Minnesota Vikings Best and Worst: Week 8 vs. Washington Redskins

More bad things

For a while, Stefon Diggs’ fumbling habit seemed like a fluke. Sadly, it’s becoming more of a trend. On the opening drive for Minnesota, Cousins hit a wide-open Diggs who was picking up some good yards after the catch before having the ball stripped away from him.

The Vikings need to be able to trust Diggs as a starter. He’s proven to be able to make tough catches and adjust well, but he needs to secure that football better. Thankfully, he’s taken ownership of this issue and looks to correct it going forward.

Here are some other bad things to come out of Week 8 for the Minnesota Vikings:

• Bad coverage. Xavier Rhodes is really starting to become concerning. Not only is he giving up a lot of catches but he is racking up a lot of penalties that are putting the Vikings in horrible positions. The Vikings defense needs him to return to form if they want to hope for a deep playoff run.
• Not finishing drives. You can beat the Redskins kicking field goals. With only scoring one touchdown in this game, it became clear that Minnesota was going to rest its hopes on Dan Bailey. If not for a Dalvin Cook run, chances are that Minnesota may not have gotten in the end zone at all.
• Soft coverage. Mike Zimmer talked in his post-game press conference about the corners playing off too far, making them susceptible to throws underneath and comeback routes. The head coach says this is something that is on him and he will need to make the needed adjustments.
• Primetime on a short week. Thursday Night Football is brutal for players, coaches, and everyone involved. Not only is there a short time to recover from any injuries, but the time needed to formulate a gameplan and prepare for a game is nearly nothing. It would be interesting to see what this game would have been like outside of Thursday.

What did you think were the best and worst parts of the Minnesota Vikings Week 8 game against the Washington Redskins? And which other parts of this game deserve recognition? Let us know in the comments section!