The Minnesota Vikings ended their trip across the pond like they started it: undefeated. They held on to win a sloppy game against the New York Jets, 23-17. It started with Minnesota’s defense dominating the Jets’ offense. After forcing a three-and-out, the offense worked down the field and got three points in a game that would be chock-full of penalties, slips, and drops from both teams.
Minnesota’s offense turned the ball over on Ty Chandler‘s fumbled pitch. Still, the defense rectified this mistake with Andrew Van Ginkel‘s pick-six. The Vikings’ offense put seven more before the end of the half, making it 17-0 before a great special teams play, and some vintage Rodgers outside-the-pocket play made it a 17-7 game.
After halftime, the offense received the news that Aaron Jones would be out for the rest of the game after injuring his hip. The Vikings didn’t respond well, sputtering for the rest of the game. Minnesota’s offense struggled to get a first down, let alone get into the end zone, as Sam Darnold and the offense struggled to move the ball down the field.
That forced the defense to hold tight, and with less than two minutes left, the Jets just needed a touchdown and an extra point to take the lead late. Instead, Stephon Gilmore capitalized on the miscommunication between Mike Williams and Rodgers, intercepting a pass to seal the victory.
Here the key numbers that explain the game.
1
The Vikings are the first team not to go three-and-out in their first drive against the Jets all season. Minnesota has developed a reputation for fast starts in the Kevin O’Connell era. More than ever, they have gotten out to leads this season and have been able to protect them throughout the game. To this point in the season, the Jets’ defense hadn’t allowed a first down on their first drive.
That changed this week when Minnesota’s offense marched down the field and scored. The drive ended in some disappointment, with Darnold taking a sack on third-and-short, forcing a 54-yard field goal.
It was a bit less than ideal that the Vikings only got three. Still, their ability to move the ball with such ease down the field on the first drive against a defense that is usually so stingy was impressive and showed how things would go for the rest of the game.
2
Aaron Rodgers has never thrown two interceptions in the first quarter of a game. He’s never thrown three interceptions against the Vikings. In a whopping 30 starts, he’s only thrown two picks against them once. That all changed today.
Van Ginkel and Camryn Bynum had the two interceptions in the opening frame. On the first, Van Ginkel dropped into coverage, snagged the pass, and took it to the end zone to give the Vikings a 10-point lead after Chandler’s fumble gave New York the ball in Vikings territory. Bynum also got in on the fun when he reeled in a Rodgers overthrow, securing a takeaway for his third-straight game.
Even though Minnesota’s offense did nothing with it, the turnover sent New York’s offense into a spiral.
3
Keeping on the topic of fast starts, this was Minnesota’s third-straight game with 10 or more points in the first quarter. After Van Ginkel housed an interception in the first quarter, the Vikings forced their opponent to play from behind again.
The Vikings saw the value of getting ahead in the London game. The offense struggled through the middle periods of the game, and it was essential to have a buffer. With the Jets constantly having to play from behind and with the offense sputtering, they could get away with one while not playing their best football.
10
Minnesota’s special teams gifted the Jets 10 points by allowing a long return at the end of the half, which turned into a touchdown. They also added a 15-yard roughing the punter penalty, which extended a Jets drive for three more points. The punt team and the punt-return team have not been good these last two weeks, costing the Vikings at least 17 points.
Things got hairy early. Akayleb Evans got pushed into Brandon Powell, almost giving the Jets the ball before the offense even saw the field. The punt-return team then committed an illegal block in the back on Jay Ward, pushing Minnesota’s offense back near their goal line at the end of the half.
The punt team also gave up a 30-yard return before the end of the half to put the Jets deep into Vikings territory, allowing them to score and gain momentum at the end of the half, just like last week. Later, with a 10-point lead and the Jets set to punt and give the Vikings great field position, Ivan Pace committed a roughing the punter foul, allowing the Jets to extend their drive and score.
5
Even when he wasn’t catching the ball, Justin Jefferson was wildly impactful, drawing five flags on New York’s secondary with three pass interferences, an illegal use of hands, and a defensive holding. The Jets’ secondary has had a reputation for being stingy, but Jefferson finished with six grabs for 92 yards. Jefferson proved to be too much for New York’s secondary. They grabbed and held him to keep him from torching their defense.
Still, Jefferson came up big when the offense needed him most, getting a 25-yard reception over the middle late in the fourth quarter on a drive the Vikings needed to extend the lead. While he didn’t go over 100 yards again and did have another uncharacteristic drop late in the game, Jefferson still was very important to this offense, especially after the injury to Aaron Jones.
