In a game that the Vikings controlled for 45 minutes, the final 15 minutes proved too much to overcome in overtime.

The Minnesota Vikings were defeated 27-24 by the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday morning for a variety of reasons. Whether it was gameplan-oriented or situational football, both had a role in the Vikings’ 17-3 loss.

Three Reasons the Vikings Fell in the Fourth Quarter
Mullens, Nick
A stat line of 300 yards on 78% completed throws with two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Vikings’ fourth quarterback would be considered a miracle. That stat line doesn’t reflect how it felt to see Mullens play.

He deserves credit for some of the plays he made, especially the two touchdowns to Jordan Addison. (The second of which resulted in half of all Minnesotans witnessing a heart attack. Nick, great play, but please don’t do that again)

But he was mostly what you’d expect from a backup who’d been on injured reserve for most of the year. Missing easy throws, some of which went straight to the defense and were fortunately dropped. Some passes were thrown directly to the defense and were not intercepted or returned for a touchdown. But it was called back because Trey Hendrickson was offsides by the very tip of his helmet. Between botched throws, including a comically horrible interception that was somehow sacked and thrown at B.J. Hill, and the person sacking him and intercepting it all while getting sacked.

Missing blitzes and being rocked by them (some of this criticism is part of the game plan, which we’ll get to later!) To summarize, Nick Mullens performed admirably and was not the reason the Vikings lost this game.

He’ll get the start against Detroit, and if things go wrong, youngster Jaren Hall will be ready to step in.

The Defensive Breakdown

The fourth quarter began, and a graphic on the NFL Network broadcast stated that the Vikings had not let up a score in almost 160 minutes of game time. The next play, they gave up a score. Thank you for the curse, announcer.

The Vikings faltered in the fourth quarter and overtime after honestly dominating the game for 45 minutes. Giving up three touchdowns after not allowing one in nearly three games. Whether it was allowing Tee Higgins to make a poster of them on a catch that will be displayed in NFL advertisements for years to come. Or allowing Jake Browning to make some excellent throws into the Vikings’ famed drop-eight coverage.

They were unable to apply pressure on blitzes and were unable to prevent the pass from dropping players into coverage. The ideal recipe for blowing a lead. This was the kind of defensive disaster that other teams may see and exploit. If Detroit does something similar to what Cincinnati did, the Vikings are utterly and royally screwed. This is the only thing they have going for them. This squad will not make the playoffs if they don’t play well enough to win with a backup’s backup at quarterback.

The Quarterback Sneaks

The two quarterback sneaks that, for an abundance of excellent adjectives, failed terribly being the ones I’ll chose to write down, were likely what most people took away from the game Saturday.

A tush-push with 5′ 8″ 181-pound return specialist Brandon Powell on two consecutive plays caused the Vikings to go backwards rather than forwards, resulting in a turnover on downs in overtime and thus sealing the victory.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell stated that they were in the personnel they were because they did not believe Cincinnati had the necessary package on the field to stop it. Powell was on the field to serve as a dummy for the jet sweep (a previous play).

After all of that, it’s easy to say that was a bad idea, and replacing Powell with a slightly bigger player doesn’t change the fact that the entire interior of the offensive line was blown back (even without D.J Reader, who left the game in the first quarter), and a bobbled snap on the second sneak killed the play. Simply a mess in terms of execution. Something the coaching staff has preached about all season, and something they haven’t been able to remedy.

What Comes Next?

The Vikings still have a chance to make the playoffs but will need some help to win the division. However, everything is right in front of them. You’re in if you win. If they lose, the game against the Bengals is a microcosm of the entire season. This season, the Vikings are 7-0 while winning or tying the turnover fight. When they lose, they are 0-7. If the Vikings can cure what they haven’t been able to fix in the next three weeks, they will be a huge concern for playoff teams. With their backs against the wall, it’s up to them to fix it.