The Magic Carpet Ride

VIKINGS 20

COMMANDERS 17

In the latest chapter of what is becoming a magical season, the Vikings put their 5 game win streak to the test on the road against a decent team with a more than decent defense, who got absolutely gifted a touchdown, and led by two scores in the 4th quarter.

But that win streak now sits at six, because this remarkably gutty team yet again hit the 4th quarter and became a different team, and made the comeback.

This team has magic in it.

This was Kirk Cousins's big return to Washington after 5 years away. And he came out swinging, taking the team right down the field on the opening drive. Included were a couple downfield shots, including one to the newly added TJ Hockenson, who immediately fit right in. Kirk hit JJ for his 1st TD since week 1 and we were off.

But just as we so often start strong on offense, we again so often do not keep it up, and it would be almost 3 full quarters before we scored again. 

Washington has a good defense, and their pass rush was dismantling most everything we tried to do. Pass protection was not good, forcing Kirk to hurry throws and often do dumpoff throws that went nowhere. The run game never got going. We dropped a few passes. 

But our improving defense was handling things. The Commies could only get a field goal the whole first half. Pass rush was getting after Taylor Heinicke. 

Things started going wonky just before halftime. Kirk hit a couple big throws to get down near the redzone. Then he took a shot to JJ in the endzone. It was a perfect throw that either should have been caught or drawn a flag. Instead the pass wound up getting picked off.

The 3rd quarter began with one of the most ridiculous things I have ever seen. Heinicke launched a jump ball deep into triple coverage. It was destined to become a rather easy Cam Bynum interception...until the god damn back judge, who had no business being at that spot on the field in the first place, ran directly into Bynum, knocking him over and letting this ridiculous pass fall into Curtis Samuel's hands for the go ahead touchdown. This official should be fired for this, but of course won't be because there are never consequences for these officials. But this was a huge game changing play, a touchdown literally given to Washington. I was livid to the point I could barely even engage with the rest of the 3rd quarter.

You could tell the Vikings themselves were rattled. The offense remained ineffective. And the defense started to give just a little, allowing the Commies to get a legitimate touchdown just into the 4th quarter.

So it was a 17-7 deficit, on the road against a defense that had basically dominated, in a game in which little had gone your way and in which the refs were screwing you. It was hard to not feel like this just was not going to be the Vikings day. 

But we had entered the 4th quarter, a quarter in which this Vikings team has elevated its play week after week during this win streak.

Down 10 the Vikings notched a first down on a DPI, then Kirk got sacked. But the momentum swung back their way when Kirk hit a 47 yard deep shot to JJ on a 3rd down. Kirk actually took a hard hit on the throw and had to come out for a play. We moved no further but Greg Joseph's field goal cut the lead to 7. 

Then, as has so often happened during the win streak, the defense came up with a huge turnover, as Heinicke overthrew a pass down the middle, which Harrison Smith picked off and ran back inside the redzone. Kirk soon followed with a pretty TD pass to Dalvin Cook of all people, who made a great one armed catch to tie the game.

Honestly, at this point I knew the Vikings were going to win. Danielle Hunter sacked Heinicke to force a 3 and out.

The calm, composed 4th quarter Vikings then methodically went about another game winning drive. Kirk hit a few throws, JJ ran a sweep to convert a 3rd and 1. On a 3rd and goal Kirk made a great throw to JJ, who couldn't haul in the pass, and so we had to settle for the field goal. 

Joseph hit the chip shot....but wait. There was a flag on Washington for running over the long snapper. So instead of being down 3 with almost 2 minutes left, Washington gave us a 1st and goal, enabling us to run that clock all the way down and then have Joseph do it all over again. Washington's last offensive snap went nowhere and that was it. Win #6 in a row, and probably the most admirable one of the bunch considering all that had gone against them.

There has never been another Vikings team like this. The way this team elevates its play in the 4th quarter is remarkable. Yeah you would prefer it if they won a little more comfortably, but that's just not who they are. But whatever happens for this team during the next 2 (hopefully 3) months, having these experiences of facing adversity and having to win these close games. If they find themselves in a tight playoff game they won't panic, cause they know they can get it done. They've done it for 6 straight weeks. 

And the playoffs are already a near lock. Both the Packers and Bears lost again on Sunday, so the Vikings division lead grew again. The NFC North race is already over barring major injuries. The Vikings absolutely will win their first division title in 5 years, and will be probably at worst a 3 seed.

This magic carpet ride is going to keep going for a while. Hopefully until February. 🤞