Jets @ Vikings
Final Score: Vikings 23, Jets 17
Senior Writer: Benjamin Haller (@benjaminhaller1 on Twitter)
A first-half horror show from Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets offense handed the advantage to Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings as it was all purple from the go at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London as the NFL International Games kicked off. Three punts, two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), and a turnover on downs hampered the Jets as the Vikings’ defense once again reigned havoc over another team. Despite the advantages given by the Jets, Darnold and the Vikings were not at the races on offense either, and outside of some elite plays from star wideout Justin Jefferson, it wasn’t the offensive masterclass we’ve seen from Minnesota over the first month of the season. A something-out-of-nothing play on a third and long saw Allen Lazard go up and haul in a touchdown to give the Jets hope late in the half.
The second half was a very tough watch from an offensive point of view, as both defenses had the upper hand. The Vikings punted on three straight drives, with Darnold ineffective as a thrower in the pocket. They could not get the ground game going with Aaron Jones ruled out at halftime with a hip injury. Rodgers continued to be subdued, and despite pulling it back to a one-score game, the Jets looked anemic with the football for most of the half. Both teams added a field goal before Darnold attempted a deep ball into a tight window on third down, overthrowing his receiver and the ball being picked off. The Jets took advantage of the short field once again, with Garrett Wilson finding some space to make the game interesting late. However, Darnold recovered to connect with Jefferson downfield to give the Vikings a key field goal with just three minutes remaining. As they had done all game, Brian Flores‘ outstanding defense stepped up and settled the contest with a late pick of Rodgers to seal an important if unconvincing win for the Vikings, who moved to 5-0.
Three Up
- Justin Jefferson – a game-winning performance from the Vikings star man, who caused problems at all levels and drew several fouls as the Jets defensive backs took it in turns to manhandle him downfield. He’s unguardable at times, and it showed in this game.
- Garrett Wilson – easily his most impactful game of the season, Wilson hit the end zone for the second time this season and saw season highs in targets, catches, and yardage. He’s the alpha that the Jets need to feed.
- Tyler Conklin – in a season where the tight end position is a wasteland in terms of production, Conklin has become a steady, reliable option who is seeing the volume to be a fantasy asset. He had another eight targets today.
Three Down
- Sam Darnold – shadows of the old crept into Darnold’s game the deeper this game went, but the uber-aggressive play calling from Kevin O’Connell did not help matters. Without Jones to complement the passing game, the Minnesota quarterback struggled to move the offense.
- Jalen Nailor – the young wideout has hardly seen any targets since the return of Jordan Addison, which is a shame as he adds a different dimension to the Vikings offense, something they needed here.
- Breece Hall – once again, Hall was bottled up on the ground and ceded work to rookie Braelon Allen. Hall lacked any explosive plays and didn’t look to be hitting lanes with any speed.
New York Jets
Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers: 29/54, 244 Yards, 2 TD, 3 INT, 3 Sacks
An embarrassment from start to finish in the first half for the 40-year-old signal-caller, who gave off serious “I don’t want to be here” vibes with a petulant, error-prone performance that did not help his already beleaguered team out of a big hole. Rodgers looked slow, lethargic, and fed-up, his negative body language rubbing off on his offense and his visible frustrations clear to all. The Jets could get nothing going on the ground or through the air, and much of that was on Rodgers, who threw either too low on short routes or too high deeper downfield in a first half full of mistakes. After the defense made a late stop and special teams ran the ball back to the Vikings’ 31-yard line, suddenly, the Jets had hope. Despite two poor throws behind his receivers, Rodgers came alive on a broken play on third down to find Lazard in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.
A slight improvement in the second half, thanks to a change in strategy, gave the Jets some hope as the Vikings offense ground to a halt. Peppering Wilson with targets (22!) and allowing his receivers to make plays in the open field, Rodgers turned into game-manager, and the Jets found a little success. All that came crashing down with Rodgers attempting to give his team an unlikely win late in the game. Needing a score with under three minutes remaining, Rodgers worked into Minnesota territory before a poor sideline throw to Mike Williams was tracked and intercepted by Stephon Gilmore to end the game. A forgettable trip across the pond for the spiraling Jets quarterback.
Mr. Pick 6@AndrewVanGinkel
📺: @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/u9mFg6d4EE
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 6, 2024
Notes
- Missed a wide open Breece Hall down the middle for an easy first down on the first drive before throwing short of the line on third down to Garrett Wilson who was well covered – Saleh optioned to punt away on 4th & 1 in their own territory.
- Had more success in the second half with sideline throws and short options to chip away at the Minnesota defense, preventing consistent pressure and increasingly making third and short achievable.
Missed opportunities
- After the Jets defense came up with a big play to take the ball away from the Vikings in the first quarter, Rodgers had the chance to cash in after a slow start but a predetermined quick release to the outside was read like a book by Andrew Van Ginkel, who picked the throw off and took it 63 yards to the house for a pick six!
- On the very next drive, Rodgers tried to “get it all back on one throw” on a third-and-long but badly overthrew his receiver and the ball sailed high and into the hands of the awaiting Cam Bynum for an easy interception.
- A pump fake late in the fourth quarter setup the chance for a deep ball to Wilson but the signal-caller misjudged the throw and put it too far in front of his man, who had beat Gilmore.
Running Back
Breece Hall: 9 Carries, 23 Yards | 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 14 Yards
Once labelled the future of this offense, Hall struggled for the second straight week as the Jets offense was slow out of the blocks. It is hard to establish the run game when you don’t get a first down until midway through the second quarter. Hall had only touched the ball three times to that point (all stuffed runs on first down) and saw his rookie running mate Braelon Allen get the opportunity in short yardage situations. His averaged just 2.6 yards per carry and his longest run for 10 yards made up nearly half of his total rushing yards. Tough times in New York, who just don’t have an identity on offense right now.
Braelon Allen: 5 Carries, 13 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 15 Yards
After a disastrous first half, rookie running back Allen was given two opportunities to gain two yards on back-to-back plays but failed to do so as Head Coach Robert Saleh rolled the dice on fourth down with his team down 10 but inside Vikings territory for the first time with just eight minutes left in the half. The Jets seemed insistent on throwing the ball for most of this game and so Allen saw limited opportunities, his best contribution was a 15-yard catch-and-run in the third quarter on a drive kick-started by a dubious roughing the kicker penalty.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Garrett Wilson: 22 Targets, 13 Receptions, 101 Yards, TD
The star wideout for the Jets did not look on the same page with his quarterback early in the game when he failed to haul in a ball down the right sideline on third down on the Jets’ second drive of the game – Rodgers threw the ball to the receiver’s inside but Wilson had broken to the outside before trying to contort his body back to get his fingers on it. Despite the Jets offense failing to do anything of note for much of the first half, Wilson got the chance to make his mark late after the Vikings punted the ball away and return man Xavier Gipson provided a spark with a 31-yard return to the Minnesota 31-yard line. Wilson hauled in a 10-yard pass to put the Jets deep into the red zone before Rodgers found Lazard for six. The second half was a case of “Garrett Wilson or Nothing!” as he was peppered with short targets to get the team moving – Rodgers throwing for just 4.6 yards per target. It is very encouraging for fantasy managers that he earned 22 of the team’s 51 targets but efficiency is an issue. He satisfied the fantasy gods enough, however, to earn a red zone target, which he hauled in for 1-yard score with just six minutes remaining to give his team a chance they could not take to win the game.
Rodgers. Wilson. @nyjets not done!
📺: #NYJvsMIN on NFL Network
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/7tC2Oovwbx— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2024
Tyler Conklin: 9 Targets, 6 Receptions, 55 Yards
The former Minnesota tight end was responsible for the first Jets first down of the game with ten minutes remaining in the first half after breaking loose in the secondary and hauling in a ball over the middle for 25 yards. It was the sort of route and catch that Conklin has enjoyed over the first month of the season. Acting as a safety blanket for his quarterback, Conklin worked his routes well all day and benefitted from a more methodological approach in the second half, catching a further five balls for 30 yards. While not a perceived threat to score a touchdown, Conklin remains a safe volume play for fantasy production at the position.
Allen Lazard: 10 Targets, 4 Receptions, 34 Yards, TD
Rodgers’ favorite option showed up in the end zone when his team needed him the most late in the first half, the veteran receiver staying alive on a broken play to find some room between the defensive backs to provide an option for Rodgers to hit. It was Lazard’s first catch of the game after his previous three targets went incomplete due to poor throws from his quarterback. That reigned true in the second half as Lazard was restricted to short gains on throws in or around the line for scrimmage. Rodgers threw behind Lazard on three separate occasions so his catch efficiency was definitely more on his quarterback than himself in this game.
Mike Williams: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 25 Yards
The big wideout was sporadically used playing just 58% of the snaps. He was the go to receiver on the final offensive play of the day for the Jets as he never looked likely to haul in a poor Rodgers deep ball that was picked off. It has been a disappointing start for the former Chargers wideout on the East Coast.
Minnesota Vikings
Quarterback
Sam Darnold: 14/31, 179 Yards, INT, 4 Sacks | 5 Carries, 11 Yards
This was not the Darnold we are looking for. The former Jets quarterback endured a rough trip across the pond despite a big early lead as the Vikings offense stuttered in part because the signal-caller held onto the ball too long and seemed to be ruffled by an early hit to his abdomen. His despairingly bad 4.26 fantasy points (in Yahoo!) was his lowest score of the season by far on a week when he was probably a popular streaming option for the first bye week. Darnold never looked comfortable in the pocket with the Jets putting decent pressure on him up the middle, the interior offensive line of the Vikings struggling in pass protection for the first time this season. Darnold was also inaccurate on the deep ball with a number of targets to Jefferson and Jordan Addison way off their intended spots. The good news is that Darnold now has a bye week to work out some of those deficiencies with an unbeaten record.
Notes
- Fired a laser to Jefferson over the middle for 26 yards on the opening drive of the game to take the Vikings into Jets territory on a promising opening drive but took a drive-ending 12-yard sack on third down to settle for a field goal.
- Took a direct helmet hit to the midriff standing in the pocket delivering a ball downfield and immediately showed signs of pain. Took a long time to get up and missed a play before coming back in on first down just outside the red zone and pitching the ball to Ty Chandler, who seemed to grasp at it as if it was too high before fumbling it out of his hands and the Jets recovered.
Missed opportunities
- Overthrew receiver Jordan Addison on fourth down at the Jets’ 33-yard line up 10-0 midway through the second quarter. It was the third throw in the game that Darnold looked a little uncomfortable on despite a clean pockets. He had previously taken his second sack on the game on the drive, unaware of a DB-blitz off his blind side.
Nick Mullens: 1/1, 24 Yards
The best of cameos from the veteran quarterback as he connected with Jones deep downfield on a key third down with Darnold receiving treatment on the sideline.
Running Back
Ty Chandler: 14 Carries, 30 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 9 Yards
Chandler’s first touch in the ball game was a crucial one as he ended up fumbling the ball away in the first quarter with the Vikings deep in Jets territory already leading 3-0. Darnold had missed a play due to taking a heavy hit and that could have been a factor as his pitch was a little high causing Chandler to grasp at the ball and make the error. After Jones went out of the game, Chandler was set for more touches and was unlucky to have a brilliant outside-zone run for 31 yards deep into the Jets red zone wiped out for a bogus illegal shift call on Jefferson. However, even with the Vikings up big and the Jets’ defense non-existent, O’Connell seemed reluctant to feed Chandler on the ground and take control of the time of possession. The Jets defensive line was winning in the trenches, particularly on the inside which may have been a factor. Chandler didn’t seem to run the same routes out of the backfield as Jones is known for and was only targeted twice. He still handled most of the touches on the ground but saw his fullback vulture a touchdown from the goal line. Frustrating.
Aaron Jones: 7 Carries, 29 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 24 Yards
After looking sharp on the ground early in this game, Aaron Jones made a splash with a sensational over-the-top grab from stand-in quarterback Nick Mullens for 24 yards as the Vikings looked to make their early dominance pay off. That catch seemed to cause Jones some anguish, however as he spent time in the blue tent before looking frustrated, helmet off, as he tried to loosen up on the sideline. He remained out of the game going into half time and was ruled out shortly after that.
CJ Ham: 2 Carries, 10 Yards, TD
After Chandler was given the first opportunity to punch the ball in from inside the Jets’ 10-yard line, KOC called on a inside hand off to the fullback CJ Ham who rumbled in for his first score of the season. Obviously this helped a total of zero fantasy managers!
CJ Ham for the @Vikings TD
Minnesota leads 17-0
📺: #NYJvsMIN on NFL Network
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/RbOn6cui9S— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2024
Myles Gaskin: 2 Carries, 2 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 11 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Justin Jefferson: 14 Targets, 6 Receptions, 92 Yards
The best receiver in football was a terror to the Jets secondary the entire contest with two outstanding grabs early and a nice double move on a route to force a huge penalty from Sauce Gardner on third-and-long with the Vikings pushing to extend their 10-point lead in the second quarter. Jefferson then hauled in a sideline catch for 27 yards before being manhandled by both DJ Reed and Gardner twice in the red zone to force three DPIs – the Vikings took advantage and went 17-0 up thanks to hand-off to the fullback. The Jets tried to bully Jefferson out of the game, a bit of a cowardly call from Saleh, and at times in the second half he looked frustrated with both the attention he was seeing and the poor play from his quarterback. Still, it was dominating performance and a healthy fantasy day for Jettas.
Justin Jefferson is elite on every continent
(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/nGQ5YBmm5x— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) October 6, 2024
Jordan Addison: 8 Targets, 3 Receptions, 36 Yards
Not allowed the space over the top by the Jets defense that he enjoyed last week in his two-touchdown showing against the Packers, Addison had to settle for less opportunity to make a splash play in this game. He wasn’t targeted in the first couple of drives and then had no chance to haul in a deep ball on fourth down that was well overthrown by Darnold. All three of his catches came on the same drive, a third-quarter series that ended in a punt. His biggest contribution was a 26-yard grab in which he beat out Gardner. Overall a disappointing day for the talented young receiver who has had a stop start beginning to 2024.
Johnny Mundt: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 31 Yards
The tight end hit the end zone last week and saw another two catches this week albeit in midfield. Mundt was a secondary read on both throws but he did his job nicely in disguising blocks then breaking out into space to provide an option. Still, this is minimal production and the imminent return of T.J. Hockenson will limit is opportunities.