The Minnesota Vikings moved to 4-0 this season after shutting down the New York Giants last night in front of a raucous U.S. Bank Stadium crowd on Monday Night Football. Offensively, the Vikings got the job done scoring all three times that they reached the red-zone, and continued their defensive dominance against one of the best aerial attacks in the NFL. Here are some major takeaways from last night’s win.
Cordarrelle Patterson has been superb thus far
It seems like all of the talk about Patterson not putting in the effort can be put to bed now as he has been nothing short of sensational on multiple facets of the game. On special teams, Patterson is still the NFL’s most dangerous kick returner who can take it the length of the field on any given opportunity. As a gunner, Patterson has been nothing short of spectacular using his elite speed to get to the punt returner and even helped create a muffed punt that turned into a Vikings touchdown a few plays later. Perhaps more encouraging than anything else is his inclusion into the offense as he turned short passes into solid gains on the few touches he had last night. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Patterson is the X-factor of this offense and if he can continue to make plays, he will become an integral part of the offense as he was in his rookie season.
Sam Bradford continues to impress
It’s safe to say that the Sam Bradford deal has paid dividends for this Vikings team as the offense has been given new life. With solid protection last night from the offensive line, Bradford was able to sit in the pocket and deliver strikes to all of his weapons, including a dart in the end zone to tight end Kyle Rudolph for a touchdown. Even more impressive than his rifle arm has been his decision making as he has picked his spots brilliantly and has not turned the ball over in his three starts as a Viking. You really can’t ask for much more from your starting quarterback.
Xavier Rhodes is a true shutdown cornerback
After holding Carolina Panthers star receiver Kelvin Benjamin to no catches on one target last week, Xavier Rhodes followed it up with another dominant performance against one of the league’s most talented receivers in Odell Beckham Jr. Beckham was only able to haul in three catches for a paltry 23 yards last night, the lowest total of his career. A frustrated Beckham would once again let his emotions get the best of him as he bumped a referee that led to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty at a time when yards were at a premium. With Rhodes’ latest performance, it’s time to recognize him for what he truly is, an elite cornerback that ranks up there with the likes of Patrick Peterson and Richard Sherman.
Offensive line becoming cohesive unit
The offensive line showed signs of cohesiveness last night and turned in their best performance of the season because of it. Not only did they provide Bradford ample time to go through his reads and deliver the ball on time, they created running room for both Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata, helping a running attack that had been stagnant in the three games prior become effective once again. If this trend continues, there is a strong possibility that this Vikings squad will be Super Bowl bound come February.
Follow us on Twitter @PlayerInsiders and @Jake_Przytarski
