What We Learned About the Minnesota Vikings in Crazy Comeback Win vs Cardinals

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NFL: Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Vikings entered week 13 with a rare opportunity for any NFL franchise. A chance to start the season 10-2. Standing in their way was the (6-5) Arizona Cardinals, a team that had won four-straight, before dropping an ugly L in week 12 vs the Seattle Seahawks.

Minnesota Vikings win again – What we learned (week 13)

To the Cards’ credit, they brought it to the Vikings for most of three quarters, on Sunday. But in the 4th, Sam Darnold was able to put the offense on his back (yes you read that correctly), and lead a late 10-point purple surge that put the Vikings on top, 23-22.

Sam Darnold, Johnny Mundt : Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

That remained the end score, after one final stop from a Vikings defense that was incredibly “bend-but-don’t-break” for most of the afternoon, up until the 4th quarter. In the end, it was a big win. But it was far from that “convincing” victory a lot of fans and media pundits have been asking for. So, here is what we learned about the Minnesota Vikings in their 10th dub of the 2024 season.

Sam Darnold is tough, smart… and good

Prior to today’s game, local insider and columnist Charley Walters (Pioneer Press) dropped a report that made it clear the Minnesota Vikings have not ruled out Sam Darnold as their quarterback for 2025. On Sunday vs the Arizona Cardinals, he proved why.

His entire 7-year NFL career, Darnold has had issues throwing games away early. Trying to force something that isn’t there, instead of staying poised and trusting teammates. Not this week, where he had to wait 3.5 quarters and take five sacks before his coach was able to scheme guys open and his o-line figured out how to protect him.

At halftime vs the Cardinals, the Minnesota Vikings offense had put up 75 total yards. Sam Darnold, at that point, was enjoying an 8-for-9 day, worth 67 passing yards and 11 rushing yards. As the rest of the offense sputtered, and turned the ball over, Darnold was crisp, and mostly mistake free.

The offense looked better in the 3rd quarter, where they put up 82 yards of offense, easily topping their 1st half total. Sam Darnold, through three quarters, was battered, beaten (4 sacks)… and 14-of-19 (74%) for 131 yards, 1 TD and 0 INTs. I mean, just look at the poise on this touchdown pass to Johnny Mundt.

Then, the 4th quarter started, and the Vikings offense found its footing, mostly because Sam Darnold was allowed time in the pocket (0 sacks). But unlike previous versions of the 2018 top 3 pick, he used that time to find all of his weapons, strategically picking apart the Cardinals defense suddenly on its heels for the first time all day.

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And then, during Minnesota’s final two drives of the game, Darnold showed the NFL world how to close a game. Per usual, he found Justin Jefferson multiple times, especially in the 4th, but he also worked through reads to hit Jordan Addison for a late first down, TJ Hockenson a couple times and then Aaron Jones for a game-winning redemption TD.

For those waiting on one of those ‘ah-ha’ performances from the former No. 3 overall pick out of USC. A game where Sam was able to prove he can play the quarterback position with patience, then strike when the time is right. Well, you got what you’ve been asking for, this week.

The box score shows a steady, efficient game for the Minnesota Vikings QB1. But if you watched today’s game closely, the No. 1 reason for victory was Sam Darnold’s poise, smarts, toughness and ability to perform in the clutch. Everything you would want in a franchise quarterback.

Aaron Jones’ butterfingers are officially a problem

Let’s not spend that much time on this, because nobody needs convincing anymore. Aaron Jones has sudden Butterfinger Syndrome, and a bad case of it, at that. Not only did Jones fumble yet again, on Sunday, but he coughed it up twice in the first quarter and had to be benched. He lost the second one.

In the end, Jones did catch the game-winning touchdown, and his teammates/coaches all had his back after the game. But the 29-year-old veteran has now fumbled six times in the past three weeks, and that does not include the near perfect pitch that he dropped a couple of weeks ago, a fumble that was credited to Sam Darnold.

When the final whistle blew vs the Cardinals, the Minnesota Vikings got another win, so vibes are going to be good. But one week after what was probably Jones’ best rushing performance in purple, he struggled today, even beyond the fumbles, gaining just 22 yards on 5 carries.

Related: A Raise for Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell is Imminent, and It’ll Reportedly be Hefty…

As previously mentioned, his game-winning TD catch will make the aftertaste of this performance a bit more tolerable, but his 3 receptions totaled just 6 yards. And one drive earlier, his butterfingers let a perfect Sam Darnold touchdown pass slip right through his grasps.

Kevin O’Connell, his coaching staff and Aaron Jones need to find a way to fix whatever is going on with his relationship with the football. We aren’t talking about Ty Chandler having a fumbling problem or Jalen Nailor suddenly forgetting how to catch. Jones is an intrical part of what the Minnesota Vikings want to do on offense, and they cannot be afraid to put the ball in his hands, because of concerns he will give it away.

Minnesota Vikings defense will bend but rarely does it break

Sunday’s comeback win vs Arizona was only made possible because the Vikings’ defense put on a Sunday bend-but-don’t-break clinic. Brian Flores’ crew allowed 406 yards of total offense to Kyler Murray & Co (ARZ went 5-for-13 on 3rd downs). But once the Cardinals got into the redzone, it was game over for the red birds.

The Minnesota Vikings defense forced Arizona into kicking SIX field goals this afternoon, of which they made only five. The difference in the game. The Cardinals scored just one touchdown on the day, and it came during a 3rd quarter drive where All-Pro safety Harrison Smith was not on the field.

Blake Cashman was everywhere, collecting 11 tackles and disrupting everything Arizona wanted to do over the middle of the field. Josh Metellus had a nice game too, and made a visible difference, with 10 tackles of his own. Byron Murphy Jr and Shaq Griffen both snagged 2nd half interceptions that turned the tide of, then close the game.

The Vikings struggled to get pressure on Kyler Murray for most of the day, and when they did, he snuck out of the pocket and made them pay for it. The also forced Murray to beat them, something the Cardinals have not been known for, under this new coaching regime.

Related: Another JJ McCarthy Redshirt + Sam Darnold Reunion Very Much on Table for 2025 Vikings

This is a running team that Minnesota forced into passing 45 times, even though Arizona led for most of the contest. As a team, the Cardinals ran 31 times, which seems like a decent balance, until you realize that 7 of those attempts came via Kyler Murray, and most were scrambles, not designed QB run plays.

And when it mattered, both in the red zone and in crunch time, Brian Flores’ 2024 group put the clamps on, and came through. So while today’s MVP absolutely belongs to Sam Darnold, the Minnesota Vikings’ bend-but-don’t-break defense gets a close runner-up.

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