Colts @ Vikings
Final Score: Vikings 21, Colts 13
Senior Writer: Benjamin Haller (@benjaminhaller1 on Twitter)
It was a case of what could go wrong, did go wrong for the Minnesota Vikings in the first half as Sam Darnold turned the ball over twice, once for a defensive score, and the previously perfect Will Reichardt missed two field goals, as a bewildered Kevin O’Connell saw his team go in 7-0 down despite putting up over 200 offensive yards, dominating time of possession and forcing a turnover themselves on defense. Joe Flacco and the Indianapolis Colts didn’t do much in the first half, but they didn’t have to as the Vikings continued to shoot themselves in the foot.
The second half started off with the Vikings finding some rhythm after an opening touchdown drive. On the next possession, a perfectly thrown deep ball from Darnold found the best receiver in football, Justin Jefferson, for a 41-yard gain that set the Vikings up at the goal line. Darnold found emerging receiver Jalen Nailor on a crossing route to flip the table and give Minnesota a 14-7 lead late in the third quarter. The Colts were both ineffective on the ground and non-existent through the air as Brian Flores‘ defense stepped up the hammer after a few poor weeks off the ball. The Colts’ offense mustered less than 100 yards in the second half with an interception, a turnover on downs, zero snaps in the red zone, and a total contribution of just 6 points all game. That benching of Anthony Richardson doesn’t look too great right now for a Head Coach in Shane Steichen, who has taken a step back in leading this team this season.
Three Up
- Justin Jefferson – an elite performance from arguably the best wide receiver in football, who beat his marker at every level and did not run an unproductive route for his team – often double-teamed in the end zone, which was why he didn’t get a touchdown
- Jordan Addison – the sophomore wideout is growing into this season and was more involved than the last few weeks from the start. Addison’s touchdown catch is one of the best you’ll see this week
- T.J. Hockenson – returning to this productive lineup for the first time in over a year after knee surgery, the big unit was involved early and hauled in an important catch to move the sticks on the Vikings’ first touchdown drive – look for him to dominate all tight end targets through the next few weeks
Three Down
- Joe Flacco – a derisory showing from the veteran who was elevated to a starting role in place of the benched Anthony Richardson – ironically, Richardson’s unpredictability may have been more suited to this Vikings defense as Flacco was a sitting duck for most of the night and failed to move away from creative pressures
- Jonathan Taylor – despite having plenty of run in the first half, Taylor just never got going and was met by a strong showing from the Vikings’ linebacker corps – also worth noting the Colts had very little time of possession to allow Taylor to eat touches
- Michael Pittman Jr. – an afterthought in the offense in the first half, he caught just one ball on three targets in the second despite the Colts trailing and needing to force the ball downfield – fantasy managers needing some points were sadly disappointed
Indianapolis Colts
Quarterback
Joe Flacco: 16/27, 179 Yards, INT, 3 Sacks | 2 Carries, -1 Yards
This performance was far from the offensive bump the Colts (and fantasy managers) were expecting, as the veteran quarterback struggled to move the offense throughout and came under heavy pressure from a creative defense. Flacco threw for just 62 yards in the first half, and the defense provided more offensive points (7) in this game than Flacco’s drives did (6). The former Ravens and Browns signal-caller was both inaccurate with his execution and poor in his decision-making as he consistently faced third-and-long, inviting Flores to blitz him at will. Flacco was responsible for two turnovers and twice threw incomplete on consecutive plays to turn the ball over on downs. He was hit as he threw on several occasions, and he was lucky not to be picked off midway through the third quarter trying to check the ball down to Taylor, the ball spooning up in the air and just bouncing off the hands of Ivan Pace Jr. A performance like this suggests Richardson was not the problem after all.
Notes
- Really struggled in the passing game in the first half, especially when throwing under pressure, as the Vikings blitzed much more than they have the past few weeks (which is a lot, anyway). Had a couple of dangerous throws over the middle tipped in the air. Completed just six passes but still managed to go into halftime with a lead.
- Looked immobile and slow in the pocket for the first time this year, and for once, his arm strength could not bust him out of his funk – the deep ball was not an option for him in this game, further inhibiting his effectiveness.
Missed opportunities
- After a couple of nice plays to work the ball into Minnesota territory on the opening drive of the game, a simple handoff to Taylor was botched, and the ball skirted away into the scrum of players at the line of scrimmage with the Vikings recovering the ball for the turnover.
- Flacco saw a badly underthrown sideline ball toward Josh Downs picked off, with the Colts finally moving the sticks in the fourth quarter. However, the Vikings turned the ball over on the next play, and he had the opportunity to level up the game with plenty of time on the clock. Flacco made a bad decision, however, electing to forgo the check down to Taylor for a difficult cross-body throw to move the sticks, which fell incomplete. The Colts had to settle for a field goal.
Running Back
Jonathan Taylor: 13 Carries, 48 Yards | 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 11 Yards
With the Colts holding onto a narrow lead in the first half, Taylor handled all the work out of the backfield and saw 10 of the Colts’ total 16 completed plays. He ran well between the numbers and also corralled in an 11-yard pass for a first down. However, the offense broke down completely in the second half, and he saw only a handful of carries and a couple of checkdowns that he was stuffed at the line of scrimmage. It was his first start with Flacco under center, and the two did not look on the same page, botching an early handoff to fumble the ball away. This production tied his lowest yardage on the ground this season, which came in Week 1 against the Texans, but he also found the end zone in that game. He never looked like doing that in this game with the Colts without a snap inside the Minnesota 20-yard line. Fantasy managers will hope this is a bump in the road.
Trey Sermon: 2 Carries, 4 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Josh Downs: 9 Targets, 6 Receptions, 60 Yards
A safety blanket for Flacco so far this season, Downs predictably led the Colts in target, catches, and receiving yards, although that is nothing to shout about on a night when Indianapolis mustered just 179 passing yards and completed just 16 receptions. Most of his production came on back-to-back catches on a promising Colts drive at the end of the third quarter, however, on the same drive, Downs was the target on a poor throw from Flacco deep down the left sideline, which was easily picked off by Byron Murphy Jr. It remains to be seen what the Colts do at the quarterback position but with Flacco under center Downs is at least a healthy volume play for fantasy purposes.
Alec Pierce: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 41 Yards
After excelling earlier in the season with Flacco under center, Alec Pierce has made a name for himself as a boom-or-bust deep threat this season. All three of his catches today were short routes, mostly to the sideline, as there was no deep look from Flacco in this game. He has a total of 70 yards in the last four games and has been without a touchdown since Week 5. Yikes!
Kylen Granson: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 22 Yards
Adonai Mitchell: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 22 Yards
Rookie receiver Adonai Mitchell has played a bit part in the Colts’ offense this season as he has struggled to get up to the pace of the NFL level. However, the wideout made a phenomenal sideline grab for 22 yards, in which he showed his ability to haul in contested balls and show safe hands. Hopefully, this will earn him more opportunities going forward.
https://www.twitter.com/NFL/status/1853278357867360502
Michael Pittman Jr.: 4 Targets, 1 Reception, 14 Yards
There was no clear game plan to get Pittman involved in the passing offense in this game as Flacco peppered his favorite target Downs with targets over the middle. Pittman’s catch came midway through the third quarter on a short route over the middle. He did provoke a defensive pass interference call on the Colts’ final drive of the game, putting them in field goal range.
Ashton Dulin: 2 Targets
Minnesota Vikings
Quarterback
Sam Darnold: 28/34, 290 Yards, 3 TD, 2 INT, 4 Sacks | 4 Carries, 14 Yards
The Vikings quarterback has endured a tumultuous couple of weeks after a dream start to the season. Darnold has been plagued by inaccuracy and turnovers, and that continued into this primetime matchup. Darnold threw a first-half interception in the end zone before taking a big hit and fumbling the ball away on another possession that looked to put points on the board. To end the first half, Darnold took another sack to stymie a promising drive after the Vikings’ interior defensive line once again got dominated by a fierce Colts pass rush led by DeForest Buckner. Things went much better after the half as some words of confidence from KOC resonated with his quarterback, who delivered several high-level throws and threw three second-half touchdown passes to lead his team to victory. The questions about his decision-making and accuracy will remain, and this might be the best version of Darnold we ever get. But with his arsenal of weapons, he is a solid fantasy contributor.
https://www.twitter.com/NFL/status/1853272164411347130
Notes
- Despite offensive discretions, Darnold still threw for good yardage and saw decent protection despite a new left tackle in the first half. He finally made it count with an incisive 9-play, 70-yard touchdown drive finished off with a perfectly thrown ball for Addison in the back of the end zone to kickstart the Vikings’ effort after halftime.
- When it mattered, Darnold delivered with throws under pressure to Nailor and Josh Oliver for scores in the second half. Each throw was delivered perfectly despite defensive hits, and his jubilant offensive line was thrilled and helped him up after he passed, a sign that his teammates bought into what he was trying to achieve.
Missed opportunities
- Darnold was methodological on a functional drive on the opening possession of the game, working the ball into the red zone with a smattering of short passes. However, scrambling to his left on third down and short, the Vikings quarterback tried a difficult crossbody throw to the returning T.J. Hockenson and threw the ball straight into the arms of Zaire Franklin for a pick.
- Facing pressure up the middle on an all-out blitz on first down in Colts territory, Darnold failed to read the defensive scheme and was punished by a huge hit from Grover Stewart that was flagged but then called a non-foul as the ball was fairly forced out and the recovery taken to the end zone for a defensive score by Kenny Moore. Another turnover from Darnold, a worrying trend over the past three games.
Running Back
Aaron Jones: 21 Carries, 64 Yards | 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 18 Yards
Another game without a touchdown for Minnesota’s workhorse back, who, despite enjoying an integral role in this offense, has only scored three touchdowns in eight games. Jones ran well early in this game but saw his opportunities to break free of the stout Colts’ defensive interior stuffed regularly on inside runs. His longest carry of 13 yards came on his first touch of the game, and he was bottled up for a mediocre 3.7 yards-per-carry for the entire contest. The Vikings enjoyed more success through the air, and despite catching all four of his targets, he never saw a chance to hit paydirt. There will be better days, but this fantasy output was at least respectable.
Cam Akers: 6 Carries, 46 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 7 Yards
Returning to Minnesota in a trade a couple of weeks ago, Cam Akers seems to have earned the backup role behind Ty Chandler, who has failed to see the field in any meaningful capacity in the last three games. Akers carried the ball four times for 30 yards on a single drive at the start of the fourth quarter as KOC mixed things up, looking to close the game out. He was sparingly used otherwise to spell the heavy workload of Jones.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Justin Jefferson: 8 Targets, 7 Receptions, 137 Yards | 1/1, 22 Yards
Announced himself on the second Vikings drive of the game with a beautiful dig-route over the middle that Darnold appreciated and nailed him with a perfect throw for a 20-yard gain. On a third and long in the second quarter, KOC dialed up a creative play for Jefferson to throw back across the field to Jones, who took it deep downfield for a 22-yard gain and a first down. The Vikings’ superstar receiver then came to his team’s rescue when they needed it the most – trailing 7-0 inside the two-minute warning after a horrendous first half in terms of execution and luck, Jefferson hauling in 22-yard and 24-yard catches to put the Vikings inside the 10-yard line. Amazingly, they came away with no points, but that all changed in the second half. Jefferson burned his marker down the right sideline and hauled in a 41-yard deep ball dime from Darnold, only to be pulled down at the Colts’ 2-yard line. If anything is disappointing about Jefferson’s production this year, it is his touchdown tally, which stands at just five. He has now gone without a score in three of his last four games after scoring in each of the Vikings’ first five games of the season. There is a clear reason for it, however, as he is double-teamed in the red zone every single time.
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1853274337513800104
Josh Oliver: 5 Targets, 5 Receptions, 58 Yards, TD
With all the talk of Hockenson returning from his injury to spearhead the Vikings tight end room, nobody gave Oliver the script. The former Jaguars tight end has enjoyed a career revival in Minnesota, and he was a handy option for Darnold throughout this game. After Darnold completed his first pass of the game to Oliver, he also went back to him for his final pass of the contest, a lovely play design in the red zone that saw Oliver break free and haul in a 14-yard touchdown to settle the contest. It was Oliver’s third score of the year and second in as many games. He seems to have replaced Johnny Mundt as the touchdown vulture in this receiving corps.
https://www.twitter.com/NFL/status/1853286851056128068
Jordan Addison: 5 Targets, 5 Receptions, 42 Yards, TD
There were several routes run by Addison in this game that exhibited just how good a receiver he is. The ability he has off the mark to create separation and finish routes with pace to give him the edge over his marker is second to none. He was relied upon in several third-down situations in this game, and he didn’t disappoint. He has had, by our estimations and his standards, a poor first half of the year, but by nabbing a terrific grab for a touchdown to bring the Vikings level, we are hoping that kickstart his fantasy production. It was his first score since Week 4, but he has a clear path to more targets as the No.2 wideout in a pass-heavy offense.
T.J. Hockenson: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 27 Yards
Welcome back, Hock! Minimal involvement for the big tight end, who also took a big, low hit from Moore that looked very similar to the play that he got injured on last season. Luckily, Hockenson dusted himself off and made a key grab for 19 yards early in the second half to put the Vikings near the red zone on their first touchdown drive. Look for him to ramp up in this offense in the coming weeks, which involve plus matchups against the Jaguars and Titans.
Brandon Powell: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
Trent Sherfield Sr.: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 7 Yards
Jalen Nailor: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 7 Yards, TD
The young wideout continues to make plays for the Vikings at crucial times on minimal targets. His touchdown grab was his first Week 3, and it has been a long time coming. Scoring in each of the Vikings’ first three games, Nailor’s opportunities have taken a step back since Addison returned to the lineup. However, KOC still sees him as a dangerous threat and will find ways for him to make an impact. Nailor executed the perfect crossing route to confuse the defense and walk in for a score to give Minnesota a deserved third-quarter lead they did not let go.
https://www.twitter.com/NFL/status/1853275490053964195