4 winners (and 3 losers) from the Vikings in Week 9 win over the Colts

The Week 9 game between the Minnesota Vikings and Indianapolis Colts was flexed to take place on Sunday Night Football, but the game failed to live up to the standards of what a prime-time contest should look like.

The Vikings won against the Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium, but the day wasn't without multiple mistakes and miscues. Minnesota won by a final score of 21-13, but the purple and gold didn't really get things moving until the second half.

4 winners (and 3 losers) from the Vikings in Week 9 win over the Colts

Let's take a look at seven players for the Minnesota Vikings who had notable performances against the Indianapolis Colts that either helped or hurt the team's chances of getting a win in Week 9 on Sunday Night Football.

Vikings winner No. 1: Josh Oliver, tight end

Regarding tight ends, much of the talk about the Vikings was about the return of T.J. Hockenson. That said, fellow tight end Josh Oliver had himself a day against the Colts and took advantage of the defense focusing their attention elsewhere.

Oliver finished second on the team in receiving yards (58) and tied for second in receptions (5) and targets (5) while scoring a sneaky touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach for Indianapolis.

Vikings loser No. 1: Garrett Bradbury, center

The offensive line faced some big challenges in Week 9, particularly in the middle of the trenches. Center Garrett Bradbury had a rough day, ending up on the turf on a few occasions and failing to stop pressure from coming straight up the gut.

This is a common issue that the Vikings' center has faced when going up against big, strong defensive tackles. Pressure up the middle led directly to a play that resulted in a turnover when Sam Darnold fumbled during a sack.

Vikings winner No. 2: Cam Robinson, offensive tackle

Minnesota traded for Cam Robinson when they lost Christian Darrisaw for the season and the offensive tackle stepped directly into the starting unit on Sunday with extremely limited time to learn plays or teammate tendencies.

Although he's not as agile as Darrisaw, Robinson did a good job of being an anchor on Sam Darnold's blind side. He seems comfortable in that role and should continue to get the nod to start at left tackle for the rest of the season.

Vikings loser No. 2: Sam Darnold, quarterback

It would be easy to call Sam Darnold a winner and a loser in this game. He completed 28 of his 34 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns while adding four runs for 14 yards to put his offensive output over 300 yards.

That said, Darnold also threw two pretty bad interceptions and lost a fumble. All of Indianapolis' points came off turnovers that were credited to Minnesota's starting quarterback, making his mistakes even more painful.

Vikings winner No. 3: Jonathan Greenard, edge

Watching the game between the Vikings and Colts was frustrating. Indianapolis quarterback Joe Flacco seemed to have a ton of time in the pocket early in the game and used that time to spread the ball around to his teammates.

When victory was within reach, edge rusher Jonathan Greenard turned on the heat. He only had two tackles on the day, but both were sacks on Joe Flacco that stalled any hopes the Colts had of making a comeback.

Vikings loser No. 3: Will Reichard, kicker

Perfect on his kicks coming into this game, Will Reichard's streak of made kicks ended when he missed a 53-yard field goal that made it clear that he was dealing with an injury that prevented him from kicking normally.

He later missed a 31-yard field goal as well, meaning that the Vikings likely wouldn't be able to trust his leg for the rest of the night. He did manage to make all three of his extra-point tries, but hopefully, he can get healthy in time for Week 10.

Vikings winner No. 4: Justin Jefferson, wide receiver

If you aren't watching Justin Jefferson's stat line during a game, it might be hard to recognize when he's having a great game. The wide receiver was consistently finding soft spots in the Colts' defense on Sunday night, making them pay for not focusing harder on stopping him.

Jefferson ended the game with seven catches for 137 yards. With that performance, he moved into the top spot for most receiving yards in the league, passing former college teammate Ja'Marr Chase by 66 yards.

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