The Minnesota Vikings got their first win of the year, sneaking out a 31-23 victory over the Houston Texans in a game that was a lot closer than it should have been. Dalvin Cook continued his hot streak, running for 130 yards with a couple of scores. And the defense stiffened when it had to, minimizing the amount of big plays from the Texans offense.
Here are four things we learned from the Vikings’ Week 4 win:
THE DEFENSE CAN STOP THE RUN
The Vikings’ defense was coming off a couple of games where they were gashed by the run. Jonathan Taylor put up 100 on them and Derrick Henry plowed over them to the tune of 119 yards on the ground. Heading into the game against the Texans, it wasn’t unreasonable to think that David Johnson would be the next back to go for over 100. The defense was especially weak up the middle, but in the game against the Texans, things changed.
Shamar Stephen held his ground against the Texans interior linemen, and Jaleel Johnson was also stout. This allowed the linebackers to find the ball carrier, and the front seven were able to hold Johnson to 63 yards and kept the entire Texans team to 96 rushing yards. This was a huge step forward for a team that had been struggling mightily in this area, and it gives them something to build off of for the upcoming game against the Seahawks.
JEFFERSON AND THIELEN ARE A DANGEROUS DUO
Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs were one of the best wide receiving duos in the NFL, but Thielen and Jefferson just had their first game that proved they can be a dangerous combination as well. The Texans were clearly aware of the big game that Jefferson posted against the Titans and paid more attention to him, opening things up for Thielen. Minnesota’s No. 1 target hauled in eight balls for 114 yards and a score — and a couple of other near catches would’ve made those stats even more impressive.
Jefferson was no slouch against the Texans, building off his explosive game against the Titans with four receptions for 103 yards. He made some tough catches when he was blanketed and had multiple grabs that resulted in first downs. The emergence of Jefferson is huge for Minnesota’s offense. Teams can no longer double team Thielen and have to pay equal attention to both of these playmakers. It also opens things up in the running game for Cook, and it is exactly what the Vikings were looking for when they drafted the explosive pass catcher with their first pick in last April’s draft.
GEORGE ILOKA is NOT GOOD
When Harrison Smith was controversially ejected from the game, the Vikings learned that his replacement George Iloka isn’t very good. He came in and after a few plays blew a coverage that resulted in a quick Texans score. He had another blown assignment later in the game on 4th and 10, leading to the score that brought the Texans back into the game and kept their comeback alive.
While Iloka’s performance was disappointing, it wasn’t unexpected. This was the position the Vikings put themselves in when they opted to not use a high pick on a safety or sign a capable backup in free agency. Hell, they went into the season with just two safeties on the roster and were clearly gambling that neither would get hurt. They may not have envisioned one of their players getting ejected from a game, but now we know the negative impact that will have on their defense moving forward.
Iloka should get better as he takes more reps in practice, but if Smith or Harris get hurt for an extended period of time, this Vikings’ defense will suffer greatly.
The Season isn’t over yet
After the 0-3 start, many jumped ship on the Vikings hopes for the 2020 season. There was plenty of talk about “Tanking for Trevor,” and a top 10 pick was looked like a certainty. The win against a fellow 0-3 team won’t make all that negative talk go away, nor ensure that the rest of the Vikings’ season is going to go any better. But it gives the team some hope and indicates they’re capable of winning more than four games this year.
This team had plenty of talent on display today against the Texans. Cook is one of the best backs in the league, Jefferson and Thielen are a deadly duo at receiver, and the young cornerback group is getting better and healthier. If these improvements continue, the Vikings will be in a lot of close games and could come out on top of many of those, whether it is expected or not. The team is 1-3 with 12 games remaining, so their chances of making the playoffs aren’t great, but this team has plenty of star power and could go on a run that has them playing meaningful games late in the season.
