The Minnesota Vikings held on to the bitter end to knock off the New York Jets, 27-22. The Vikings defense made five total red zone stands -- including two in the final two minutes of the game which saved the day for Minnesota. Down five points with just over a minute left, Mike White had a chance to lead a game-winning drive, but came up just short.
White completed 31 of 57 passes for 369 yards and two interceptions in the loss, while rookie wideout Garrett Wilson had a career day with eight catches for 162 yards. Another Jets rookie, running back Zonovan Knight, showed out as well, rushing for 90 yards on 15 carries.
The Vikings had a chance to clinch the NFC North on Sunday with a win and a Detroit Lions loss. That did not happen, but they did "win" the AFC East. Earlier in the year, the Vikings defeated the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills. Sunday, they completed the division sweep with the Jets! Minnesota's offense ran hot and cold all afternoon. Kirk Cousins completed 21 of 35 passes for 173 yards and one touchdown, while Dalvin Cook rushed 20 times for 86 yards and a touchdown. Justin Jefferson again led the team in receiving, catching seven passes for 45 yards and a touchdown.
This was a gutsy win by a defense that needed to show it could hold opposing offenses in check after poor showings in back-to-back weeks. Check back soon, as this article will be turned into a takeaways piece which dives into what happened in Minnesota on Sunday.
Why the Vikings won
Bend-but-don't break mentality. Bend-but-don't break doesn't necessarily mean you earned an "A+" grade, but it does mean you did your job. Despite the Jets racking up 486 yards of total offense, they scored just 23 points. That's because they went 1-for-6 in the red zone, where the Vikings played their best defense.
The Vikings defense was asked to come through in the red zone twice in the span of a few minutes. They held the Jets out of the end zone after White had three plays to convert from the 1-yard line, and then picked off the quarterback at the 1-yard line minutes later as he tried to lead a game-winning drive. Just an incredible effort from Eric Kendricks, Harrison Smith and the rest of the guys.
It wasn't just the red zone where the Vikings defense stood tall. The Jets also went a putrid 3 of 16 on third downs, and 2 of 5 on fourth downs.
Why the Jets lost
There was plenty of good to take away from the Jets' loss on Sunday. The passing game still looks great, and "Bam" Knight looks like a diamond unearthed by the Jets front office. Really, this game came down to the Jets' struggles in the red zone. Anytime you go 1-for-6 in the red area, you're setting yourself up for a loss. New York racked up 199 more yards than the Vikings, ran 17 more plays and won the time of possession battle. They just weren't able to convert offensively where it mattered. White was making his second start of the season, so you can't expect perfection in those critical moments. I'm sure red zone execution will be a focus for the Jets in practice all next week.
Turning point
This game came down to what was basically the final play, as Cam Bynum picked off White at the 1-yard line to seal the deal.
Play of the game
I can't tell you if @MikeWhiteQB is a legitimate starter in this league. At least not yet. But he's an upgrade over Zach Wilson at this point. This fourth-down laser to keep New York's drive alive in the fourth quarter was incredibly clutch. It got the Jets to the red zone, where unfortunately all Jets drives go to die.
What's next
The Jets will stay on the road in Week 14, and pay a visit to the rival Buffalo Bills. Josh Allen is certainly out for revenge after dropping his first game to New York earlier this year. As for the Vikings, they will hit the road to take on the Detroit Lions. Minnesota defeated Jared Goff in a close game back in Week 3.