We learned some things about the Minnesota Vikings during their victory over the New York Jets in Week 13 of the 2022 NFL season.
The Minnesota Vikings hosted the New York Jets in a Week 13 battle of two squads that could make deep playoff runs this season. In order to improve their placement in the standings as the regular season inches toward completion.
New York is a team that hasn’t gotten a lot of respect over the last few years but has made strides over the past few seasons to acquire talent and put the team in a better situation heading into the future.
The new direction of the Jets led them to a 7-4 record heading into the matchup on Sunday, Dec. 4, but the 9-2 Minnesota Vikings have earned a reputation for being tough to overcome, especially in the closing moments of a game.
Sunday’s game offered moments that taught fans a bit about the purple and gold. Let’s look at six of the biggest things we learned from the Week 13 game against the New York Jets at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Vikings can’t hold a lead
It’s a strange feeling watching a Minnesota Vikings game this season. They have made it a habit of making nearly every game a one-possession affair even if they built a large lead early. This is a bit problematic.
At one point, Minnesota led the Jets by three possessions but the Vikings allowed New York to chip that lead away with field goals until it was a one-possession game and it came down to the final drive of the game.
Counting on offensive or defensive rallies late in a game to put the Vikings in a position to win the game is very dangerous. It is even scarier to think what could have happened if the Jets could execute in the red zone or convert more on third or fourth down.
Thank goodness for the dedication of this team and heart to never give up because they were able to continue an improbable sequence of victories and keep striking fear into the hearts of good teams who worry a bit about a wild card.
Giving up yards isn’t terrible
There is some concern about the Minnesota Vikings giving up so many yards to opposing offenses. However, yards aren’t what ends up on the scoreboard at the end of the game, so they don’t matter as much in the long run.
Mike White throwing for 369 yards isn’t optimal, but when you can get two interceptions without turning the ball over and allowing only five conversions on 21 third and fourth down tries will make up for a some-field position.
It also helps that the red zone was not friendly for the Jets. they only got a touchdown on one of their six trips into the red zone and shut down any passing attack New York attempted, allowing only a quarterback touchdown run that had to be reviewed to be confirmed.
This Minnesota Vikings defense is far from perfect, but they can make up for their shortcomings by getting takeaways and forcing turnovers on downs as well as relying on their offense to put points on the board.
Rising to the occasion in big moments
A highlight reel of the biggest moments from the season so far would have some pretty major plays included in them. Whether they kept the team alive or sealed a victory, there are plays that will
Visions of Justin Jefferson taking the ball out of a defender’s hands to convert a fourth down or Patrick Peterson intercepting a pass and running out of the end zone will stick in the mind of those who were biting their nails watching.
If nothing, this season has already given fans of the Minnesota Vikings some fantastic memories from the first year of the team’s new regime as well as putting the spotlight on some of the team’s contributors.
Having so many players who can step up at important moments is something the team can rest well knowing. Hopefully, they won’t expect this type of magic in every game and not need to rely on these amazing plays in the future, but you take a win any place you can get it in the NFL.
The run game can still be the focus if needed
It was nice to see the Minnesota Vikings attack the New York Jets on the ground since they have been struggling with missed tackles over the last few games and the purple and gold have a strong group of runners on their roster.
Both Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison found the end zone in this game while combining for 100 yards on the day. The team averaged 4.4 yards per carry while not committing multiple holding penalties in the process.
It’s fun when a game is a shootout, but it’s also nice to know that a good game plan can grind out a game against a tough opponent if that situation will benefit the purple and gold in that particular week
Yes, the Vikings have invested a lot in their passing attack. Having a team that isn’t one-dimensional will be a huge benefit in the postseason. Considering how good Kirk Cousins is with play-action, executing on the ground and through the air will give them a huge advantage.
Where is Adam Thielen?
The emergence of Justin Jefferson has been amazing and seeing players like Jalen Reagor and K.J. Osborn step up should raise some questions about what happened with the Minnesota Vikings and Adam Thielen.
Before Jefferson’s arrival in Minnesota, Kirk Cousins seemed to have a major connection with Thielen, especially in the red zone. Now, it seems as though the veteran receiver is an afterthought in the team’s offense.
Even the recently acquired T.J. Hockenson seems to have leapfrogged Thielen as a priority target. He is a team player and not one that demands a lot of individual attention, but it would be nice to see him contribute more.
This may only be a feeling since Thielen had six targets against the Jet, which tied with Hockenson for the second-most targets on the day. Perhaps it was him only catching two of those targets for 27 yards that made it really disappointing.
Next week is a big one!
Next week, the Minnesota Vikings hit the road to the Motor City to take on a surging Detroit Lions team that could play spoiler to the purple and gold. Although it will only be Week 14, the NFC North is on the line.
If the Vikings bear the Lions, they will win the division and secure a spot in the playoffs. Since the Chicago Bears are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, it will be interesting to see what happens when Minnesota goes to the Windy City later this season.
Sitting at 10-2, there are still football fans and analysts who aren’t sure if the Minnesota Vikings are real competitors this season. Now that the team has ten wins, it’s harder to claim them to be frauds.
Few expected Minnesota to be this competitive during a season with a new general, manager, head coach, and schemes on offense and defense. They continue to impress and prove they can beat some of the best teams in the league on any given Sunday.