3 unsung heroes from the Vikings win over the Cardinals in Week 8

Jared Allen – Vikings Ring of Honor Inductee

Though Jared Allen wasn’t on the field for Minnesota this past weekend, it’s hard to deny that the former Vikings star defensive end brought a lot of energy to the game.

Allen was, and still is, a fan favorite in Minnesota, so it’s no surprise that on a day that the Vikings had Allen in attendance, the stadium was electric. Allen being part of the pregame ritual set the day off for Minnesota, and there wasn’t a drop off in energy till the very end.

Allen’s famous cattle roping celebration also made an appearance in the game as a sign of respect by the players to the should-be future hall-of-fame defender. One of these appearances, however, was by Cardinals defensive lineman J.J. Watt after a sack of Kirk Cousins, which clearly got a rise out of the crowd and took the energy from a 10 to an 11.

Even when Allen wasn’t playing on the field, the energy that he was famous for was on clear display in U.S. Bank Stadium. Allen helped the Vikings get a victory one last time in the most Jared Allen way possible: in cowboy attire while riding on a horse. A true Minnesota Vikings legend.