A DOUBLE DOINK MIRACLE

VIKINGS 28

SAINTS 25

It is the Vikings Way.

They must always make things harder than they need to be.

Rarely has that been more on display than during Sunday morning's game in London, where what should have been a relatively easy Vikings win turned into the second straight heartstopper.

The Saints were without Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, and starting QB Jameis Winston. And yet they held a 4th quarter lead on us, and were within one final kick from taking things into overtime.

Going in I had hopes that this would be that game where the offense took a step up into consistency. The early returns were good. The opening drive felt like week 1. A lot of creativity. Thought we had a TD to Osborn before it was called back on a cheap OPI call. But Mattison took it in on the next play and we led 7-0.

But then the offense sputtered. Cousins threw an interception that sent the KCDS crowd into ecstasy, even though it was more just a great play by the safety. Still, the Saints took that spark and drove to tie the game.

The Vikings looked primed to go back up 7 a little later, but Johnny Mundt dropped what would have been a walk-in touchdown and we had to settle for 3. We immediately get a strip sack of Andy Dalton deep in Saints territory, but again some shaky execution made us settle for 3. At halftime it was 13-7 but should have been far more one-sided.

Early in the 3rd, our special teams got a turnover on a punt. Kirk hit JJ on a deep shot, setting up a 1st and goal. But yet again we messed up. A delay of game. A JJ TD drop. Again we settle for 3. You just can't keep settling like this. 

The Saints drove for a TD and just like that it's a 5 point game. Our response drive stalled near midfield, but we ran a sweet fake punt where Ryan Wright threw to Jailen Nailor. Still, we stalled again and had to kick another field goal. 

We were not getting that stout 2nd half defense today, so the Saints drove easily to take the lead on a run by that asshole Taysom Hill and a 2 point pass to a disgustingly wide open Jarvis Landry. So now this game that should have been a comfy win was now in danger of being a loss.

But...we have Kirk Cousins. Kirk Cousins, the QB who over and over winds up in these spots where he has to go rescue this team from themselves. He just did it last week. And he would need to again. 

He hit a big one to JJ. Osborn converted a clutch 3rd down. There was a pair of big penalties that Saints fans insisted were bad, but actually weren't. They even missed an obvious DPI against Thielen. But we finally cashed in in the redzone, as JJ took a sweep and walked into the endzone.

Of course, these are the Vikings so naturally Greg Joseph missed the PAT to keep it a 3 point game. And naturally we let the Saints get back down the field. One deep shot could have been a disaster, but Dantzler made a big pass breakup. The Saints had a 4th down, and opted for a 60 yard field goal by Will Lutz. He drilled it with room to spare. 

I was relieved though. Had the Saints gone for the 4th down, they could have converted and either taken the lead or drained the clock before tying it. At least this way we had a shot to go win it ourselves.

And Captain Kirk did. After our one good 1st down Cook run all day, Kirk tossed a beautiful deep ball to JJ that instantly put us in field goal range. I didn't like at all that we basically conceded a fairly long field goal, but running the ball did drain a lot of the clock and the remaining Saints timeouts.

Joseph bounced back by nailing a 47 yard field goal. But even with under 30 seconds left we couldn't make it easy. We immediately give up a deep shot over the middle that got the Saints in position for a 61 yard field goal.

Off the foot it looked like a replay, that Lutz had just sent us to OT. But no! The ball drifted just enough to glance ever so slightly off the goalpost, then double doink off the crossbar....and out. That close. Somehow this team is living right. We never get this kind of luck. 

Again Kirk dragged this team across the finish line. But the KCDS nitwits give him no credit. They even blamed HIM for the dropped TDs. 

The team remains an often maddening work in progress. On offense, we had out worst pass protection of the season. Cook was a gamer, but he wasn't effective and we kept wasting first downs with go nowhere Cook runs up the middle. We dropped 2 touchdowns.

But then, like last week, it was like as soon as we really needed to go the offense went. So we know they have it in them. And at least we got Jefferson going in a big way again. 

The defense again got burned by leaving receivers wide open. Latavius Murray gashed us on the ground a few times. We got a little more QB pressure this week but Dalton still had too many easy snaps. 

It's been a perplexing first month of the season, yet while the on field performance hasn't really met my expectations the record has. This team is 3-1 because they have faced some big adversity the last two weeks and have overcome. It's especially encouraging that with a rookie head coach we have been able to manage these chaotic 4th quarters so well. I'm going to keep saying that I think this team will get there, that they will snap into place and play complete football. I just hope I'm not sitting here in November and still waiting.

Kirk cannot save them every week.