A look at Minnesota Vikings’ failure in last NFL season (Part II)
Continued from part I...
Against Detroit Lions
The first two games did not go in favour of Minnesota Vikings and there was no one to blame, but them for the failures.
In both games, they had come closer to winning before eventually giving away a healthy lead to lose the game. They played their third game of the season on their home field against the Detroit Lions.
Vikings had a brilliant start to the game and it was looking like they would crush Lions badly. But once again the Vikings, after gaining a solid advantage in the first half, just allowed the opponents to hit back and, as a result, got third straight defeat.
Vikings scored two field goals in the first quarter and got two touchdowns in the second. In the both quarters, Lions could not provide even a single scoring move and the halftime score settled at 20-0.
In the third quarter, however, Lions scored a touchdown and a field goal to reduce the deficit to 10 points.
In the fourth quarter, Lions got another touchdown and got two field goals to take a three-point lead. However, Vikings scored a field goal and levelled the score, forcing the game to overtime in which Lions scored a field goal and won.
The final score settled at 26-23.
At Kansas City
After three humiliating defeats, impact of which was more tormenting considering the fact that Minnesota gave away advantage in all the three games, Vikings played their fourth game of the season against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs, who were hosting the game, did not allow Vikings to get in dominant position throughout the game.
In the first quarter, Chiefs scored a field goal to register the first scoring move of the game. Vikings got a touchdown in the same quarter and got a lead, which was taken away in the second quarter in which Chiefs scored two field goals without conceding
any point.
Vikings scored a field goal early in the third quarter, but Chiefs replied by scoring two more goals to once again take the lead.
Both teams scored a touchdown each in the final quarter as the final score, 22-17, settled in favour of Chiefs.
Vikings’ quarterback, Donovan McNabb, completed 18 of his 30 attempted passes for 202 yards and sent two touchdown passes and an interception. He said after getting the fourth defeat in a row:
"It's frustrating. We've got to go back and do the same thing we've been doing the last couple of weeks and try to find a solution."
Against Arizona Cardinals
After getting four defeats in a row, Vikings were certainly dejected, but their fifth game provided them some respite. It seemed that they had learnt from their flaws and when they hosted the Arizona Cardinals, Vikings did not repeat the earlier mistakes.
Vikings were aggressive from the start and the good part of the story was that when they took an early lead, they maintained it successfully.
Vikings scored four touchdowns in the first quarter of the game without conceding any scoring move. Running back, Adrian Peterson, rushed for three of the four touchdowns.
The Cards scored a field goal in the second quarter and added a touchdown in the third quarter in which Vikings also got a field goal.
In the final quarter, Vikings scored a field goal and took the decisive advantage. The final score settled at 34-10.
Peterson said after the game:
"It felt good just to get a 'W' first and foremost and get out of this slump. It was a good test for us, and we did what we've been preaching.”
To be continued...
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