This isn’t fun anymore.
The Minnesota Vikings concede the NFC North to the Detroit Lions with a 30-24 loss at home. They found another way to lose late as they lost the turnover battle four-to-one, but more importantly, they lost their firm grasp on their playoff future. At 7-8, the Vikings are on the outside looking in the NFC playoff picture as both the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks sit at 8-7.
The Vikings’ defense stayed on the field for almost 40 minutes of game time, while the offense couldn’t sustain any momentum long enough to be a consistent threat. This season is starting to get away from the Vikings, and there needs to be more self-reflection as they go into these final two weeks.
As Minnesota traverses these final two weeks, some players stepped up and had their stocks rise, while some players let their stocks fall in one of the more pivotal moments of the season.
Stock down: Nick Mullens
The Nick Mullens experiment needs to be over.
Mullens went 23-of-36 for 411 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. Four interceptions. Mullens lost a total of -10.3 EPA on his four interceptions. That’s roughly -2.6 EPA lost per turnover.
Mullens has kept the passing offense afloat, as shown by his 411 yards. Four receivers had at least three receptions and 50+ yards on the day. He just refuses to avoid the debilitating turnover. His ball placement continues to be just a sliver off and leads to two throws to Addison that could have been game-changing conversions turned into back-breaking setbacks.
It’s time for a change. Let’s see what the rookie Jaren Hall has to show. What do you have to lose? You’ve lost your hold on the playoffs. Your destiny is no longer in your hands. Just give the keys over to the newcomer and let him show off his skills before the season ends.
Stock up: Pat Jones II
Danielle Hunter was unusually quiet on Sunday and with the loss of outside linebacker D.J. Wonnum, someone had to step up to cause havoc on defense.
Pat Jones II took on the responsibility and did not disappoint. Jones ended the day with six total tackles (five solo), a pass deflection, a QB hit, a sack and three tackles for loss.
Jones was all over the place as he continued to be in Goff’s face and the backfield against the run. While his phantom roughing the passer kept a Detroit drive alive, he responded with one of the better games of his career.
Stock up: Justin Jefferson
Another game, another electric performance from wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
After knocking off some of the rust last week, Justin Jefferson racked up another game with 100+ receiving yards. As a whole, he ended the game hauling in six of his ten targets for 141 yards and a vintage Jefferson touchdown.
On the final drive, Jefferson made one of the most outstanding catches of the season as he muscled two Lions defenders to convert a crucial third-and-27 to keep the Vikings’ hopes alive late. Even on the final interception, Jefferson finds space near the goal line that if Mullens lines up correctly, could be a dagger of a touchdown late in the game.
It’s been a breath of fresh air to see Jefferson back to his old dominant self, especially with the loss of Addison and Hockenson due to injury.
JUSTIN JEFFERSON ON 3RD AND 27. HIM.
📺: #DETvsMIN on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/UIg1XAk0MB pic.twitter.com/hFmR4VnHgm— NFL (@NFL) December 24, 2023
Stock up: K.J. Osborn
Amid all of the injuries to pass-catchers in this offense, K.J. Osborn was one of those who had to step up. He absolutely delivered.
Osborn ended the day hauling in five of his seven targets for 95 yards and a touchdown. A vast amount of his production came from one drive where he had back-to-back plays go for 53 total yards and a touchdown.
The first was a 47-yard play where he beat the Lions’ corner on a deep post to get Minnesota to the six-yard line. He then capped it off with an easy six-yard touchdown in the back of the end zone to give the Vikings their first, and only, lead of the game.
Stock down: Run game
The Vikings needed as much help as possible on the offensive end to keep up with the high-powered Detroit offense. They did not get that from the rushing attack.
Ty Chandler and Alexander Mattison combined for 17 yards on 11 carries. Minnesota had a rushing EPA of -0.34. The New York Jets have the worst rushing attack in the league, with an EPA of -0.237. The Vikings were better off not handing the football off, and that was certainly the case as Minnesota only handed the football off five more times for six yards in the second half.
The Lions were keyed into the run game, stuffing the box and forcing the ball into the air. There were no holes for Chandler to get to the second level, making running the ball impossible. Detroit truly made the Vikings a one-dimensional team this game, and they could not capitalize, despite their talent at the pass-catcher positions.
Stock down: Defensive execution
The Bengals game was the first time that you’ve seen a chink in this defense’s armor since they were still figuring things out at the beginning of the year. However, this is the second week in a row where a team moved the ball at will against this defense. The Lions possessed the ball for almost 40 minutes, rushed for over 140 yards (Gibbs ran for 80 yards on 15 carries. Good for 5.3 yards/carry) and gave up 12 receptions for 100+ yards for Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Flores has gotten plenty of acclaim for this defense’s success this season. They have earned it. This unit was a liability for all of 2022 and turned into a strength in one off-season.
After these last two performances, it begs the question: Have teams pulled the curtain on the Flores magic? Have they finally figured out the man behind the curtain?
With games against play-callers Matt LeFleur and Ben Johnson (again) remaining on the schedule, the Vikings need to figure out some answers quickly if they want any hope of making the playoffs.
