good Are The Vikings? The Answer Is Not Clear Even After The Fifth Consecutive Win)
I don’t know anymore that my U.S. How cool are the Vikings really compared to before they entered? Bank Stadium.
Yes, they have won five in a row and are 6-1 on aggregate. Yes, their closest match in NFC North is 3-5. Yes, every win has been on a winning streak by one point. And yes, their only loss was to the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles. (How Good Are The Vikings? The Answer Is Not Clear Even After The Fifth Consecutive Win)
But trying to figure out what that means is challenging because the Vikings have been good, not great. Only two of his opponents have had winning records in the time he has played, and when five of his six wins are eight points or less, it usually means that seeing the result flipped the other way is a bad one. is game. Plus, when you can’t decisively eliminate opponents in the second half despite having a two-point lead, as in each of their last three games, sometimes you’re talking about survival mode, not dominance. , (How Good Are The Vikings? The Answer Is Not Clear Even After The Fifth Consecutive Win)
Perhaps the answer is as simple as what the Vikings assistant coach told me before the game when asked how good the team is:
“As good as we should be,” she replied.
What a perfect description for these Vikings, who tried hard enough to survive. They are not where they want to be, nor where they expect to be. But they are winning to get there, focusing on the journey rather than the destination. (How Good Are The Vikings? The Answer Is Not Clear Even After The Fifth Consecutive Win)
The fact that they have been the least discussed team in the league in recent weeks is well with them. If they were 6-1 and wore green and gold like a certain team in Wisconsin, they would probably lead most of the featured shows.
“We Will Be Everywhere,” Said Zadarius Smith, A Former Packer Linebacker.
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But these Vikings welcome their relative oblivion, at least for now. The goal is to talk about when the temperature drops and the shade lengthens in the season. Last week he heard during his goodbyes that strangers refer to him almost as an afterthought when discussing the Bills and Giants, teams that had as many losses as they did.
“It’s one of those things where you get into the underdog mentality, even though our record and the game we put together, it’s not normal to be in that position,” said Alexander Mattison. “It’s one of those things where we focus internally as a unit, as a family, in this locker room, and that’s us against the world. That’s the mentality that we have people think about us.” I’m not talking.”
“As you are, eventually they’ll learn and they’ll respect you. I don’t know why people don’t see us as the team we are. We just have to keep proving every Sunday.”
Here’s the thing about the Vikings: They’re talented, they’re well-trained, and they usually just can’t beat themselves. They only have one game where they were on the downside in the turnover gap, and that was their 24-7 loss to the Eagles in Week 2. He has the best running back in the game in Dalvin Cook, who ran for 111 yards on Sunday; A productive quarterback at Kirk Cousins, who threw 232 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a second; And an opportunistic defense that has recorded multiple takeaways in three of the last four games. (How Good Are The Vikings? The Answer Is Not Clear Even After The Fifth Consecutive Win)
They have great leadership and accountability for each other, as well as a high soccer IQ, allowing them to apply what is taught throughout the week.
First-year head coach Kevin O’Connell said, “Every week we talk to our team about what it takes to win games, really fixed stuff, not just coach language.” “When it comes to playing smart and limiting penalties, it’s always our goal to dominate the position and be more than two on turnover. But it’s much more than that. It’s, how are we going to win the game? That’s it. What are the things that we’ve actually done? Focus on the three steps to winning a soccer game every week. Look how alive.” He noted Cousins’ 17-yard touchdown run to start the game. The Cardinals gave him a one-stop safety look, which meant the Cardinals could have a run if the pass had defenders’ backs. Sure enough, the opportunity presented itself and the Cousins did what they were taught, scuttling the right bank and defeating the pylons in pursuit.
O’Connell Called It A “Winning Play”. Cousins Saw It As Smart Football.
“Honestly, we had a good game for man coverage, and he defended it very well,” he said. “I was amazed by his ability to take it off. Then I thought: ‘I have to go, I have to walk’. I was still looking forward to releasing it, but I like it Didn’t think we had any. It just flew. The cavalry usually gets there very fast, but in that one, for some reason, I was able to reach the front pylon. I had no idea how much this meant to the O-linemen when I ran. He said it was a big problem for him. I didn’t notice it. If I had known this, I might have run more. For some reason he really liked it. Garrett (Bradbury) said it was the best thing ever.
You don’t have to spend a lot of time with Vikings to feel the positive vibes. It can be felt from the stand or in the locker room. They believe in each other. The same cannot be said for the Cardinals (3-5), who were in dire need of a win on Sunday.
He started the day out of first place in the NFC West, but his position was confusing. They are 0-2 against division opponents and are fully aware that in a confused NFC, conference records can be a big factor in determining who makes the playoffs and who doesn’t.
Sunday was their sixth of nine consecutive games against NFC opponents (the last three in that segment are against NFC West teams) and instead of building momentum, they cemented their status as one of the most intriguing teams in the league. shored up. They have as much talent as the Vikings, but they can’t find a way to put it all together. They often seem like a team whose players and coaches are meeting for the first time. If it’s not miscommunication and turnover (they got three free gifts on Sunday), it’s a constant failure to send play calls on time. or inability to execute. some examples:
He was called to a false start on third and -2 from Minnesota 41, which threw him out from a favorable distance. Result: bag.
He opened the third quarter with consecutive penalty kicks, setting up the first and 27. Result: Withdrawal. (How Good Are The Vikings? The Answer Is Not Clear Even After The Fifth Consecutive Win)
He had the Vikings third and -8 from the 11-yard line, but the play came late, so he called a timeout. Result: miscommunication, rumble, and agreement for field target on a quick count.
Miscommunication contributed to one of Kyler Murray’s two infractions. He expected Zach Ertz to continue running vertically from the Minnesota 44-yard line, but Ertz flattened the route, resulting in the ball being thrown behind him. Result: Missed field goal opportunity.
The Cardinals can’t do it properly. Even things outside of your control work against you, such as a Call of Duty video game commercial that plays out during gameplay. It featured football players apologizing to their head coach after not sleeping because they had been playing all night. An avid player, Murray received a lot of criticism this season for his perceived lack of study habits.
The problem in Arizona isn’t talent. From afar, the Cardinals are a group of capable players who do not play well together, especially on offense. Is this culture? Is he a head coach who feels the heat under his seat? When players have to tell the coach to “slow down the f–down” during a game, like Murray did to Cliff Kingsbury two weeks ago, that’s a problem. The coach is supposed to be the reassuring presence of the players. (How Good Are The Vikings? The Answer Is Not Clear Even After The Fifth Consecutive Win)
Neither of these things is a cause for concern in Minnesota, where the Vikings go about their business in an orderly fashion. How good can this team be?
“I’m not going to say anything,” said Smith, who had three of the Vikings’ four sacks. “I’m going to answer this to Kirk Cousins.”
So Cousin?
“We are one week at a time,” he said. “I like it that way. I don’t need anyone to talk about it. We’re good. There’s a lot of football left. Everyone knows I know how to play, being in this league.” It’s the week.” One week all you have to do is keep earning your way. The difference between 6-1 and 1-6 is quite small. You just have to keep looking for ways to win and keep moving forward.”
How good are the Vikings? Apparently, the preferred response is to check back in a month or two.
