A Methodical Mauling

Vikings 20

Lions 7

So that's what it feels like to not have heart failure while watching a Vikings game. 

It's a feeling I had forgotten, after 4 straight tight games. Today there was no such anxiety. There really was very little to worry about at all, as the Vikings quietly, methodically mauled the faded Lions.

The score is not indicative of how this game went. The Vikings absolutely dominated this game from start to finish. But it was similar to those September wins where they got a lead and played things very conservatively after that.

After weeks of defensive struggles, today they really shut it down. They didn't give up the big pass plays, aside from 1 or 2 stray ones. They shut down the run. They got off the field on 3rd down. They got a couple turnovers. They got sacks.

Sure, everything must be qualified with who they were playing, but opponent hasn't seemed to matter that much of late. The defense needed this.

A fairly quiet day from the offense. Kirk played well, but with less gaudy numbers than he has been putting up. Mostly just the dinner and dunk stuff, but he threw a laser to Bisi for his 1 TD and hit a great deep ball to Diggs that set up the TD before halftime that basically ended the game. This was similar to that Redskins game where the playbook seemed very simple.

Dalvin Cook was able to go, and he got in the endzone, but with the lead they were able to give him some time off and let Mattison and even Boone carry the load in the 2nd half.

The whole 2nd half was very sleepy. Just a lot of clock eating and punting and letting the defense keep the clamps on.

We didn't get the shutout, as the Lions scored with just a couple minutes left, but we had some backups in by then. Yeah it'd be cool to get a shutout, but it really doesn't matter.

This was our last total gimmie. Chargers next week, and while their 45-10 win today was more a sign of how putrid Jacksonville is, they are still dangerous. It should be a de-facto home game since the Chargers have no fans. 

But we have no margin for error. We seriously are getting ZERO help. The Packers beat another cupcake. Chicago has won 3 straight. The Rams have flipped a switch all of a sudden. Even that Saints loss today is bad for us.

We seriously might not be able to lose another game. 11-5 might mean we miss the playoffs entirely. It's so unfair. We are just a game out of the 2 seed right now, but things seem aligned against us.

All I want for Christmas is 3 more wins, a Packers loss to the Bears or Lions, and maybe another Saints loss or two.