09-12-2021, 07:45 PM
From Vikings SI:
With that said, you can't make the argument that the Vikings deserved to win based on their overall performance. They committed 12 penalties for 116 yards, gave up three sacks, and were a little bit up-and-down on defense, allowing 366 total yards to Joe Burrow, Joe Mixon, and company.
The big issue, as has been the case for the majority of Zimmer's tenure in Minnesota, was the offensive line. Whether it was getting beat for sacks or pressure in Cousins' face or committing costly penalties that set the offense back, that unit was horrible all around. If that continues, the Vikings won't sniff the playoffs.
The Vikings' first half was an outright disaster of offensive football. They were flagged a ridiculous 13 times, with ten of those penalties being accepted. Nine of the ten were on the offense. There were five false starts, five holding calls (two were declined), and an illegal shift. Rashod Hill, starting at left tackle because rookie Christian Darrisaw is injured, was thoroughly dominated by Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
It was a mess. For the game, the Vikings' offense faced six third downs of at least 15 yards, with five of those at least 20 yards.
After the Vikings scored first on an Adam Thielen touchdown catch, the defense — which had gotten off to a strong start — sprung some holes. Joe Burrow and the Bengals scored touchdowns on three straight possessions spanning the end of the second quarter and the start of the third.
New Vikings cornerback Bashaud Breeland had a rough day, getting burned several times, most notably on a 50-yard touchdown pass to Ja'Marr Chase. Breeland also caught the penalty bug, with a pass interference flag setting up one of Cincinnati's other touchdowns.
Fortunately for the Vikings, they managed to reel in the penalties in the second half and the offense woke up. Kirk Cousins was excellent when he was given time to throw, finishing 36 of 49 for 351 yards, two touchdowns to Thielen, and no turnovers. Dalvin Cook went over 100 yards from scrimmage with a touchdown, while Thielen, Justin Jefferson, and K.J. Osborn all recorded at least 70 receiving yards.
With that said, you can't make the argument that the Vikings deserved to win based on their overall performance. They committed 12 penalties for 116 yards, gave up three sacks, and were a little bit up-and-down on defense, allowing 366 total yards to Joe Burrow, Joe Mixon, and company.
The big issue, as has been the case for the majority of Zimmer's tenure in Minnesota, was the offensive line. Whether it was getting beat for sacks or pressure in Cousins' face or committing costly penalties that set the offense back, that unit was horrible all around. If that continues, the Vikings won't sniff the playoffs.
The Vikings' first half was an outright disaster of offensive football. They were flagged a ridiculous 13 times, with ten of those penalties being accepted. Nine of the ten were on the offense. There were five false starts, five holding calls (two were declined), and an illegal shift. Rashod Hill, starting at left tackle because rookie Christian Darrisaw is injured, was thoroughly dominated by Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
It was a mess. For the game, the Vikings' offense faced six third downs of at least 15 yards, with five of those at least 20 yards.
After the Vikings scored first on an Adam Thielen touchdown catch, the defense — which had gotten off to a strong start — sprung some holes. Joe Burrow and the Bengals scored touchdowns on three straight possessions spanning the end of the second quarter and the start of the third.
New Vikings cornerback Bashaud Breeland had a rough day, getting burned several times, most notably on a 50-yard touchdown pass to Ja'Marr Chase. Breeland also caught the penalty bug, with a pass interference flag setting up one of Cincinnati's other touchdowns.
Fortunately for the Vikings, they managed to reel in the penalties in the second half and the offense woke up. Kirk Cousins was excellent when he was given time to throw, finishing 36 of 49 for 351 yards, two touchdowns to Thielen, and no turnovers. Dalvin Cook went over 100 yards from scrimmage with a touchdown, while Thielen, Justin Jefferson, and K.J. Osborn all recorded at least 70 receiving yards.
![[Image: 51209558878_91a895e0bb_m.jpg]](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51209558878_91a895e0bb_m.jpg)
