Dec 11, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford (8) rolls out of the pocket in the second quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports /
Dec 11, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford (8) rolls out of the pocket in the second quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports /
The good stuff
The Vikings are taking some shots. One of my keys to victory for this game was that Minnesota was going to need to take some deep shots. I anticipated the Vikings would wear down the Jacksonville defense first, but instead Minnesota took some shots right out of the gate!
Kyle Rudolph fighting for yards. It’s great to see the tight end making some strong plays and doing what he can to give his team the best position possible. If he want to be one of the top tight ends in the league, he’ll need that kind of toughness and winning mentality going forward.
Chad Greenway’s third down stop. While Greenway may not have all the speed he did earlier in his career, he hasn’t lost any of his hitting power. The smart linebacker knew where the line was for Jacksonville to get a first down and made sure T.J. Yeldon didn’t get there.
Taking advantage of a poor special teams unit. Even with Marcus Sherels out, the Vikings needed to attack a struggling Jacksonville coverage unit. Adam Thielen and Cordarrelle Patterson know the importance of giving Minnesota good field position considering offensive struggles.
Pass protection. The Vikings were actually able to Sam Bradford some time to look over the field and complete some passes. This comes despite not having a very poor pass rush going against them. Is this actually the sign of good things to come for the Minnesota passing game?
