WELCOME HOME

VIKINGS 30

SEAHAWKS 17

0-2.

Coming off one of the biggest regular season gut punches ever.

An entire fanbase and media feverishly calling for the heads of Mike Zimmer and Kirk Cousins.

An entire era of Vikings football seemingly on the precipice. 

In comes Russell Wilson, who has tormented you for a decade and who you have never beaten.

Oh, and you don't have Dalvin Cook.

Time will tell what Sunday's desperately needed victory will mean. Whether it is a one week feel good story or the start of a major run. 

But it felt like one of the most important wins of the Zimmer era.

First off it was just electric to be back at the purple palace for a real game. The crowd was the loudest I have heard it there since the Saints playoff game. The awesome new introductions, complete with fake snow, got everyone jazzed beyond belief....

...and then Seattle went right down and scored on their opening series, with really no resistance. I mean, alright, I knew this was not going to be a low scoring game. Our offense was going to have to match Seattle.

And we did. First Vikings drive we go right down the field and tie it up with a Conklin touchdown. Mattison was great right away. Kirk was sharp. Game on.

The only period of the game where things got a little out of control was end 1st/beginning 2nd. Seattle gets a field goal (it felt like an enormous win to hold them to 3). We go 3 and out, Seattle again goes down the field and breaks off a long touchdown run that gave me an Alvin Kamara flashback.

Our next series Kirk gets sacked on 3rd down and you're thinking "oh no." But we finally got a fortuitous flag, for defensive holding (obvious call). And that was the first big turning point. We immediately hit a big screen to Mattison. Kirk hits JJ for a big gainer. We get inside the 10, then get a very UNfortuitous flag for holding on Bradbury. But, as they would do a few more times, the Vikings offense immediately followed up a negative play with a big play. Kirk zipped a touchdown pass in to Thielen. Great throw, great catch.

The next Seattle series is when things really started to go our way. Something happened...a development so unlikely as to make you believe in the existence of miracles. 

A Vikings opponent missed a field goal!

I know, I couldn't believe it either, but it happened. And the offense kept the momentum going.

This drive was a pretty masterful example of controlling the game. It seems like almost every week the Vikings get in one of these spots. And rarely have they handled their business so expertly. Several key 3rd down conversions (a theme all day). Another big Mattison run. A big Conklin play. And finally a TD toss to JJ. The Vikings led at the half in a game where they had already allowed about 300 yards of offense.

And they got the ball to start the 3rd quarter, and had a chance to really take control of a game that I certainly still thought was going to be a shootout all the way. The offense held the.ball for 8 1/2 minutes. Again a couple big 3rd down conversions. Again a big play after a negative play (no more WR screens please). We looked.destined to get another touchdown but in the redzone Kirk tried to spin away from a sack, fumbled, and had to just fall on the ball. But Greg Joseph hit the field goal and we got points.

And then Zimmer unleashed the D. Seattle got 1 first down but the coverage tightened and forced a punt.

The offense got moving again. Again just a great mix of plays. Jefferson hauled in the drivers biggest play. Things did stall out in the redzone again, but Joseph was money again and the lead grew to 10.

Those 3s instead of 7s had me anxious (OK, I was anxious all game) cause we have led Wilson in the 2nd half before only to be beaten.

It looked for a moment like we might have had a dagger fumble recovery near midfield, but on replay.it showed the receiver's knee was down (so was Dalvin, but whatever). But this swing didn't faze the fired up Zim Reapers. They forced a punt right after. 

And once again this offense controlled the game. A 12 play, 88 yard drive burning 7 more minutes off. This drive had maybe the clutchest of all the 9 3rd down conversions on the day, with Kirk facing a huge blitz but flinging the ball out to KJ Osborn for the 1st. This drive too stalled, inside the 5, and yeah I wanted Zimmer to go for it. But I also wanted them to go for it in Seattle last year and we know how that went. Joseph hit the chip shot, and Wilson would now need two touchdowns in less than 5 minutes to beat us.

The closest Wilson got was a 4th down hail mary near midfield that reached the endzone but fell incomplete. In a delicious cherry on top, Wilson only touched the ball again with seconds to go after a punt went.out at the 1. Damn, Barry, save that shit for a more key spot!

This was a true complete team win. Everybody made an impact. Mattison didn't just adequately fill in for Dalvin, he was stellar. All the receivers made big plays. The offensive line had it's second straight very good game. The defense did not give up a point for the last 2 1/2 quarters. The secondary tightened up. The rush got to Wilson a couple times. Joseph was 6 for 6, and hit all 3 2nd half field goals. We only had a few penalties (one a truly BS RTP on Griffen). Klint Kubiak called the best game we have seen since Stefanski. He appears to be growing into this job. 

But I feel happiest for Cousins and Zimmer, the two guys who get shit on the most in this town. And look, this was 1 win to get to 1-2, and there is still a long way to go. Nobody is tossing up any banners yet. But this felt like a major win for each of these guys.

The first halves matter too, and Zimmer's defense has not been good enough to start games. But they faced two of the best, and trickiest quarterbacks the last 2 weeks and didn't give up a 2nd half touchdown. People either underestimate how much it matters to have practice and game action. Teams have way less practice time than they used to. It takes time to really put it together. But you see it in these 2nd halves. Zimmer is figuring it out. I still think this defense will be very good. 

And Cousins is playing the best football yet with the Vikings. The KCDS crowd can't handle that truth. Kirk has mostly been very good with the Vikings. But he is hitting new heights of just being in control of the game. You can just see it, now that he is getting some reliable protection, has an OC who seems capable of utilizing him, and has talent around him also playing at a high level. Not having Cook and still having this kind of game is HUGE, cause we have seen the Vikings struggle in past games without Cook. Now, sure, he won't ALWAYS have games at this level. No quarterback does, but more than ever he improving the doubters wrong.

And the best should be yet to come, too. This defense will only get better. Kubiak will only get better. This offensive line still may get an upgrade with Darrisaw soon (although Hill has been good 2 weeks straight). Or Davis (oh yeah, Oli Udoh is one of the top rated guards in the league).

Let's frikkin GO!