The Minnesota Vikings (5-1) were handed their first loss by the Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) on Sunday afternoon, in a embarrassing 21-10 beat down. After committing five turnovers in the first quarter alone, the Vikings struck first with a Blair Walsh field goal with 9:01 left in the second quarter. On the ensuing kickoff Eagles receiver Josh Huff returned the ball 98 yards for a score. After converting a two point conversion, Philadelphia took control of the game and never looked back.
The Vikings were not able to score a touchdown until there was less than a minute left in the game. Though Minnesota’s defense was solid throughout the game, generating four turnovers, they could not overcome numerous mistakes by the offense and special teams. Those groups turned the ball over a combined four times (one interception, two strip sacks, one fumbled punt return), allowed a kick return touchdown, and gave up six sacks. It was a disappointing performance for the Vikings, and one that will be greatly discussed through next week. Below are some of the biggest takeaways from the loss.
Minnesota Vikings Week Seven Takeaways
Putrid Protection of Sam Bradford
Throughout the season the Vikings offensive line, particularly the offensive tackles, have struggled to protect their quarterback. On Sunday, the three man rotation of T.J. Clemmings, Jake Long, and Jeremiah Sirles had Vikings fans missing the the human turnstile Matt Kalil. It may be fair to give Long a pass, given he was only signed with the team 12 days before the game and had barely played in over a year. But the offensive line allowing four strip sacks, two of which were recovered by the defense, and 12 total hits on the quarter back is not acceptable under any circumstances. Perhaps this poor performance is due to a lack of cohesion from rotating the tackles. But whatever the case may be, Vikings fans better hope the coaching staff can do something to fix the protection issues, or Sam Bradford will never make it through the rest of the season healthy.
The run blocking was also not acceptable. Minnesota rushed for 93 yards, but it took 27 carries (3.4 yards per carry), and they failed to open a hole on consecutive plays inside the Eagles ten yard line. That caused the offense to turn the ball over on downs rather than convert. At this point in the season, with few quality linemen available on the street, the Vikings must hope one or two players can step up along the line and play at least average football.
Uncharacteristic Mistakes By Special Teams
Up to Sunday’s matchup against the Eagles the Vikings had been able to trust their special teams to make several plays throughout a game. On Sunday, despite another great outing by Jeff Locke and the Vikings gunners, the special teams unit did far more to lose the game than win it. Mike Priefer’s crew allowed their first kick return touchdown since the 2013 season, and Marcus Sherels‘ uncharacteristically fumbled a punt after he hesitated before retrieving it. The punt team also allowed a Eagles player to run into Jeff Locke, which did draw a penalty, but put the punter at unnecessary risk. The Vikings special teams unit was also flagged for a roughing the kicker penalty called against them on an extra point attempt. That allowed the Eagles to attempt (and convert) a two-point-conversion from the one-yard line.
Cordarrelle Patterson and Matt Asiata Continue to Make Plays
If there were any bright spots on the Vikings offense Sunday, they were undoubtedly wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson and running back Matt Asiata.
Patterson, in addition to making another outstanding play as a gunner, which helped the Vikings down a punt inside the three yard line, also caught a touchdown for the second consecutive week. Patterson ended the day with seven catches on seven targets for 67 yards and the aforementioned score.
Asiata also had a solid game, rushing 12 times for 55 yards, while also catching six passes for 25 yards. However, Asiata’s impact went beyond the box score. He picked up several first downs with his hard running, including one on a third and long where he was handed the ball in an attempt to help the punt team, and instead took off for an improbable first down.
Defense Played Well Enough to Win
On Sunday the Vikings team allowed 21 points and the Vikings defense allowed 13 of those points. If not for the kick return touchdown by the Eagles, the Vikings touchdown with 37 seconds could have won the game, and the narrative of the game would have been one of the amazing performance by the Vikings defense.
If Philly had not returned the kick for a touchdown, the Vikings would most likely have kicked a field goal on fourth down inside the ten instead of trying to convert (Minnesota ultimately failed to concert). Then, with a two point conversion after the Patterson touchdown, the Vikings could have won the game. Unfortunately, this scenario is not the one that played out Sunday. It only serves to show how well the Vikings defense really played.
Both strong safety Andrew Sendejo and cornerback Xavier Rhodes intercepted rookie quarter back Carson Wentz in the first quarter. Both Linebacker Anthony Barr and free safety Harrison Smith recovered fumbles (one of which was forced by Rhodes). The biggest problem for the Vikings defense on Sunday was an inability to get in the Eagles backfield to make plays. They did not sack Wentz once, and were able to recover only one of three fumbled snaps by Wentz.
Conclusion
The performance on Sunday by the Vikings offense and special teams was simply unacceptable. The defense, as phenomenal as it may be, cannot be counted on to win a game with no help from the other units. The Vikings must take some action to sort out the mess that is their offensive line and make many more corrections on both sides of the ball. Luckily, the Vikings are 5-1. They are still a great team with a great record. They just had a bad game.
Last year, in Week one, the Vikings were embarrassed by the San Francisco 49ers in prime time. They went on to an 11-5 record and a division title. This Eagles team is far better than that 49ers team. Every team has bad games, and this is a crucial reminder to the team that they are not unbeatable and cannot be complacent. It is better to learn that lesson Week seven than in the playoffs.
Fortunately for the Vikings, next week they play the 1-6 Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. Although they now know to never overlook any team, the extra day to prepare and the opponent should give both Vikings players and fans plenty of confidence and optimism that the team can get back on track and prevent a loss from turning into a losing streak.
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