Against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings got a much-needed win that kept their playoff hopes alive.
With their backs against the wall, the Minnesota Vikings went out and did what the majority didn’t think they could do on Sunday by defeating a team with a winning record on the road. Minnesota held onto a 27-20 win over the Los Angeles Chargers this weekend, and now, the Vikings can put off planning their offseason vacations for at least one more week.
What are some of the initial takeaways from Minnesota‘s big win over the Chargers on Sunday?
Quick thoughts on the Vikings win over the Chargers
Kendricks adds another pick to his highlight reel – When it comes to pass coverage, Eric Kendricks is arguably the best linebacker in the NFL. Kendricks added some more evidence to help prove his case on Sunday when he made a diving interception in the second quarter.
That was the second pick by Kendricks this season and the ninth of his career since he entered the league in 2015.
Westbrook reminds everyone why he was signed – Minnesota brought in former Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Dede Westbrook before this season, and at the very least, they knew they had themselves a new punt returner for the 2021 campaign.
Westbrook didn’t do much as a punt returner in the first half of the season, but on Sunday, he returned a punt for 45 yards in the first quarter. Unfortunately, it didn’t result in any points for the Vikings, but it’s still a good sign for the team’s punt return unit moving forward.
More quick thoughts from Minnesota’s win over Los Angeles
Penalties continue to be a problem for Minnesota – Getting wins is only going to be tougher if the Vikings keep racking up the penalties like they have recently.
Minnesota finished with 10 penalties for 118 yards on Sunday and it was the third time in their last four games that they’ve been penalized for at least 90 yards.
Bynum fills in well for Smith again – With Harrison Smith out again due to being on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, Camryn Bynum got the start at safety for the second week in a row on Sunday.
Just like last week, Bynum had some impressive moments out on the field that should get Vikings fans excited about his future. The rookie safety finished Sunday’s matchup with six tackles (one for a loss), one pass breakup, and his first-career sack.
Shocking, but targeting Jefferson is a good idea – For some reason, Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins didn’t target Justin Jefferson very much during the team’s first two games after their bye this season.
On Sunday, However, Cousins and Jefferson re-connected and it resulted in the second-year receiver finishing with more than 100 yards in a game for the 10th time in his NFL career. Jefferson ended the matchup with nine catches for 143 yards on 11 targets.
Someone else deserves a shot at right guard – Oli Udoh has been the starting right guard for the Vikings all season long, but it’s time for Minnesota to give someone else a chance to take his place.
Udoh just makes too many mistakes out on the field and there’s no reason for the Vikings to not see if they have a better option for the role in either Blake Brandel or Wyatt Davis.
Even more quick thoughts from Minnesota’s win over Los Angeles
Conklin reminds everyone about his red-zone value – After being one of Kirk Cousins’ top targets during the last couple of weeks, Vikings tight end Tyler Conklin only finished with five targets and three catches on Sunday.
However, two of Conklin’s three catches resulted in touchdowns. Both scores came inside the red zone as Minnesota utilized the tight end’s ability to be a weapon when lining up near the end zone.
Bittersweet to see Joseph in a Chargers uniform – One could easily argue that the prime of Linval Joseph’s NFL career came when he was in a Vikings uniform.
So when he lined up on Sunday in a powder blue Los Angeles jersey, it was a sad reminder that the big guy is no longer on Minnesota’s roster.
Give Zimmer credit for this win – Down a handful of his best players on defense, Mike Zimmer came up with a great game plan to hold the Chargers offense to just 253 total yards on Sunday.
Zimmer’s decision to go for it on 4th-and-2 late in the fourth quarter also sealed the win for the Vikings this week. It was a rare, but necessary, choice made by the Minnesota head coach.
Things don’t get any easier next week – The Vikings can enjoy this win during their plane ride home on Sunday night. But their next matchup will be up against a very talented Green Bay Packers team.
The NFC North battle will take place inside U.S. Bank Stadium, but Minnesota still has their work cut out for them if they’re going to get a win over the Packers next weekend.