Why the Vikings’ close victory doesn’t prove they’re in playoff trouble

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison admitted to having a nervous moment during Sunday’s win, and head coach Kevin O’Connell raised eyebrows with his comments about Daniel Jones. And the close win against the Bears doesn’t prove the Vikings are in trouble heading into the playoffs.

Close games happen all the time in the NFL. Even when teams are heavily favored, they sometimes struggle to do anything other than win a squeaker. Case in point: Kansas City’s close win against the Panthers.

The bottom line for the Vikings is that they won the game. And he ran into a division rival on the road. This win not only doesn’t prove that they are in trouble heading into the playoffs, but it proves that they may have a chance to really make some noise in the postseason.

Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold got over the hump

The game against the Bears presented a perfect opportunity for Darnold to prove that he can’t lead the Vikings to postseason victories. If he had played the same way against Jacksonville a few weeks ago, the Vikings would have been fired despite their stellar 9-2 record.

Instead, Darnold threw for a game-high 330 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. And he did it without relying too much on superstar receiver Justin Jefferson. Jordan Addison had eight catches for a career-high 162 yards while TJ Hockenson totaled 114 yards receiving.

It’s not like Darnold has achieved “real deal” status, but this game shows he’s figured out enough NFL plays to win in the playoffs if backed by a strong supporting cast. He has that with the Vikings.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell said he trusted Darnold with the game-winning field goal in overtime, according to espn.com.

“It was just his ability to overcome, his trust in me and my trust in him,” O’Connell said. “We were going to do it via the pass on that drive for the most part, try to mix some runs in there if we could. But I think when your best is required, I didn’t hesitate to try to attack what I saw and convince our guys to go out there and give Parker a chance.

Vikings are built for anywhere

Yes, Minnesota plays inside. But the Vikings aren’t your typical indoor team. NFL teams average lower completion percentages on the road (64.7%) than at home (66%). But the Vikings are 68.1% on the road with a 67.6% mark at home, according to vikings.com.

Additionally, O’Connell’s teams are 15-8 in road games. All of these numbers are impressive, and O’Connell deserves all the credit for putting this together, regardless of the environment.

“We’ve tried to build a system that can travel and play, whether it’s a passing game based on success with explosives that we chase through the marriage of run and pass, or football management,” O’Connell said. said. “Whether it’s a team that has a really good pass rush, strong coverage, or a game plan against Justin, sometimes that added element of tempo allows us to mitigate some of that and still have a good game of our offense at our disposal And then, I think it’s just a constant step to launch the efforts, to achieve significant gains without backing down.

The Vikings defense is real

They rank 10th in total yards allowed per game. And they’re No. 1 in the NFL against the run at a measly 74.7 per game. And perhaps more importantly, the Vikings are fifth in the league in allowing 17.9 points per game. Yes, they give up yards through the air, but those yards don’t turn into massive points. And that’s how we do it in the NFL.

They have Jonathan Greenard, who is among the NFL leaders in quarterback pressures. They have Andrew Van Ginkel, who has two pick-sixes and nine sacks. And more, like defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, who received praise from O’Connell after the Colts game, according to Sports Illustrated.

“Harrison was fantastic and you could feel him coming off the rock, devouring double teams,” O’Connell said. “It’s one thing to eat blocks and allow our linebackers to run and our safeties to run and make tackles, but resetting the line of scrimmage and – how many times do I have to pause the tape and see all of our interior D-linemen on their side of the line of scrimmage when the back has the ball in hand.

Phillips said he views his role as an enforcer, according to Purple Insider via Sports Illustrated.

“I’m here to stop the run and bring some physicality,” Bullard said. “That’s why they brought me here, that’s why I wear my hat.” Making sure every game you see how physical I can be. Every week I try to go out and be the most physical person… Physical, setting boundaries, not trying to play in the backfield. It’s not always pretty, there are always people and we don’t always know who is doing what with the three of us in front.

It’s all about staying healthy

The Vikings have already lost Christian Darrisaw to a season-ending injury. He is one of the best left tackles in the NFL. They have progressed with four straight wins since Darrisaw’s exit.

However, this team cannot afford another major injury like that and survive the playoffs. In particular, Jefferson, Hockenson, Addison and Aaron Jones must remain in the lineup on offense. Defensively, they must remain intact in all areas.

That doesn’t mean they can’t be hurt. They need to be fully healthy when the playoffs roll around. And that will give them a chance to reach the NFC championship game.