Post by Purple Pain on Nov 18, 2024 12:05:52 GMT -6
Alec Lewis: Vikings top Titans, earn AFC South sweep, but they know they have bigger fish to fry
The 2024 Vikings might be 8-2 and staring down a playoff spot, but they are far from perfect. And they know it.
“We have to put it all together the whole game,” said superstar receiver Justin Jefferson, who caught six passes for 81 yards Sunday.
Minnesota still turns the ball over too much offensively. On the first possession Sunday, quarterback Sam Darnold pitched the ball to running back Aaron Jones, and the ball bounced off his chest and into the hands of a Titans defender. The fumble was Minnesota’s seventh over this three-game stretch. The only teams with more? Indianapolis and Jacksonville.
Allowing explosives in the passing game is another problem. As of Sunday evening, only three NFL teams had given up more passes of 16 yards or more than Minnesota. Levis completed six of those throws Sunday, including a third-down heave in the third quarter from his own end zone toward the right sideline. The combination of Levis’ velocity plus Vikings safety Josh Metellus’ misjudgment of the trajectory led to the 98-yard score and nearly altered the momentum of the game.
And then, of course, there is the question of the interior of the Vikings offensive line. Minnesota replaced third-year right guard Ed Ingram with veteran Dalton Risner on Sunday, but the Titans front still constricted pockets, forcing Darnold to look, at times, like he was dodging bullets in “The Matrix.” Minnesota’s offense also struggled to run the ball consistently between the tackles, finishing with 2.6 yards per carry on designed rushes.
If the Vikings get bounced early in the playoffs, or if they have to fight even to reach that point, these are likely to be many of the conversation points. They were Sunday afternoon as well, despite Darnold’s solid 20-of-32 outing for 246 yards and two touchdowns.
But remember, the NFL is designed for parity and close games.
“There’s no homecoming out here,” Vikings safety Harrison Smith said. “It doesn’t matter where people’s records are. Everybody has Pro Bowlers. Everybody can score on one play like what happened today. There are no easy buckets.”
“We have to put it all together the whole game,” said superstar receiver Justin Jefferson, who caught six passes for 81 yards Sunday.
Minnesota still turns the ball over too much offensively. On the first possession Sunday, quarterback Sam Darnold pitched the ball to running back Aaron Jones, and the ball bounced off his chest and into the hands of a Titans defender. The fumble was Minnesota’s seventh over this three-game stretch. The only teams with more? Indianapolis and Jacksonville.
Allowing explosives in the passing game is another problem. As of Sunday evening, only three NFL teams had given up more passes of 16 yards or more than Minnesota. Levis completed six of those throws Sunday, including a third-down heave in the third quarter from his own end zone toward the right sideline. The combination of Levis’ velocity plus Vikings safety Josh Metellus’ misjudgment of the trajectory led to the 98-yard score and nearly altered the momentum of the game.
And then, of course, there is the question of the interior of the Vikings offensive line. Minnesota replaced third-year right guard Ed Ingram with veteran Dalton Risner on Sunday, but the Titans front still constricted pockets, forcing Darnold to look, at times, like he was dodging bullets in “The Matrix.” Minnesota’s offense also struggled to run the ball consistently between the tackles, finishing with 2.6 yards per carry on designed rushes.
If the Vikings get bounced early in the playoffs, or if they have to fight even to reach that point, these are likely to be many of the conversation points. They were Sunday afternoon as well, despite Darnold’s solid 20-of-32 outing for 246 yards and two touchdowns.
But remember, the NFL is designed for parity and close games.
“There’s no homecoming out here,” Vikings safety Harrison Smith said. “It doesn’t matter where people’s records are. Everybody has Pro Bowlers. Everybody can score on one play like what happened today. There are no easy buckets.”
... and neither is this Chris guy.