For the first time since 1971, the Minnesota Vikings won a game by a score of 3-0. The Vikings outlasted the Las Vegas Raiders in Allegiant Stadium to improve to 7-6.
It was ugly, very ugly. The offenses combined for 430 total yards and 24 total first downs. The passing games combined for 243 yards through the air, an almost unheard-of number in the modern era.
Ugly games happen in the NFL all the time, but they aren’t usually like this. The last game to end by a score of 3-0 was in 2007 when a John-Beck-led Miami Dolphins team fell to Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers in a game that the NFL dubbed “The Monday Night Mud Bowl.” But being on the winning end of a game like this is much better than the alternative.
In a win this hard-fought, some players are bound to see their stocks rise, and others will see theirs fall amidst all the chaos.
Stock up: ILB Ivan Pace Jr.
Since 2000, only five linebackers have gotten ten total tackles, one sack and one interception in the same game in their rookie seasons. The most recent being Tremaine Edmunds for Buffalo in 2018.
Now, we can add one more to the list.
Ivan Pace Jr. ended the day with 13 total tackles (seven solo), one tackle for loss, one pass deflection, one quarterback hit and that interception to help seal the game. Pace was all over the field, wreaking havoc near the line of scrimmage.
This game was a microcosm of how Pace has earned so many snaps going into this season. His development from a bowling ball looking to wreck everything in his way to an all-around middle linebacker is already paying dividends for this Minnesota defense.
Stock down: QB Josh Dobbs
After this performance, barring any unforeseen circumstances, this looks to be the end of the Josh Dobbs experiment in Minnesota.
Dobbs ended his day 10-of-23 for 63 yards and added 21 yards on five carries on the ground. The offense looked disjointed with Dobbs at the helm. Dobbs had an abysmal -0.4 EPA/play, which amounted to an EPA of -13.6. That’s two touchdowns lost due to only quarterback play.
Next week, the conversation will shift to whether Nick Mullens did enough in his few snaps to hold off seeing what we have in rookie Jaren Hall. But, this is not all negative. It’s also a celebration.
Dobbs played as well as any quarterback for the first two weeks of his tenure here as a Vikings. He pulled off sensational performances in the second half of the game against Atlanta and continued that success in the first half against New Orleans. Those four quarters gave Minnesota hope that was in jeopardy of evaporating with the loss of Kirk Cousins.
He let Minnesota know that they could not throw the white flag. They could still be competitive even without their primary signal-caller. For that, Dobbs deserves to be celebrated as a hero. But just like any heroic story, it must come to an end, no matter how bitter it may be.
Stock up: DC Brian Flores
Usually, if someone leaves Vegas with zero, there is no praise coming afterward for their actions. For the Vikings, that zero is a statement. That zero is a testament to defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ impact and his repurposing of this defensive roster.
The last time a Minnesota defense pitched a shutout to another NFL team was in the magical 2017 season. The Vikings only allowed 130 net passing yards to a Brett Hundley-led Packers team on their way to an NFC Championship appearance.
While this team may not go that far, it will not be because of this defense, and if you don’t trust my word, you can hear it from head coach Kevin O’Connell.
Backs against the wall on the road.
And we persevered. pic.twitter.com/SG2Wdss3yz
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 11, 2023
With the chips stacked against them, this defense keeps stepping up. Since week nine, the first week without Kirk Cousins, this defense has been third in EPA allowed/play, first in defensive success rate and tied with Atlanta and San Francisco for the least amount of touchdowns allowed (5).
This defense deserves all of the praise it will receive this next week for keeping the Raiders off the scoreboard entirely. And if this unit continues to play at this pace, they may will this team into the playoffs themselves.
Stock down: Injuries
With a win this tough, it will take its pound of flesh as far as injuries are concerned. Unfortunately, the injury bug took much more than its usual pound.
Before the game, Minnesota had to do without their starting right guard Ed Ingram, and the bleeding only worsened.
The long-awaited return of Justin Jefferson was much shorter than anyone could have expected. A poorly-placed ball that Jefferson still somehow caught resulted in a massive hit from Marcus Epps, which gave Jefferson a chest injury that knocked him out for the rest of the game.
Brian O’Neill and Dalton Risner left with injuries, leaving three backup offensive linemen to finish the game. Even Alexander Mattison had an injury that ailed him as he traversed the second half.
Stock up: Turnovers
This one will be short.
The Vikings finished their second game of 2023 without a turnover. That makes Minnesota 6-0 under Kevin O’Connell when they don’t commit a turnover.
To go even further, as long as the Vikings don’t lose the turnover battle, even if they have the same amount of turnovers as the other team, Minnesota is 11-0.
As long as the turnovers continue to diminish, they will continue to win games. It’s simple.
Stock up: Playoff chances
Every game matters when the playoff race gets like the NFC playoff picture has. With the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles fighting to see who will win the division and who will be the first wild card, there are only two spots available, with six teams vying for them.
The Green Bay Packers’ game against the New York Giants looms large as four teams (Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons) are all vying for the Packers and Vikings two spots.
The Vikings’ win against Las Vegas puts them a game ahead of all those teams and firmly in the playoffs. They just have to keep winning.
That’s the position any team wants to be in when you hit December. Just win, and you’re in.
