Minnesota Vikings Week Five Takeaways
The Minnesota Vikings are 5-0 for the first time since 2016. The Vikes walked into London undefeated and will now walk into their bye week still undefeated. On Sunday, as I predicted there was a battle between two very good defenses and it was the defense who carried the load once again, making one of the most efficient quarterbacks in NFL history look like a flustered rookie, as Aaron Rodgers threw three interceptions. One of those interceptions turned into a pick-six by Andrew Van Ginkel. This was only the sixth time in Rodgers’ career in which he threw three or more interceptions in a game and he has lost all six of those games. The Vikings never looked fully connected on offense in this game but the defensive unit did more than enough to carry the team to victory.
First Takeaway: Stephon Gilmore Is Still a Top-Tier Cornerback in the League
At 34 years of age and with a Defensive Player of the Year Award five years behind him, there is no doubt that Stephon Gilmore is now out of his prime. However, there is a difference between being past your prime years and being washed. Gilmore has been phenomenal for the Vikings so far this season, as he has racked up 20 tackles and three pass deflections through five games. Once again on Sunday, Gilmore proved his value as he came up with a crucial interception to seal the victory for the Vikings as the Jets were driving late in the fourth quarter. I do not think it is a stretch to say that Stephon Gilmore is still a top-10 corner in the NFL.
Second Takeaway: The Offense Needs Aaron Jones
Aaron Jones has been a very key piece for Minnesota’s offense all season. Jones left Sunday’s game with a hip injury, and his absence was a glaring issue for the offense. Sam Darnold seemed uncomfortable without his safety valve to dump off to during broken plays and the run game just wasn’t the same with only Ty Chandler. Luckily the injury doesn’t seem to be serious and the Vikings now have their bye week, so Jones will have plenty of time to rest up and recover from his injury. It was clear to see that Aaron Jones being on the field has a very heavy impact on the offense as a whole.
Third Takeaway: Sam Darnold Has Full Faith in Justin Jefferson
After five games playing together, it seems that the Sam Darnold to Justin Jefferson connection is finally in full swing. Darnold has played very conservatively throughout the course of the season so far, as he has made smart throws and has not taken very many risks with his throws. However, there were multiple occasions during the Jets matchup where it seemed Darnold was putting his faith in Justin Jefferson and trusting him to come down with the ball in heavily contested situations. Jefferson ended the game with 14 targets, equating to a 45.1% target share, his highest of the season by far. I am convinced that this connection will be the determining factor as to how far this Vikings squad can go in the playoffs.
