Minnesota Vikings vs St. Louis Rams: Week 9 game review
By Adam Carlson
Nov 8, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) is tackled by St. Louis Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis (55) during the first quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
The Good
- Establishing the play action. The Vikings knew that St. Louis would be focusing on stopping Adrian Peterson. Because of this, the Vikings spammed the play action in big sets and picked up easy yardage on short throws all game, playing into Teddy Bridgewater‘s strengths.
- Offensive line play. The Minnesota Vikings did a great job of establishing the line of scrimmage. Not only did they contain the Rams pass rush, but they got a nice push to help Adrian Peterson have a solid day. This is one of the best cases for a Vikings team that has a patchwork line due to injuries.
- Sure tackling. The Vikings are one of the best tackling teams in the NFL, but it’s that kind of focus on the fundamentals that has helped them get a winning record. Too often, missed tackles lead to huge yards after contact, but the disciplined Minnesota defense is just not allowing that.
- Another week of praise for Linval Joseph. This guy. I just don’t know how one guy can be so dominant in the trenches. I was worried that with Floyd out that his play would suffer, but that was definitely not the case. Joseph ate up Gurley many times at the line of scrimmage and even got pressure on Foles.
- No more worrying about Blair Walsh. For a while during the preseason and on some extra points, there was a lot of concern about Walsh’s ability to make field goals. I no longer have that feeling of dread as I watch the team line up for the kicks. Instead, I’m back to feeling optimistic about them going in.
Next: The Bad