Did the bye week come at the worst time for the Minnesota Vikings?
““(0:49 – 4th) (Shotgun) Aaron Rodgers pass deep right intended for M.Williams INTERCEPTED by S.Gilmore at MIN 9.””
These are the words quotes from the final moments of the Minnesota Vikings’ 23-17 win over the New York Jets at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. This moved them to 5-0 in a surprise start to the season and all seemed well at this point.
The bye week would follow their win in London and whilst it was only in Week Six, many thought this would give the Vikings the chance to rest after travelling across the pond.
A game against the Detroit Lions would follow after the bye week before games against the Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Lions are one of the best teams, but against a Rams team that started 1-5, a Colts team with issues at quarterback and a Jaguars team who went 1-5 to start the season, many thought they would lose to the Lions and then breeze past the rest.
They ran the Lions close, going down fighting with a 31-29 loss after a Jake Bates game winning field goal with 19 seconds remaining. However, whilst they may have won two of their next three games, they go into Week 11 as one of the worst looking 7-2 teams in NFL history.
Was their momentum killed by the London game?
A struggling Sam Darnold
“Our defense and special teams played out of their minds today.”
This was the words of Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold after their win over the Jets in London.
After all, the Vikings recorded one special teams touchdown and the Jets had three fumbles. Minnesota’s defense, led by coordinator Brian Flores, forced three interceptions. Darnold only had 179 yards. He had a less than 50% completion percentage (14 from 31) and failed to throw for a touchdown.
The warning signs were there but is has looked even worse on offense since for Darnold. In the first four weeks, Darnold threw for 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. Since that point, from when the Vikings arrived in London until now, he has thrown for six touchdowns and seven interceptions in five games.
This included zero touchdowns and three picks in their most recent outing as they beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 12-7 on Sunday. Against a good team, and the Vikings would have no doubt lost this game. He has been fortunate in some of the opponents he has faced in 2024.
Even in that four-game stretch, one of those wins came against the New York Giants, whose loss in Germany last weekend moved them to 2-8. They have games to come against the Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears twice. These three teams currently share a combined record of 10-17. This may help the Vikings earn enough wins to get into the playoffs.
Currently at 7-2, they stand a very good chance of making the playoffs due to this run-in. The Lions, Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons also await, but they should have enough to make it in due to their 5-0 start. However, they have to be careful that they aren’t one and done in the playoffs as they have been before.
Wanting to avoid a repeated story
In 2022, the Vikings went 13-4 and made the playoffs, securing the NFC North division crown in the process. They started 8-1, with many of their fans dreaming big. However, they lost two of their final five games.
They then went out with a whimper, losing 31-24 to the New York Giants in the Wildcard Round. With how the season has gone, Vikings fans are bound to be concerned about how the season could end.
The Lions game in Week 18 will give the Vikings the chance to test themselves prior to the playoffs, provided Detroit don’t rest starters. A win against the Lions could give them the confidence boost they need. However, the Vikings fans will feel they have read this book before.
It is hard to gauge whether the London game really had an effect on the Vikings’ form, especially as they have still managed to win their last two games, but it has been far from convincing since the bye week for them.