In a hotly contested game between two teams struggling to find their identity, the Minnesota Vikings had two surprising players step up to the plate.
The Vikings had a lot of difficulty early on to find a spark anywhere they went on offense. Timing and communication seemed to be off between Vikings rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and his high profile wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. Patterson was targeted seven times in the game and hauled in only one of the passes for a total of 9 yards. And while Greg Jennings led the team in targets, receptions, and receiving yards, it was another young man that made his mark on this game.
Nov 2, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end Chase Ford (86) celebrates his touchdown with tight end Rhett Ellison (85) during the second quarter against the Washington Redskins at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Young backup tight end Chase Ford took this opportunity to show his value to the team. Ford had the game’s only receiving touchdown of the day and provided Bridgewater with a reliable option in the pass game. Ford ended the game with five catches on seven targets and 66 receiving yards.
Meanwhile, rookie running back Jerick McKinnon found his share of problems running the ball today. He carried the ball 14 times for 54 yards and failed to reach the end zone. However, there was a back that picked up his slack.
Matt Asiata found the end zone a total of FOUR times in the game. Three of them were short yardage touchdowns and the the fourth was a 2 point conversion. Other than the short yardage situations, Asiata struggled running the ball as well. He had 10 carries for 26 yards, but did add four catches for 31 yards.
While Asiata and Ford were unlikely players to be the offensive heroes of this weeks game, it just goes to show the depth and determination of all the players on this Minnesota Vikings team, not just the starters.
Minnesota will get a week of rest now since they are entering their bye week. They will return in week 11 to take on the Bears in Chicago on November 16th.