On the back end of a trip where the Minnesota Vikings became the first team in NFL history to play back-to-back international games in different countries, the wear and tear of the process began to manifest towards the middle of the third quarter last Sunday in London.
There just wasn’t much conviction from the defensive line, and they allowed the Cleveland Browns to go on an eight-minute drive that ended in a touchdown. Minnesota’s subsequent offensive possessions resulted in a punt, a fumble, and a missed field goal.
Then the Vikings got the ball back with three minutes to go in the game, still only down three. Given how the day had gone up until that point, playing for the tie seemed like the most practical route.
That is, until Carson Wentz threw a ball up to Justin Jefferson 20 yards down the right sideline. Jefferson climbed the ladder and made a play on the ball over opposing cornerback Denzel Ward’s head.
In a game where Jefferson was willing the team all day to get in positions to win, this time it felt inevitable that the Vikings would cap off the drive with a touchdown.
Through cross-field pre-snap motions, Kevin O’Connell was able to get guys in space for quick hitters that Wentz delivered on. Wentz looked ready for the moment, despite being banged up with a left shoulder injury that caused him to miss the final drive before halftime.
He was in full command of what the game-winning drive required of him, going nine for nine for 71 yards and a touchdown. That 10-play 80-yard drive sealed the deal in London and may have saved the season as a whole.
If the Vikings don’t get the job done last Sunday, we would be looking at this operation in a vastly different light heading into the Week 6 bye. Ever since J.J. McCarthy went down with an ankle injury and was announced out until at least after the bye week, along with many other key players, the mantra for the last three weeks has just been to weather the storm. Keep this thing afloat and come out of it with at least two wins.
Had the Vikings been sitting at 2-3 right now, staring down a game against the Philadelphia Eagles, followed by a road game on a short week against the Los Angeles Chargers, the season could have quickly gotten out of hand.
Instead, the Vikings secured another “Kardiac Kids” type of victory, which rebounded the team’s morale in more ways than one. It’s not far-fetched to say there could be a chance to see a completely new team after the bye week, with returning players from injury and a newfound mentality to simply just win.
Anyone would be hard-pressed not to mention the position group that played for the person next to them the most last Sunday. Rolling into London’s showdown with the Browns, Minnesota’s offensive line would be down three starters. Blake Brandel was poised to take his first snaps at center after backup center Michael Jurgens was also ruled out.
The unit held up against one of the most physical front four units in the league and excelled. It was a key part of why the game-winning drive felt as smooth as it did. That type of belief in one another, within the overly lauded next-man-up mentality, was not only impressive but also inspiring.
Now that they’ve returned stateside for a much-needed break in the season, the Vikings aim to recenter and find their Zen after an emotionally charged first month of football. If they can perform at high levels after the bye, grabbing wins during the more challenging parts of this season’s schedule, the game-winning drive in London could be viewed as the ultimate catalyst.
