Sam Darnold's struggles and the return of Blake Cashman highlight the Vikings' Studs and Duds in ugly win vs. Jaguars
Well, it wasn't pretty, but the Minnesota Vikings have pulled out a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars by a score of 12-7. The game was brutal on many fronts. The Vikings officially had three turnovers but it could have easily been five Sam Darnold interceptions but the Vikings found a way to get the win. […]
Well, it wasn't pretty, but the Minnesota Vikings have pulled out a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars by a score of 12-7.
The game was brutal on many fronts. The Vikings officially had three turnovers but it could have easily been five Sam Darnold interceptions but the Vikings found a way to get the win.
They outgained the Jaguars by an insane 402-143 and somehow tied them in the turnover margin. The studs and duds don't quite reflect how much the Vikings beat themselves on Sunday afternoon.
Stud: TE Josh Oliver
The return of T.J. Hockenson has coincided with the emergence of Oliver. When the Vikings brought him in, it was with the intention of having him as the blocking tight end opposite of Hockenson, but the return of Hockenson has brought out the pass catcher in Oliver.
When he came out of San Jose State, Oliver was known as a pass-catching specialist and not a blocker. Over his first four seasons, Oliver had earned a reputation of being a great blocker with his two years in Baltimore after the Jaguars traded him to the Ravens. He has done that job really well but has begun to show his prowess as a pass catcher.
Against the Jaguars, Oliver had four catches for 52 yards, including an impressive one-handed catch on an option route in the first half. Is he going to blossom into a dynamic pass catcher? Likely not, but he's showing the ability he was drafted for six years ago.
Dud: QB Sam Darnold
Well, this game was coming at some point for Darnold and the Vikings. He continued to put the ball in harm's way and, unlike in previous weeks where those passes didn't end up harming the Vikings. Well, that manifested in a brutal way against the Jaguars.
Darnold threw interceptions in ugly situations with three of them in enemy territory and two of them occurred in the end zone. Now, one of those should have been overturned but the refs viewed it as "inconclusive" and kept the call on the field. He also had one that was barely missed by Andre Cisco and another that was called back by a penalty away from the play.
Now, Darnold deserves some credit. The throws he made that caused the interceptions weren't necessarily bad decisions, the throws were off target. It also should be noted that Darnold didn't stop trying to drive the ball down the field and continued to try and make plays.
Stud: ILB Blake Cashman
The Vikings struggled on defense in the last three games, especially in their two losses. The one constant was Cashman's absence.
He returned on Sunday against the Jaguars and made an impact immediately. The defense was on point with their disguises and protection calls and Cashman got himself a sack on a blitz at the end of the first half. It was huge to have him back, especially with the passing game.
Dud: LT Cam Robinson
There were supposed to be two revenge game angles on Sunday, but Ezra Cleveland missed the game with an injury. That meant only Robinson would be playing his former team for the first time.
Things weren't the cleanest for the Vikings new left tackle, as he was dealing with Josh Hines-Allen, who got a few wins on the day. The big one that stands out is a personal foul at the end of the Darnell Savage interception when he laid a shoulder into him on the sidelines, causing a personal foul penalty. Not a great way to make your return.
Stud: K Parker Romo
When Will Reichard ended up going on injured reserve, there was a panic among the fanbase. He had made 33 of his first 35 kicks and losing both him and long snapper Andrew DePaola raised a lot of concerns. It's huge for chemistry to have consistency on special teams with your long snapper, holder and kicker. Well, it hasn't been an issue against the Jaguars.
Romo was with the Vikings this offseason, so there was an element of continuity between him and holder Ryan Wright. He wasn't just perfect on his four field goals; he was the only source of scoring with those field goals. Having that consistency with your backup kicker is huge.
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