The Minnesota Vikings continued their winning ways against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium. As has become commonplace, the Vikings offered fans an aesthetically appalling yet well-earned victory for the fourth week in a row.
Kevin O’Connell had a challenging day as the offensive playcaller. The offense only managed 234 total yards and was 2/12 on third down. But after they had done nothing for most of the first half, O’Connell called a masterful seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that finally got Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson involved. The receiving duo had two receptions on the drive that culminated with tight end Irv Smith Jr. getting wide-open on a one-yard touchdown pass.
Defensively, the Vikings once again bent but didn’t break. An interception by Harrison Smith helped Minnesota kick a field goal to give them a 10-3 halftime lead. Up 16-10 late in the game, Dolphins wideout Jaylen Waddle fumbled, and safety Cam Bynum recovered. Two plays later, the Vikings would score on a Dalvin Cook touchdown run. The Vikings would ultimately be victorious, 24-16.
Here are five numbers that tell the story of the Vikings’ win.
10
The Vikings had 10 three-and-outs on the day, including four to begin the game and three to start the second half. This came against a Dolphins defense that entered the game forcing the fewest such drives in the NFL.
Their final three-and-out followed a Patrick Peterson interception of Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater with 3:10 remaining in the game. Up 24-10, a first down would have sealed the game for the Vikings. Still, the three consecutive run plays forced Miami to burn all their timeouts.
120
As the visitors, the Vikings’ sideline was in the sun all day. The Miami heat pushed the Vikings’ sideline temperature to 120 degrees, 30 degrees warmer than the Dolphins’ sideline, which is strategically placed in the shade.
The Vikings aggressively hydrated all week, preparing for the South Beach humidity. And with all of the Vikings’ three-and-outs to begin the game, it felt as if the weather (and playing time) would wear out their defense. But it was Dolphins players, not Vikings, who suffered cramps throughout the game. Most notably, star wideout Tyreek Hill left for the locker room temporarily. Meanwhile, the Vikings kept players fresh, playing 25 different guys on defense.
24
Cook was ecstatic to return to his hometown of Miami. He had several friends and family in attendance and was working in a stadium where he played games in high school and college.
Although he broke a 53-yard touchdown run to give the Vikings a 24-10 lead, Cook struggled to get much going on the ground on Sunday. His other 12 runs went for only 24 yards, a 2.0 yards-per-carry average that played a significant role in the 10 three-and-outs the Vikings suffered. The Vikings want to throw different looks at teams, but the Dolphins almost made the Vikings one-dimensional. Of Cook’s 77 yards on the ground, 72 came after contact.
25
The Dolphins entered the game without left tackle Terron Armstead, giving the Vikings a chance to get back on track with their pass rush. They came through, notching 25 pressures on the afternoon, their highest single-game total since Week 11, 2016, according to Next Gen Stats. This included six team sacks as well.
Za’Darius Smith led the charge, silencing any questions regarding the back injury that sidelined him for most of last season. Smith notched two sacks and 10 pressures on the day. Danielle Hunter got a sack for the second-straight week and logged eight total pressures.
224
Despite the final tally, the Dolphins had a huge edge in the box score. Miami outgained the Vikings 458-234, a 224-yard advantage. That included 329 yards passing by Bridgewater, who replaced rookie quarterback Skylar Thompson in the second quarter.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Will Ragatz, it is only the second time ever that the Vikings have been victorious while gaining fewer than 240 yards and allowing over 450. The last time it happened was in 1988, when the Vikings beat the Bears 28-27 after being outgained 465-218.
