The Vikings’ season came to an abrupt end on Sunday in a 31-24 wild card loss at U.S. Bank Stadium not so much because of what the New York Giants did, however more so because of what the Vikings didn’t do.
Minnesota had won 11 videogames this season by an NFL-record one rating, consistingof a last-second success over the goingto Giants on Christmas Eve, however its fourth-quarter magic ran out at the worst possible time, inthemiddleof a series of self-inflicted injuries.
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The worst being an definitely godawful efficiency by a defense that hadactually been a weak link all season. Vikings defensive organizer Ed Donatell stated last week that “it’s our time to shine as a defense, now that we’re striking the playoffs.”
But 3 weeks after offering up 445 backyards to the Giants in a 27-24 triumph that ended on Greg Joseph’s 61-yard field objective as time ended, Donatell’s defense gaveup 431 lawns and permitted 301 lawns passing and 2 goals and 78 backyards on 17 brings to Giants quarterback Daniel Jones.
It won’t be unexpected if Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, completing up his veryfirst year, makes a modification at defensive planner. The Vikings’ defense has defects, and a coupleof too numerous aging gamers, however Donatell did absolutelynothing to make it muchbetter.
Occasionally, O’Connell appeared to light a fire under Donatell after a bad outing, however it neverever appeared that Donatell understood he required to make substantial and irreversible modifications in a 3-4 plan. If you puton’t consistof the Giants’ drives that ended the veryfirst half and the videogame on Sunday, they scored 5 goals and had a field objective on 7 belongings.
The Vikings too frequently looked sluggish versus the pass and the run and passive when they must haveactually been aggressive. O’Connell safeguarded Donatell, decreasing to talk about his future, however Sunday needto haveactually been the last straw. The Vikings leapt out to a 7-0 lead on a 12-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Kirk Cousins’ 1-lawn goal