Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings jumped up two spots in CBSSports’ Pete Prisco’s power rankings released earlier this week. The Vikings are now in the fourth spot in the rankings, after coming in sixth last week.
The jump in the rankings comes off the heels of a 23-16 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This was a game that saw the Vikings struggle a bit on offense, but play outstanding football defensively. Kyler Murray went 15-of-29, throwing for 168 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. On the ground, Aaron Jones ran the ball 17 times for 58 yards, while Murray ran it two times for 17 yards.
All in all, it was a great win for the Vikings, who are now 3-0 on the season. Prisco gave his reasons for elevating them higher.
If only they had a better offense. They might just be considered the best team in football. Brian Flores and the defense have led them to a 3-0 record.
Minnesota Vikings Defense
GettyThe Minnesota Vikings sacked Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love four times in Week 1.
Defense Has Been Vikings’ Strength
That defense has undoubtedly been a calling card for the Vikings throughout the first three games of the season. Take Sunday’s game, for example. The Vikings’ defense was able to bring pressure to quarterback Baker Mayfield, and make life difficult for the Buccaneers offensive line.
The defense held the Buccaneers to 2-of-17 on third down, which equaled an 11.8% conversion percentage. Eric Wilson led the way with 10 tackles on the day. He also had 1.5 sacks and a tackle for loss. In the meantime, Kyle Van Noy was also able to provide his contribution. He had five tackles, 1.5 sacks, and three tackles for loss.
The youngest getting to the quarterback, the fence also able to force turnovers. Andrew Van Ginkel and Isaiah Rodgers were able to record interceptions on the day. It was just another instance of being able to affect the quarterback. They recorded six sacks in total and accounted for 37 lost yards on the part of the Buccaneers. Overall, it was a strong day defensively overall.
Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings
Getty(Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Offensive Numbers A Bit Different For Vikings
Offensively, the numbers were a little bit different. The Vikings had 230 total yards. This was the lowest yardage output of the season. This included 152 passing yards. Murray averaged just 5.8 yards per attempt and was 15-of-29 on the day. Be fair, this was his first game back from concussion protocol, and it was clear he needed to shake off some rust.
The running game also struggled a bit. The Vikings only had 70 rushing yards across 23 carries. This made the offense stagnant at times, but they were still able to score enough to get the job done. The unit did not do much better on third downs, going two-of-15 on the day.
Overall, defense carried the day for the Vikings across the entire season. Nevertheless, it’s working, and the team is in a very good place to begin the year. There’s still a ton of football left to be played and a lot of the season to go. Nevertheless, the Vikings are sitting atop what is normally a crowded NFC North. Now, they will have to figure out how to maintain it.