The Vikings did their part to stay alive in the NFC playoff race with a win this past Sunday against the Jaguars. Unfortunately, the rest of the NFC did not follow suit, with all five of the teams that the Vikings were counting on a win from on Sunday losing in their respective contests. Still, the Vikings are well within striking distance of an NFC Wild Card spot, and momentum generated from Sunday’s win could rejuvenate a team that has been in the dumps over the last couple of months. Here’s a recap of Sunday’s road win in Jacksonville.
Offense highlighted by explosive plays on Sunday
One of the many complaints directed at the Vikings offense this season has been the lack of explosive plays on offense, often relying solely on dink and dunk passes to try to move the chains instead. The latter can be an effective, but not without some explosive plays mixed in to keep the defense guessing.
That’s exactly what the Vikings did this past Sunday, and the offense ran smoother than it has in over eight weeks. If we are to continue this offensive momentum, we cannot revert back to the ways of the past. The short to intermediate passes are going to be our bread and butter with an injury riddled offensive line, but the deep passes need to be sprinkled in just as they were on Sunday if we are to make any kind of push for a playoff spot.
Offensive line turns in best performance of the season
If Sunday’s game was your first glimpse of the Vikings’ offensive line unit, you may have come away thinking that the unit is one of the best in the league. Unfortunately for the Vikings faithful who have sat through the entirety of this roller coaster ride, we know this to be an anomaly.
The Vikings final three opponents frankly do not boast solid defensive lines, making a repeat performance of Sunday’s stellar effort a strong possibility. In order for that to happen, the Vikings need center Joe Berger back on the playing field, as he has been one of the more consistent linemen that the Vikings have had this season prior to his concussion sustained in mid-November.
Defensive line shines for second week in a row
Blake Bortles suffered what has to be the most savage 60 minutes on a football field in his short NFL career. The Vikings defensive line got to Bortles early and often, making for a day that the young quarterback would like to forget sooner rather than later.
For Vikings fans, it was another reminder of just how dominant this unit is in its ability to completely take over games. If the Vikings want to make it out of the regular season alive, this kind of defensive line performance will need to become the norm.
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