The Minnesota Vikings couldn’t quite make a win happen on Sunday night against the Denver Broncos, as they lose their first game in six weeks by a score of 21-20.
Pressure on the quarterback was the big story on the day, as Josh Dobbs was feeling it all night long. The final drive was a masterclass by the Broncos defense as they didn’t allow Dobbs to get anything done in the pocket.
Here are the key points from Sunday night’s loss.
What happened
The game was a really good one with both sides going back and forth. The theme of the game was defense. Both Brian Flores and Vance Joseph sent pressure at the quarterbacks and confused them often. Joseph’s unit forced three turnovers but couldn’t turn them into touchdowns. The Broncos did get a touchdown on their last drive of the game to put them up by one and that was enough, as the aforementioned Broncos pass rush was too much for the Vikings to overcome.
Turning point
With the Broncos having all the momentum and seemingly just forced a three and out, the Vikings were set to punt the ball back to Denver, but they got a look that they liked on the punt formation. Ty Chandler didn’t just get them a first down, but 32 yards to set them up. The drive stalled at the 12-yard line but the Vikings did convert a field goal to go up 20-15. Not being able to score a touchdown ended up being the catalyst for the Vikings loss.
Key stats
The Broncos were 1-5 in the red zone
The Vikings turned the ball over three times and put the defense in poor positions all night long. Despite that, the defense held strong and forced field goals on the first four red zone possessions. Wilson did throw a touchdown to Sutton with 1:03 left in the game but having to make that drive at the end of the game to take the lead is the result of poor red zone possessions.
The Vikings turned the ball over three times
Turnovers continue to harm the Vikings, as their three turnovers turned into nine points for the Broncos. Those field goals added up and were a major part of the Vikings loss.
What's next
The Vikings will head back home to take on the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. Fans will get to enjoy their entire holiday weekend filled with football and get to finish it off with the Vikings on Monday night where the Vikings look to go 7-5 heading into the bye week.
