Watching the Vikings get shellacked by Dallas hurt on many levels. It hurt because I hate the Cowboys. They’re the most obnoxious fan base in all of the NFL. Losing in the fashion that Minnesota did gives them the upper hand in football related banter.
It also hurt because, as a fan, a week earlier you watched your team beat one of the league’s best on the road. The third aspect of why it hurt is because this season, I’ve been an intolerable fan. When the Vikings are winning, I am insufferable. With that being said, every score by Dallas led to a text from my friends and college teammates taunting me. It’s well deserved, but it still hurts.
Even though the Vikings lost in miserable fashion, I’m not nervous. They’re still 8-2 with losses to teams with winning records in Dallas and Philadelphia. They also have wins over Buffalo, New Orleans, Green Bay, and Arizona. I shouldn’t say I’m comfortable, but I’m not uncomfortable.
Offensive Woes Happen
The NFL season is long and daunting. This means that there are ups and downs, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Something that your average couch potato fan can’t recognize is the fact that their best offensive lineman, Christian Darrisaw, has missed time in both the Bills and Cowboys game due to injury. I don’t think that Darrisaw playing against Dallas wins them this game, but it prevents Cousins from being sacked seven times.
There was a bright spot that came from the loss on offense. Even with their top blocker out, they can still run the rock. Cook carried the ball 11 times for 72 yards. It doesn’t jump off the stat sheet, but you need to find a positive in a game like this.
When you look at the Vikings’ other contests this year, they’ve been efficient on offense. Prior to the game, Cousins was only sacked 20 times, which is 2.2 times a game. Another bright spot is that Justin Jefferson has been assaulting defensive backs. He has 1,093 receiving yards. His counterpart, Adam Thielen, has even been playing well with 492 receiving yards. Then, the man who is getting them the ball has been a star. Cousins has thrown for 2,461 yards and 14 touchdowns. It’s not all bad…I guess.
The Defense Makes Plays When Needed
While the defense does allow 23.1 points a game, they’ve proven to make plays when needed. Patrick Peterson picked off two passes against Buffalo, one of which sealed the win. Then you have one of the league’s most underrated pass rushing duos. Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter have been getting after opposing quarterbacks with ease and making them pay. Smith has 9.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss while Hunter has six sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
Minnesota has 26 sacks on the season, while also being in the top half of the league in rushing yards per carry allowed with 4.4. There is definitely room for improvement, and today was a prime example of that. The defensive unit cannot rely on the offense bailing them out when you run into a chainsaw defense like Dallas. With just less than half the year remaining though, I’m confident in Coach of the Year candidate Kevin O’Connell’s ability to iron out the wrinkles.