Misery Loves Company, Vikings Fall to 0-2

  • Posted By: Andrew Zimmel
  • September 19, 2021 @ 9:09 pm
  • Local Sports
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Andrew Zimmel| KBMW 1450

Sports are supposed to be fun. Sports can be the thing that brings the entire family together. Mom, Dad, Brother and Sister all sitting in the living room, all pulling for the hometown team to pull off the big win. People from completely different backgrounds can meet in a bar or restaurant and without ever speaking to each other beforehand, can find common interest in whatever team is playing on the big screen. Sports are supposed to bring joy.

That can not be said for Vikings fans, who at this point identify closer with a masochistic cult than a fan base. After a game last week in which star running back Dalvin Cook fumbled away a chance to win in overtime against the Cincinnati Bengals, this week the Football Gods went back to the classics and had the Vikings lose 34-33 to the Arizona Cardinals on a missed 37 yard field goal with time expiring. 

I immediately knew that this game was going to be a good one, not because of what might happen 0n the field of play, but because Gus Johnson and Aqib Talib were calling it. Johnson, the exciting voice of most of FOX’s Saturday College Football Broadcasts, brings a less stuffy, more colorful life to whichever broadcast he’s on. Talib was a five time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion who just began calling games last season and is still raw enough that you might get something unintentionally hilarious at any moment. It’s the best pairing FOX has outside of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. 

For some, this might have been the first time you heard this particular pair call a game, and to those people I say- congrats. Showing people Gus Johnson’s touchdown calls is like showing your friend an album you absolutely love for the first time. You can just sit back and enjoy.

The first Vikings’ score of the game came quickly. On just the second play of the first drive, Kirk Cousins was able to connect with K.J. Osborn for a 64 yard touchdown. The 2020 fifth round pick out of the University of Miami (Florida) had seven receptions for 76 yards in the opener. To see Osborn work his way into the offense and be a solid piece to go along with the Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson as a third option makes me feel better. Along with Dede Westbrook, the Vikings have a receiver room that could rank near the top of the league- and I fantasize about what it would look like with a consistent quarterback. The extra point made it 7-0 Vikings. 

The defense that couldn’t stop anyone last week did a good job in the first quarter keeping Murray contained. The return of Defensive Back Patrick Peterson to Arizona was a storyline coming into the game. Peterson was good, not great, in his last season with the Cardinals. I came into this year with low exceptions so that if Peterson showed his age (he’s 31)  I wouldn’t be disappointed. Last week, Peterson got burned by Rookie Ja’Marr Chase, so coming into this one where he’d have to line up against DeAndre Hopkins I wasn’t optimistic of his chances to make any big impact plays.  

 

The bigger deal in my opinion was how easily Arizona was able to dismantle Tennessee last week on both sides of the ball. The idea that the Titans having a worse defense than the Vikings makes me smile considering it because I don’t have a lot of faith in this Vikings defense. With 5:57 left in the first quarter, the Cardinals were able to tie it up with a 15 yard touchdown from Murray to DeAndre Hopkins.

Hopkins continues to be one of the best wide receivers in the league. If there is a Receiver/Quarterback duo ranking somewhere-Hopkins and Murray would be close to the top of that list. They are the two reasons that the Cardinals will be able to play with almost every team in the conference. The big play ability between the two makes it almost impossible to count them out. 

However, this was the best the Vikings offense has looked in the past two years. Cousins to Thielen made it 14-7. The way Cousins and the offense were able to move down the field impressed me more than the score however. The Vikings took over off the kick at their own 25, Minnesota quickly racked up six first downs and capped it off from seven yards out for Thielen’s third touchdown of the season. The Cardinals defense that put so much pressure on Ryan Tannehill didn’t have the same impact against Minnesota early on. 

Every one of us has had something like this happen in the past. You don’t get enough sleep, or you stay out too late the night before, or the baby keeps you awake all night. However it happens, you forget to set your alarm. Last week’s game felt more and more like a “Didn’t get up in time for the game” game as the Vikings were able to convert first downs and score points. The team that showed up in Arizona was much more prepared than the one that was in Cincinnati last week. A defense that can get a stop? An offense that is pushing the ball down field? Totally different team. 

On the Vikings’ third drive, Cousins look more like Murray than Kyler Murray had looked so far. Cousins was able to scrambled for 29 yards to keep the drive alive on second and ten from the Minnesota 42. Cousins showing even an ounce of mobility was enough to make me have to pick my jaw off the ground, but the 14 yard touchdown toss to Justin Jefferson on first and ten from the Arizona 14 had me shaking in my chair. Kirk Cousins, eight for nine, 122 yards and 3 touchdowns in the first half and a 20-7 lead after the missed extra point. What could go wrong? 

With 3:15 left in the half (and another week of questionable officiating) the Cardinals were able to get into the endzone on the legs of Kyler Murray. This was the first time the Vikings defense didn’t have a spy or someone shadowing Murray. It also would be the beginning of the end of the Vikings in the game.

After a Vikings punt, Murray was able to do it again, this time connecting with Randel Moore for the 77 yard touchdown to take the lead 21-20 with a minute thirty left. Not great. The defense that in the first quarter and the beginning of the second was able to keep everything in front of them got lost to end the half. The NFL is funny because one mistake in the second quarter of a game in September could be the difference between making the playoffs and missing them. Just food for thought. 

With under two minutes, Cousins did something very unlike himself and captained a successful two minute drill that ended in a 53 yard field goal made by Greg Joseph giving the Vikings a 23-21 lead, which lasted all but a few moments after the Cardinals were able to get Matt Prater into field goal range. Prater, who has been knocking down 60+ yard field goals for almost a decade, was able to make a 62 yarder with one second left in the half. In the last two minutes of the first half, the Cardinals scored 10 points making it 24-23 at half time. Those are the type of scoring runs that decide games.

In the second half, the game was handed over to Minnesota multiple times. The first time, when Kyler Murray began the half with a pick six thrown to Nick Vigil. Vigil is in his first season with the Vikings after playing for Cincinnati and Los Angles Chargers since 2016. The pick six was the first of his career and his first pick since 2019. When is the last time a linebacker for the Vikings had a pick six and the Vikings lost? Nothing bad could happen, right?

The Cardinals and Murray were able to come back, putting together close to a five minute drive that ended with a touchdown to AJ Green. Green, after an injury plagued few season in Cincinnati, joined Arizona in the off season. For the entirety of Green’s career, he’s been the #1 option meaning he got the other teams best defenders matched up over him. In Arizona, he doesn’t have to worry about that because Hopkins is always the larger threat. Case in point, this touchdown.

The Vikings and Cardinals traded field goals, one put Minnesota up two 33-31. One to put Arizona up one 34-33. With 2:03 left in the game “Captain Kirk” had the ball. Now, for fans at home watching, this normally is when the wheels fall off.  Everyone who has ever watched the Minnesota Vikings play football knows that the team and the fan base can not have nice things.

After a connection from Cousins to Thielen on third down to make it first and ten from the Cardinals 36, the Vikings were able to put kicker Greg Joseph into range from 37 yards outs. Here is the Voice of the Vikings Paul Allen’s call. 

https://twitter.com/bubbaprog/status/1439744233724841986?s=20

Cousins finished with 244 yards and three touchdowns. Dalvin Cook lead all rushers with 131 yards on the ground. Murray threw for 400 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions and Hopkins finished with 54 yards and a touchdown.

The Vikings play their first home game Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks (1-1)  with kickoff at 3:25pm CST.

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