Volume 4, Thomas Bissett, Week 13 2022: Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Jets

 

Let me start by saying that I do not like rollercoasters. Never have. Never will. That does not bode well for me as a Vikings fan most years, but this year has been worse than any other. 

Every game (barring that first glorious win against the Packers) including two brutal losses have tested the nerves of us all. Sunday night versus the Jets was no exception.

 

It started so well!

It all started out so well too, an INT on their first possession. I was off the couch early! I can’t be the only one who watches through his fingers every time Greg Joseph trots onto the pitch, but I needn’t have worried about this weekend as he was clutch from under 50 again. Good start. 

After holding the Jets to a field goal of their own it seemed like we were starting to motor on offence. Kirk, after a slow start, was making throws and Cook was making an impact on the ground. Two good drives spanning the 1st and 2nd quarter without reply had us up by 14 points. It was good to watch and I was starting to relax, I went from my “this is tense” position on the edge of the couch, to settling into a more comfortable position. 

Field goals traded at the end of the 2nd quarter had us on a relatively comfortable 20-6 lead at the half. We were getting the ball first after half time. I was happy, I was relaxed, I went and got a beer out of the fridge to enjoy a comfortable lead. I should have known better that it wouldn’t be that easy.

 

Then came the 3rd quarter 

We came out for the 2nd half like a totally different (and worse) team. The offence didn’t get going the whole 3rd quarter. It felt like Ryan Wright was getting the most touches outside of Kirk. We have seen that before this season where it is either feast or famine for the offence. 

It’s a tough watch at times, but I have grown to have faith that when it comes to the crunch, we will usually step it up again. Thankfully we did in the 4th thanks to our main man, Justin Jefferson. The Jets have a very good defence! They stepped up in the 2nd half, so some credit has to go to them, but it’s frustrating the lulls we have on offence regardless of the strength of the opposition. If we are to be taken seriously as potential Super Bowl contenders, we really need to have an offence that doesn’t throw in so many three and outs.

 

Screaming at the TV!

The offence isn’t where I struggled on Sunday though, it was the defence that had me screaming at the TV over and over (much to my wife’s amusement). We went into full bend and not break mode. On every possession the Jets would make a big play and march down the field into our red zone. It’s not easy to sit and watch teams do this to us every week. 

The last four teams have put up 400 plus yards on our defence. On Sunday we were clutch in the red zone, holding the Jets to five field goals and just one touchdown that barely broke the plane on 4th down. Credit where it is due I guess, we are holding teams out and racking up the wins. But, and it’s a big but, I just can’t see how we can hope for a deep play-off run while allowing so many yards against us. We need to tighten up massively in the next five games before we start our January run.

All in, while it was yet another ugly win, to use a golfing expression, “there are no pictures on the scorecard”. I thought we had a ceiling of nine wins this year, so to have 10 with five weeks still to play is miles ahead of my expectations. Here is to the rest of the season and plenty more roller coasters. SKOL. 

 

Author: Thomas Bissett

Editors: Tommy Beauchene, Richard Dawson, Jacqui Melrose, Claire Ball, Ella Burt