Minnesota Vikings: 5 best offensive plays of the 2017 regular season

4. Keenum ducks Rams’ defense and finds Thielen downfield

Following the first 10 weeks of the season, Minnesota’s 7-2 record was one of the best in the entire NFL. But there was still a bit of uncertainty surrounding how valid the team’s success actually was. A matchup with the 7-2 Los Angeles Rams in Week 11 became the Vikings’ first opportunity in 2017 to prove how good of a team they actually were.

Trailing the Rams 7-0 as the first quarter was coming to a close, quarterback Case Keenum and the Minnesota offense were in the middle of a drive that would eventually result in the team scoring their first touchdown of the day.

On the second play of drive, Keenum faked a handoff and then saw the Los Angeles pass rush quickly approaching. Instead of just falling down and taking a sack, the quarterback slithered his way out from the grasp of the Rams’ defenders and stayed upright long enough to find Vikings receiver Adam Thielen down the field for a 12-yard gain and a new set of downs.

Minnesota would go on to tie the game at seven apiece and eventually came out of the afternoon with a 24-7 win over Los Angeles. With the result, the Vikings sent a message to the rest of the league that their success during the season was not to be taken lightly.