The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Indianapolis Colts 16-10 on Sunday, but it’s forgivable if fans didn’t feel like a winner.
While the Vikings improved to 6-0, it wasn’t a picture-perfect victory, which leaves many wondering if this team is legitimate entering a tough four-game stretch that begins with next week’s trip to visit the Detroit Lions.
Until then, there are several things to take away from the win over the Colts. It also creates several winners and losers who will look to either continue their good fortune or shape up as Minnesota improved to 6-0 on the season.
Winners and losers from the Vikings’ Week 7 win over the Colts
Winner: Blake Cashman - ILB
The Vikings are a defense of players who aren’t exactly household names. But there’s a good chance a lot of people learned about Cashman on Sunday.
Cashman was just about everywhere in the win, recording 12 tackles, a pair of sacks, and four pass defenses. His performance was also a rare one, as he became the first player with at least two sacks and four pass defenses since Alex Brown did it for the Chicago Bears in 2005.
The player who wears the green dot, Cashman, likely made a bigger impact as the player who communicates with the coaching staff, and he did an excellent job relaying that message to a Vikings defense that held Indianapolis to 218 yards of total offense.
Winner: Harrison Smith - S
Smith is in his 15th and final season with the Vikings, but he turned back the clock to secure the victory. Smith had four total tackles, a 0.5 sack, a quarterback hit and a pass defense in the win.
But the biggest play of the game came on the Colts' final possession when he grabbed his 40th career interception from Daniel Jones.
The interception made Smith the third player in NFL history with at least 40 interceptions and 20 sacks in his career. The other two to accomplish the feat, Ronde Barber and Charles Woodson, are currently in the Hall of Fame.
With the stream of admiration that followed the big play, there are many who believe that Smith will join them, and he could solidify his case if he helps the Vikings make a deep run after their 6-0 start.
Winner: T.J. Hockenson - TE
It was hard to identify a winner on offense, but Hockenson was the closest thing to it. Hockenson didn’t light up the stat sheet with four catches for 35 yards.
But he did grab the Vikings’ lone touchdown, hauling in a five-yard touchdown pass from Kyler Murray that gave the Vikings a 13-10 lead early in the fourth quarter.
There are many moving parts to the Vikings offense right now, but Murray’s rapport with Hockenson isn’t one of them. Over the last three games, Hockenson has 18 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns, and those numbers could have been even bigger if he hadn’t suffer a concussion on the opening drive in the Week 5 win over the New Orleans Saints.
For a player looking for another contract, this is a positive development and one that could help the Vikings’ offense stay afloat until they reach their final form.
Loser: Kyler Murray - QB
It felt like Murray was turning a corner after a positive performance against the Saints. But whether it was the extended time off from a bye week or another rough patch, Murray didn’t inspire much confidence in Sunday’s win.
Murray completed 14-of-24 passes but was limited to checkdowns with 150 yards and a touchdown. While he ran five times for 39 yards, he was never able to hunt the explosive plays that O’Connell’s offense is known for, making Sunday’s win much tighter than it should have been.
The good news is that Sunday’s game was the first time since Week 1 that the Vikings have had all of their quarterback, tight end, receivers, and running backs on the field at the same time. But Minnesota is running out of time to build synergy, and Murray must figure it out soon.
Loser: Aaron Jones - RB
This feels harsh considering Jones is playing with a sprained MCL, but the injury clearly hampered him and even knocked him out of the game on Sunday.
After playing the past four weeks as Jordan Mason nursed a fractured thumb, Jones managed just eight carries for 26 yards.
While Mason assumed the lead in the backfield, finishing with 15 carries for 68 yards, and the Vikings’ run blocking struggled to get going, Jones looked like a player who will turn 32 in December and could welcome in a trade acquisition to solidify the backfield in the coming weeks.
Loser: Blake Brandel - C
The interior of the offensive line didn’t have a great afternoon, and while Will Fries had another mediocre (but well-compensated) performance, Brandel had one of his worst starts since taking over the starting center position over a year ago.
According to Pro Football Focus, Brandel allowed a pair of pressures on 30 pass-blocking snaps and had a low among offensive linemen with a 21.7 pass-blocking grade.
While he was better at clearing lanes for the rushing attack, it was a rough night at the office protecting Murray and giving him time to find big plays downfield.
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