Sam Darnold's career day and Jalen Nailor stepping up highlighted the Vikings' huge win vs. Packers
As they love to do, the Minnesota Vikings found a way to make Sunday's game very interesting. After getting up on the Green Bay Packers by a score of 27-25. The game itself was a stressful one after the Vikings got up 27-10, as the Packers put up 15 points in the final 6:12 to […]
As they love to do, the Minnesota Vikings found a way to make Sunday's game very interesting. After getting up on the Green Bay Packers by a score of 27-25.
The game itself was a stressful one after the Vikings got up 27-10, as the Packers put up 15 points in the final 6:12 to make things more interesting than it should have been. However, the Vikings found a way to get it done and they now get the chance to play to be the number one overall seed.
The game was highlighted by multiple performances, including another great game from QB1.
Stud: QB Sam Darnold
Things weren't flawless for Sam Darnold on the day with a few of his throws sailing high, but he was cooking the Packers' defense consistently on Sunday afternoon. He completed the first pass this season that traveled over 30 yards against the Packers.
What Darnold did do was find a way to attack the Packers' defense that used a lot of two-high, MOFO coverage. They used a lot of dig routes and a post route to Jalen Nailor to attack down the field. When it wasn't there, Darnold was so good in finding a way to maneuver in the pocket and evade any incoming pressure. He finished with a career-high 377 passing yards, 3 touchdowns and a passer rating of 116.1.
Dud: Clock management
One of the few things that a head coach can truly control during the game is how he manages the clock and uses his timeouts. Managing the clock can be huge, especially regarding being the "situational masters" head coach Kevin O'Connell has talked about at length.
Well, at the end of the first half, the Vikings had all three timeouts with 1:16 left and didn't call the first one until there were 19 seconds left. That doesn't favor the offense in trying to drive down the field for a touchdown. They did get a field goal to go up 13-3, but it took a Packers offsides call to get there. That area needs to be better for the Vikings moving forward.
Stud: WR Jalen Nailor
Everyone in the world knew that Justin Jefferson was going to be a huge factor in the game and likely the major focus of the Packers' defense. Jefferson did find a way to get his on the day, but it was the other players that made such a big impact on the game.
Nailor ended up being that guy on Sunday afternoon and it was needed. He caught the first touchdown pass of the day and caught a couple of key third downs. Stepping up like that was so huge for the Vikings in generating explosive plays and extending drives.
Stud: ILB Blake Cashman
I have praised the Vikings' offseason over the last few weeks in this space because they found three high-caliber starters in the first week of free agency. One of those was Blake Cashman, who has been incredible for the Vikings this season.
Arguably the biggest impact he's had this season has been as a blitzer. Cashman has been at his best as a blitzer this season with his ability to loop and find crevices on the interior. He has a career-high 4.5 sacks and his ability to generate much-needed pressure has been a huge factor in the Vikings getting to 14-2.
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