Vikings Triumph: Key Lessons from Their Hard-Fought Victory Over the Jaguars
The Minnesota Vikings walked into Jacksonville with a 6-2 record and walked out 7-2. However, based on their performance on Sunday, Week 10 feels like a loss for Minnesota. For a second week straight, Sam Darnold couldn’t keep the turnovers under control. Normally, when an offense combines for zero touchdowns and three interceptions, coming out with a victory is extremely improbable. Luckily for the Vikings, their defense pulled their weight and then some, and that was enough to come out on top over a Jaguars team playing with a backup quarterback. Minnesota looked like a team that should be below .500 on Sunday and if certain things don’t change soon, their season is very much in jeopardy.
Takeaway Number One: The Turnovers Need to Get Under Control
Last week against the Colts, Sam Darnold had three turnovers, and yet again, Darnold turned the ball over three times on Sunday against the Jaguars. In both games, the Vikings were able to come out on top, but both games were also only competitive due to the fact that Darnold couldn’t keep possession of the ball. I mentioned that turnovers would be something to look out for both in my Week Nine takeaways and Week 10 preview. Darnold needs to get back the ball security he had throughout the first four weeks of the season. He only had three interceptions through Week Four and now has five interceptions over just the last two weeks. The formula is simple: when the Vikings win the turnover battle, they win the game.
Takeaway Number Two: Hockenson Is Back
After a slow first week back in the lineup, T.J. Hockenson looked back to his pre-injury form during Sunday’s game. Even with a down game from Darnold, Hockenson was able to put together eight receptions for 72 yards. This made him the leading receiver on Sunday for either team. Hockenson is coming off not only a torn ACL but also a torn MCL, and there are many players who are never able to return to form after suffering an injury like that. If Hockenson is able to play like he did on Sunday throughout the rest of the season, then the Vikings have a lethal receiving core for the foreseeable future.
Takeaway Number Three: No Quarterback Change Is Needed
I saw many Vikings fans calling for the head of Darnold during his poor performance over the weekend. I think these fans need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Darnold is still top 12 in the league in passing yards, top 11 in quarterback rating, top 10 in completion percentage, and fourth in the league in passing touchdowns. All of these statistics point toward Darnold being an above-average starting quarterback in the NFL. I would advise restless fans who are upset over two bad performances to have some patience and not put their faith in Minnesota’s current backup option, Nick Mullens. Mullens had his own struggles with turnovers during his starts last season, and he is not nearly the passer that Darnold is.
