Vikings Take Control Early, Lead Titians 16-3 at…
Strong starts on both offense and defense have powered the Minnesota Vikings to a 16-3 halftime lead over the Tennessee Titans.
Facing the NFL’s top defense in terms of yards allowed, the Vikings racked up 193 total yards — just 80 shy of what the Titans allow per game on average — in the first 30 minutes of Sunday’s game and scored three times.
The unit still turned the ball over once, as a Sam Darnold toss to Aaron Jones bounced right off of Jones’ hands and was recovered by the Titans near midfield, leading to Tennessee’s lone points of the half. However, outside of that play, the Vikings have looked good offensively.
Wide receiver Jordan Addison had his second-longest play of the season, a 47-yard strike from Darnold that resulted in the second-year wideout’s third score of the season. Justin Jefferson has been more involved than last week, getting six targets already and four catches for 46 yards. Darnold, who can’t really be blamed for the turnover, even though the fumble is credited to him, has been sharp, completing 12-of-17 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown while sneaking in for another score.
Defensively, Minnesota continues to play at a high level.
The Vikings defense has forced four punts and surrendered just 86 total yards, getting good pressure on Titans quarterback Will Levis regularly and clogging the running lanes. Minnesota has four sacks, six quarterback hits and six tackles for loss already.
Levis is 7-of-14 for 86 yards in the first half while the Titans have mustered just 28 yards and 2.3 yards per carry on the ground.
If they simply take care of the ball in the second half, the Vikings are in a very good spot to get another win.
