BUBBLE BURSTS

BRONCOS 21

VIKINGS 20

There is the emotional, and there is the realistic.

Realistically, the Vikings were not going to run the table after their 1-4 start. That's 12 straight wins. Even getting to 5 without Justin Jefferson and the last couple without Kirk Cousins was a hell of an accomplishment. 

Emotionally though, fuuuuuck is it frustrating to see the win streak end in such a gut punch fashion as what happened on Sunday night. 

The Vikings, riding a 5 game win streak, went to Denver to face an also hot Broncos team that had won 3 straight, including back to back wins over the Chiefs and Bills. So they're no pushover. And the Vikings unceasing barrage of injuries claimed Jordan Hicks and Akayleb Evans. So I actually picked the Vikings to lose. They still shouldn't have. This absolutely should have been win #6 in a row. 

I suppose the opening drive was an omen. On their 1st set of downs all night, Kevin O'Connell decided to get cute on 3rd and short. TJ Hockenson took the snap, and pitched it to Joshua Dobbs, who was tackled and fumbled the ball right to the Broncos. 

For the first of several times, the Vikings defense minimized the damage, quickly holding Denver to a field goal. But it wouldn't be the last damaging turnover. 

Things calmed down, and the Vikings drove 65 yards, almost entirely on the ground, to their 1st touchdown. Dobbs looked trapped near the sideline, but made a slick move to avoid a sack and flip it to Josh Oliver for the score.

The next drive yielded points too, although just a field goal after Dobbs took a redzone sack. Russell Wilson burned Mekhi Blackmon on a couple throws to set up a Denver field goal. And after KOC decided to punt on 4th and 1 just inside the 50, Denver drove to another field goal by halftime. 

So yeah, another of these games where the Vikings mostly controlled the game yet barely led.

Things looked up after halftime. The Vikings put together an excellent drive, culminating in Dobbs scrambling in for the touchdown. Then after a 3 and out, the Vikings were driving again, into Denver territory, and certainly looking like they were about to go up 2 scores and really put a lock on this game.

And then Alexander Mattison took a handoff and, really without being touched, fumbled the ball away. An absolute momentum killer. You could feel all the momentum swing the other way. Denver drove to a field goal (a DJ Wonnum sack ended the drive).

And quickly on the next Vikings drive, Dobbs was hit as he went to throw, creating a jump ball interception deep in Vikings territory. Again the defense admirably held Denver down and only allowed a field goal, but a game that was 17-9 and trending to become lopsided was now just 17-15, with every trace of momentum on the side of the home team. 

The Vikings offense desperately needed to produce, but they went 3 and out to start the next series. But then KOC, whose conservative approach bugged me all half, abruptly showed massive onions, calling for a fake punt on his own 31. Ty Chandler took the direct snap and raced for 31 yards. Just like that, momentum was back and the Vikings were driving with a chance to get that elusive 2 score lead and ice the game.

But this was not a Vikings game of October and November. This was a September game. The Vikings did convert on a 4th and short, and got into the redzone, but then that self-defeating conservative playcalling returned, and we had to settle for a field goal.

It's like I could see a vision of exactly how the end of this game would play out. The defense's stout performance to that point would mean nothing when it absolutely mattered most. They would fold, and we would lose. 

And that's what happened. In a depressing deja vu moment to that 2020 SNF game in Seattle, we let Russell Wilson drive down the field on us to win the game. We had a couple chances to prevent this, but they converted a 4th down, and then the ultimately game winning TD pass connected despite Blackmon being in position to probably pick it off.

We did stop their 2 point conversion, and we still had a minute and 3 timeouts. Dobbs did lead a superb game winning drive in Atlanta. So we had a prayer. 

No we didn't. Our last ditch drive was a mess of wasted time and poor decision making. When Dobbs 4th and 25 pass fell limply to the ground the game was over.

Plenty of blame to go around. Despite folding at the end I cant blame the defense much. They were the only reason Denver didn't win comfortably.

You just can't turn the football over like this. 0-3 on the road is nearly a guaranteed loss. Dobbs Mania definitely crashed back to earth a little. He looked very rattled, especially in the 2nd half. Mattison's fumble was a killer, but he has an eternal get out of jail free card.

O'Connell takes the brunt of the blame. Play calls that were too often either too cute or too conservative. We're gashing them on the ground and then he goes away from that. And he did Dobbs zero favors by seemingly spending the game trying to turn him into a pocket passer. Where are the plays to get Dobbs on the move? 

This was the capper on a shitty Sunday of near misses that pretty much ended the NFC North race. Detroit should have lost. We should have won. Only a half game should be separating the 2 teams right now. Instead it's 2 and a half. 

But the Vikings overall playoff hopes basically went up on Sunday. A couple teams behind them lost. And losing to an AFC team isn't that damaging. The Vikings are still in great shape to get back to the playoffs, where they can be very dangerous. And not just to themselves.