Gut Punch

Chiefs 26

Vikings 23

The Vikings have many infamous playoff losses that hurt. They have a few others that were essentially playoff games(like week 17 last year). This game doesn't fit either criteria, but excluding them this is about as big a punch to the gut of a loss as I can recall. 

Basically the Vikings did all the things you can't do on the road against a good team(which the Chiefs still are even without Mahomes) and get a win.

The offense was very hot and cold. Cousins was fine. I'm already annoyed at the resurgence of the Kirk haters and it's just started. He missed a couple throws, sure. But he also led a 4th quarter drive to go take the lead, culminating in a dart to Rudolph. But he will get zero credit for that, and get 100% of the blame for the loss, because people are fucking stupid.

The offensive line was bad. They could not open holes for Dalvin, against a run defense that had previously been awful. They didn't protect Kirk. And to make it worse they committed several huge penalties.

But the playcalling is the real culprit here. I have no idea what Stefanski was thinking. Where were the screen passes in the first half? And why was there so little running late, on the road, with a lead? What happened to the Kirk rollouts? They just left Kirk to be swallowed up.

The defense honestly wasn't that bad. I knew Moore is a good backup. But every time the Chiefs got a significant play on us it was either just a spectacular play, or basically bad luck. Then that 91 yard run was just horribly played by Smith and Harris. They even forced Moore to fumble on each of the final 2 drives yet the Chiefs fell on both balls. Shit like that makes an outcome feel predestined.

It's an outcome based business. Nobody will care about anything but the loss. People will use it to fit their little narratives that they've had to shut up about for the last month.

It just felt like the coaches game planned for a different team than what the Chiefs are. Nothing against Laquon Treadwell, who had his best game maybe ever, but why was he a bigger piece of the plan than Diggs? It didn't help that the Chiefs actually tried to play defense this week, after giving zero effort last week against the Packahs. And that's where this result hurts the most.

The NFC North race is over. I've seen everything I need to see in these 2 months to tell me that the Packers are going to get every break possible. Even as I type this out the Chargers are settling for field goals against them. Assuming that becomes another Packers win the Vikings are 2 back with 7 to go. The Packers schedule is easier, and we need to pick up a game at some point to make the December 23rd game relevant for the north. I just don't see it happening. 

Wild card or bust now. So the upcoming games at Dallas and Seattle become that much bigger. Fwiw the Vikings haven't lost a game yet that I didn't expect them to when I picked em to be a 10-6 division champ. But 10 wins won't even get you in the playoffs. 11 might not even. There is gonna be a damn good NFC team going home after week 17.

This team rose up and played a damn good month of football in response to adversity. So they need to rebound again. I hope they will.