MINNEAPOLIS - So whose turn is it this week to pack their bags and depart Winter Park?
Or in terms a Norseman might understand, who will get tossed overboard after a third consecutive debacle by the Minnesota Vikings, this time a 22-16 overtime loss to the Detroit Lions on a warm, sunny day inside U.S. Bank Stadium?
While the offense was responsible the previous two weeks for the 21-10 loss at Philadelphia and 20-10 Monday night defeat at Chicago, there was plenty of blame to go around Sunday.
There were also a lot of positives to point to as well, making this loss tough to pin on one person or persons.
Kicker Blair Walsh is the easiest target, of course, after doinking an extra point off the upright in the third quarter and having a 46-yard field goal blocked in the fourth quarter.
Most blocks aren’t the fault of the kicker, but it appears this one was. Walsh’s kick went straight into the hand of Tyrunn Walker and had the paw of the Lions defensive tackle not touched the ball, it probably would have missed the mark anyway.
“I probably didn’t hit it well enough,” Walsh said of the blocked field goal. “You can never know until you watch film, but I probably didn’t hit it well enough, didn’t get it over the line. That’s my fault.”
Down 13-9, the Vikings were in a position midway through the fourth quarter to give Walsh a shot at redemption on fourth-and-1 from the Lions’ 5-yard line. Instead of sending out Walsh to make it a one-point game, the Vikings went for it. Running back Matt Asiata ran the ball and was stuffed.
It was one of several examples of ineptitude for the Vikings’ offense, something everyone has become accustomed to the past three games. Hence the resignation on Wednesday of offensive coordinator Norv Turner and promotion of Pat Shurmur to interim OC.
As bad as Turner’s offense had been the past two weeks, it never had a series quite like they did in the second quarter Sunday when linebacker Chad Greenway intercepted a pass thrown right to him by Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. Greenway returned the pick to the Lions’ 18.
Easy seven points, or maybe just six with Walsh. The Vikings at least got three, right?
Wrong. Minnesota proceeded to go backward 22 yards out of field-goal range thanks to a false start, illegal block, a 4-yard rushing loss and a sack that cost 9 yards.
“That was probably the most disappointing thing is we took the sack on third down to get us out of field-goal range,” Vikings coach MIke Zimmer said. “Once you have those opportunities, you get the ball in there, you can’t take any sacks. That was one of the worst plays.”
The offense did have occasional bright moments. It drove 78 yards on nine plays for a TD in the third quarter and went 79 yards on 13 plays for the go-ahead touchdown with 23 seconds left in regulation.
Both scoring plays had a uniqueness to them you didn’t see when Turner was running the offense, like a cleverly disguised play-action pass to tight end Kyle Rudolph from the Lions’ 1-yard line and a handoff to in-motion tight end Rhett Ellison.
Ellison said his 1-yard touchdown run that gave Minnesota a 16-13 lead in the final half-minute was a new wrinkle added to the goal-line offense this week.
“It was a scheme play. They didn’t see it coming,” Ellison said. “Anytime I get the ball they’re usually not seeing me coming. It worked out.”
So how does a team with a defense like the Vikings that ranks as one the NFL’s best lose a game when it’s ahead with 23 seconds to play? How does it allow Stafford and Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter to beat it?
It starts with Stafford completing passes of 8 and 27 yards to set up Matt Prater for a game-tying 58-yard field goal. Then in overtime, add a 23-yard pass to tight end Eric Ebron, defensive pass interference on cornerback Xavier Rhodes on third-and-10 from the Vikings’ 43 and a 28-yard game-winning touchdown reception by receiver Golden Tate that included missed tackles by Rhodes and free safety Harrison Smith.
That’s how Stafford and Cooter beat you - or how you beat yourself.
“Those two plays, that was me,” Rhodes said of the pass interference and game-winning TD. “You saw the last two drives. PI and a missed tackle. That gave them the game.”
It seemed the only people in purple to do their jobs to the fullest Sunday were the 66,807 in attendance, who raucously welcomed back their disgraced team even though they had no business to, especially after the embarrassing loss to the Bears. They screamed their lungs out, leaving everyone’s ear drums pulsing after the game.
The fans did their part and played a perfect game Sunday, but their team once again did not come close.
Matt Wellens is a sportswriter for the News Tribune. He can be reached at
mwellens@duluthnews.com
