It wasn’t a high-octane game offensively for either team, but the Minnesota Vikings defense continued to harass the Indianapolis Colts all game long in a 21-13 victory on Sunday night.
The Vikings improved to 6-2 on the season, while the Colts fell below .500 at 4-5.
The story this week for the Colts was that head coach Shane Steichen said veteran journeyman Joe Flacco took over as the team’s starting quarterback, relieving Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, of his duties while he did this season struggled enormously. .
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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) warms up before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at US Bank Stadium. (Brad Rempel-Imagn images)
But while Flacco’s had success with the Colts’ offense this season, defensive coordinator Brian Flores applied the right pressure to keep him at bay throughout the game.
One of the most important things was stopping the solid run game of Jonathan Taylor and the Colts. The Vikings held the Colts to just 68 yards on the ground, while Taylor finished with just 48 yards on 13 carries.
This allowed Flores to disrupt Flacco in the pocket all game, although he didn’t pick up a sack all game until the Vikings got him on the ground three times.
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Flacco finished 16 of 27 for 179 yards with no touchdowns thrown and one interception as the Vikings defense held the Colts offense to just six points. He was fired three times.
On the other end, Sam Darnold found the end zone three times through the air despite the first drive of the game being an interception just as the Vikings were knocking on the door.
Things were slow for Minnesota after that interception, as their drives resulted in a punt, a scoop-and-score touchdown for the Colts after Darnold was sacked, and a pair of missed field goals to remain scoreless.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco (15) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at US Bank Stadium. (Jeffrey Becker-Imagn images)
However, Darnold was finally able to hit Jordan Addison on a four-yard strike to make it a 7-7 game after a successful extra point early in the third quarter.
That seemed to get Darnold going, as his ensuing drive was another solid drive, finding Jalen Nailor for a seven-yard touchdown, putting Minnesota up by seven.
Finally, Darnold and the Vikings secured the win with a touchdown pass to Josh Oliver just before the two-minute warning.
Darnold finished with 290 yards on 28 of 34 passing with his three touchdowns and two interceptions. And while he couldn’t find the end zone for the second week in a row, Justin Jefferson was electric once again, hauling in seven of his eight targets for 137 yards.
In the grand scheme of the NFC North standings, this win was crucial for Minnesota as they remain in second place after the Detroit Lions’ win over the Green Bay Packers.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws a pass against the Indianapolis Colts during the first quarter at US Bank Stadium. (Jeffrey Becker-Imagn images)
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Minnesota also snaps a two-game losing streak with this win after starting the season 5-0.
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