The buildup to last Sunday’s matchup in Detroit reached its boiling point well before the weekend began. Endless promotion and team content circulated through the national media, reaching a point where an already chronically anxious fan would ask, “Can we just play the game already?”
Only cynics would enjoy the final result of the showdown.
The Minnesota Vikings did achieve something no team has done in the past 30 seasons.
The Vikings ran 14 plays in the red zone, where they had a 7.1% success rate. That means they were successful on only 1 of 14 plays. Statistically, that is the worst percentage in the last five years. Before Sunday night, no team in the last 30 years had reached the red zone four times without scoring a touchdown, had three goal-to-go situations end without a touchdown, failed twice on fourth-and-goal attempts, and missed a field goal.
The anomalies made Sunday night feel like an episode of The Twilight Zone. We know how clever Kevin O’Connell is in the red zone, and we see what caliber of play our offensive weapons provide inside the 20-yard line.
So, what on earth happened?
In a game where Brian Flores and the defensive unit kept giving the team chances to win the time of possession and field-position battle, the offense could not grasp the metaphorical life preserver.
A case of the jitters from quarterback Sam Darnold left those viewing at home groaning in agony as they witnessed his indecision and uncharacteristic overthrows. Darnold could not seem to calm down and trust his arm. One of the best regular seasons in Minnesota Vikings history ended with a whimper.
They didn’t seize a golden opportunity in a high-stakes primetime game.
We’ve seen this story before.
Here’s the difference: There’s still a tomorrow.
Vikings fans could compete with Scottish poet Robert Burns in reciting “Woe is Me”; that mentality has become law. The No. 1 seed, necessary rest for the players, and two home games in the playoffs would have been fantastic; there’s no denying that. But there’s also a game next Monday night that means more than all of that and then some.
Minnesota still has everything to play for, and nothing has changed about that. The Monday night matchup on the road against the Los Angeles Rams comes with baggage. They are the only team besides Detroit to beat the Vikings this year. But even that can contribute to the chip on Minnesota’s shoulders as they enter the playoffs.
The red-zone worries last week should not be on the fanbase’s minds because the team likely isn’t fixated on it. An isolated event, albeit in a big game, does not suddenly define a 14-3 football team that had ripped off nine-straight wins before last week’s loss.
It’s far better to purge those gridiron demons now, probably because of burnout from the run that allowed the team to compete in that circumstance, other than in the playoffs. Had this happened at home after the first-round bye, we wouldn’t say, “Well, at least we got the No. 1 seed.” This team has been too special for that to be the conclusion.
Of course, all this begins on Monday night, January 13, when the rubber meets the road. The football gods will still have their whims and sick jokes. In back-to-back order, the Vikings have only lost to two teams this year. In the same order, they play the same two teams in January.
The storyline should play the Uno “Reverse” card on the situation. The Vikings are now looking to avenge their losses to these teams, starting with the Rams and, if the cards fall correctly, the Lions in two weeks.
Darnold has been great in the red zone for 16 of 17 games. He finished the season with above a 70% completion rate, accompanied by 26 touchdowns compared to only four interceptions inside the 20. As long as the offensive line can give him enough time to pick his spots decisively and trust his arm, he will be fine in big moments.
The locker room is locked into Monday night. The voyage has just begun, and there’s still no reason to flinch.
