“Unbelievable” Justin Jefferson on Vikings Thrilling Victory
It appeared the Minnesota Vikings were suffering from a significant letdown in their Week 13 home game against the Arizona Cardinals. Despite taking a 4-game winning streak into the game, they were getting shut down at U.S. Bank Stadium by the visitors. Arizona had a 19-6 late in the third quarter, but just when it looked like the game would slip through the Vikings grasp, Sam Darnold, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison turned the game around.
The Vikings rallied for a 23-22 victory as Darnold threw a touchdown pass to Johnny Mundt to get Minnesota back in the game and he followed with the go-ahead TD pass to Aaron Jones to give the Vikings the lead with 1:13 remaining.
The Cardinals (6-6) and quarterback Kyler Murray had an opportunity to rebound and grab the victory with a late field goal. They appeared to be in good shape because they had all three of their time outs. However, Jonathan Greenard and the Vikings defense would not let that happen. Greenard came up with a sack and strip of Murray on second down that left the Cardinals in desperate shape. Cornerback Shaq Griffin put the game away with an interception on fourth down with 40 seconds remaining.
Darnold and Jefferson come through when it matters most
Darnold completed 21 of 31 passes for 235 yards with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. Jefferson was targeted 9 times by the quarterback and he caught 7 passes for 99 yards. The superstar wide receiver caught a key fourth-down pass on the go-ahead drive that allowed the Vikings to get into position to score.
The Vikings improved to 10-2 with the win, and Jefferson said that record is impressive but there is more work to be done.
“The 10-2 record is definitely hard to come across in this league,” Jefferson said, per Tom Pellisero of NFL.com. “So, we’ve got to celebrate that. But tomorrow, we’ve got to get back to work.”
That appears to be the mindset of a team that has now won five games in a row for the second time this season. While the Vikings struggled for the large majority of the game, their star players came through when it mattered most.
Jones caught the game-winning TD pass from Darnold but he had a difficult day. He carried the ball five times for 22 yards, but he fumbled on his first rushing attempt of the game. The Vikings were able to recover the fumble.
On the next Minnesota possession, Jones fumbled again after catching a pass. This time the Cardinals recovered at the Minnesota 19, but they were unable to score after the turnover.
The Cardinals had possession in the Minnesota red zone six times in the game but only came away with one touchdown.
The Vikings will attempt to keep their winning streak going in Week 14 when they host the former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons. The Cardinals will attempt to get back on the winning track when they host the Seattle Seahawks.
