The Minnesota Vikings are set to take on the Denver Broncos on Sunday night.
Throughout the game, we will be breaking down the big moments on each drive, keeping you updated throughout if you can’t watch the game live.
Follow along all night as the Vikings look to extend their winning streak to six games.
Vikings first drive
The Vikings got the ball first and Josh Dobbs fumbled the opening snap. Kudos to Alexander Mattison for not flinching and still moving forward on the run play and gaining positive yards
The Vikings tried to get creative, but an illegal hit on Josh Dobbs forced a fumble and the Vikings turned it over once again.
Broncos first drive
6 plays, 17 yards, 3:02 TOP
The Vikings defense gets put into another poor situation, but they made it work. Danielle Hunter gets his league-leading 12th sack of the season and force a field goal. Wil Lutz hits it and the Broncos take a 3-0 lead.
Vikings second drive
The Vikings started the drive with two runs to Alexander Mattison for 16 yards before Josh Oliver gets a pass over the middle to pick up another first down. The next play, Oliver gets called for an offensive holding and sets the team back.
On a third and eight, Dobbs looks downfield to find Hockenson over the middle but almost threw an interception to Justin Simmons, forcing a Vikings punt.
Broncos second drive
The Broncos gain eight yards on their first two plays and bring the blitz on Wilson to force him out of the pocket to force a three-and-out. Vikings get the ball back near midfield.
Vikings third drive
10 plays, 65 yards, 5:08 TOP
The third drive for the Vikings was highlighted by the running backs. Alexander Mattison and Ty Chandler found multiple holes in the NFL’s worst rush defense to move the Vikings down the field.
The key play was Brandon Powell getting a few yards after the catch by breaking a tackle on a short hitch route. That set up a third and one and the Vikings converted it easily.
Dobbs’ process in trying to attack down the field serves him well on a third and one inside the five as he rolls out to his right, Jonathon Cooper has him wrapped up and he powers through to find Oliver coming open and the Vikings go up 7-3 in Denver.
Broncos third drive
Another drive, another three and out for the Broncos. On third and three, the Vikings get pressure and Pat Jones II gets the sack on Wilson but it’s ruled incomplete and not worth challenging. The Vikings get the ball back for their fourth possession.
On third down inside the 10, pressure gets home and Cooper gets the sack on Dobbs forcing a field goal. Greg Joseph hits it to give the Vikings a 10-3 lead.
Vikings fourth drive
9 plays, 55 yards, 5:08 TOP
On the second play of the drive, the Broncos brought a blitz and Chandler picks it up with ease. That was all over his college film, but it’s been spotty in the NFL. That pickup allowed Powell to take a slat 22 yards into Broncos territory.
On third down, Dobbs stays patient and sees Hockenson spring wide open. He throws up a lob ball due to pressure in his face and the Vikings get the ball in a goal-to-go situation.
On third down inside the 10, pressure gets home and Cooper gets the sack on Dobbs forcing a field goal. Greg Joseph hits it to give the Vikings a 10-3 lead.
Broncos fourth drive
7 plays, 63 yards, 4:01 TOP
This was the pick on Mekhi Blackmon drive.
Wilson hit Jerry Jeudy on a comeback route for 19 yards and then Courtland Sutton got past him on a go route for 33 yards.
The Vikings held strong on third down with Anthony Barr getting the tackle to force fourth down and Wil Lutz hits another field goal to make the score 10-6.
Vikings fifth drive
The Vikings run with Mattison on first down but second down saw Dobbs fumble the snap. He then stays patient on third down and finds Jordan Addison down the field on a dig route for a first down.
Ed Ingram gets called for illegal man down field on the next play, erasing a 15-yard pass to T.J. Hockenson. He got 10 of those back on the next play.
Right about now, the team announced that DE Dean Lowry was out for the game with a pectoral injury.
Cooper gets pressure on a third and one where the Vikings tried to throw the football and they chose to punt on fourth and one.
Broncos fifth drive
The Broncos got a couple of nice throws to Adam Trautman to move the ball down the field but the Vikigns defense held strong. On the final play before Wil Lutz attempted and made the field goal to end the half, Wilson tried to hit Jerry Jeudy deep, but Josh Metellus broke it up and almost intercepted it.
As is, the Vikings enter halftime up 10-9 with the Broncos getting the ball to start the second half.
Broncos sixth drive
The Vikings got a stop relatively easily but a holding call on Nate Atkins brought back a really nice screen pass to Marvin Mims Jr. Hunter continues to make plays in the backfield and got a tackle for loss on Javonte Williams.
Vikings sixth drive
9 plays, 69 yards, 4:38 TOP
The Vikings started to build a nice drive with a mix of runs and passes but the key play was a throw out to Brandon Powell on the outside. Patrick Surtain II blatantly interfered with Powell bringing the ball up to the 12 yard line.
On third down and eight at the 10 yard line, Dobbs dropped back but there wasn’t anything open. Once the stunt gets around Christian Darrisaw, Dobbs took the hole through the B gap and ran it in for a touchdown. Great presence of mind and vision to make it happen to give the Vikings a 17-9 lead.
Broncos seventh drive
Once again, the Vikings forced another three and out. Third down had the Vikings blitzing linebacker Troy Dye on the edge. It forced Wilson to break the pocket and he threw a deep ball way off target to Mims.
Vikings seventh drive
With a chance to improve their lead to two scores, the Vikings literally fumbled the ball away. Mattison took the handoff on an inside zone play and had it knocked out of his hands and the Broncos recovered.
Broncos eighth drive
9 plays, 47 yards, 5:08 TOP
Denver finally found a recipe for success late in the third quarter. They are focusing on throwing wide receiver screens and dumping it off to running backs in the flat and letting their skill guys make plays in the open field.
Jeudy took a screen pass nine yards and faked a pass five yards downfield which duped Metellus.
On third and inches, Garrett Bolles got called for illegal formation and that allowed a replay of third down, which resulted in a D.J. Wonnum sack. The Vikings defense forced a field goal by Wil Lutz and the lead is now five at 17-12.
Vikings eighth drive
Pressure has been getting to Dobbs all night and it finally manifested in a turnover. Dobbs got hit on a blitz and his arm got hick, which resulted in a wobbly duck and an interception. That put the Broncos inside the 10 yard line.
Broncos ninth drive
4 plays, -1 yards, 1:53 TOP
This was a wild three and out.
On second down, Mims got called for a facemask as he twisted Blackmon’s facemask and they got back all 15 yards on the second down replay.
The Vikings sent an all-out blitz on third down and a great play by Joejuan Williams prevented a Jeudy touchdown. Lutz hits his fifth field goal to bring the Broncos within two.
Vikings ninth drive
14 plays, 63 yards, 7:20 TOP
It looked like a three and out for the Vikings, but they got the right look on fourth down and adjusted to a fake punt which Chandler took 32 yards for a first down.
The first play after the fake punt, Garrett Bradbury gets called for a holding penalty and the Vikings get negative yards on first and 20. On third and 21, Chandler then takes the ball within a foot of a first down and Dobbs took a quarterback sneak for a first down.
On third down and 10 at the 12 yard line, Dobbs got blitzed again and threw a ball up for grabs that fell incomplete. Joseph ended up kicking the seventh total field goal of the night to put the Vikings up 20-15.
Broncos 10th drive
10 plays, 75 yards, 2:14 TOP
This was a lot of dump-off passes to the backs out of the backfield with the Broncos finishing it off by throwing it up to Sutton in the back of the end zone. He outjumped Blackmon and the Broncos took a one-point lead after the Vikings stuffed the two-point conversion.
Vikings 10th drive
The Vikings needed to keep the chains moving to give Joseph a shot at kicking the game-winning field goal. They had to convert a fourth and inches and use two of their three time-outs on their first four plays.
Dobbs ended up getting called for intentional grounding and the Vikings got stuck in fourth and 25. Dobbs couldn’t complete the pass and that ended the game.
Broncos 11th drive
A kneel-down from Wilson finished the game, as the Broncos won 21-20.
