The Minnesota Vikings continued to roll, booking their fourth straight win after beating the Miami Dolphins, 24-16, on the road in Week 6 of the 2022 NFL season. This win propelled the Vikings to solo first place in the NFC West and just a game behind the unbeaten Eagles in their conference. Here we'll look at some takeaways from the Vikings' victory in Week 6.
RB Dalvin Cook rushed for a 53-yard insurance touchdown in the fourth quarter to help Minnesota beat the injury-plagued Dolphins.
The Vikings made it more difficult than it needed to be, but they still won in Miami for the first time since 1976. QB Kirk Cousins struggled throughout the game, with some of his missteps attributed to the offensive line and others to the Dolphins playing good man coverage on the Vikings receivers.
Here are our four takeaways from the Minnesota Vikings' Week 6 win vs. the Dolphins.
4. What's up, Captain Kirk?
Speaking of Kirk Cousins, he wasn't exactly terrible in this game. However, he certainly wasn't great either. He didn't keep his cool in the pocket and made many slow decisions. Cousins and head coach Kevin O'Connell should have been making reads and checks with the Dolphins in man coverage to have hot routes ready against the blitz. It wasn't bad, but there were a lot of missed opportunities.
In all, Cousins finished with just 175 passing yards. That's his lowest total of the entire season thus far. Strangely enough, he did get a passer rating of 104.2, which was his highest since opening week. It helped that he had no INTs, though he was sacked three times.
3. A 100-yard Justin Jefferson game feels normal now
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson had one of the quietest 100-yard receiving games in recent memory. He made plays when the offense needed them the most and even helped set up Irv Smith Jr.'s first touchdown for the Vikings. Jefferson also broke Jerry Rice's and Mike Evans' NFL records for most receiving yards in a player's first three seasons. The records just keep pouring in for Jefferson.
Remember that Jefferson entered the game as the NFL's leader in receiving yards, and he just added 107 more. He had no touchdowns in this game, but he did have a long of 47 yards in the third period. When it comes to NFL wideouts, Jefferson remains the gold standard.
2. The offense was a mixed bag
The contrasting performances of Cousins and Jefferson underscored the mixed-bag Vikings offense. They looked really good in recent weeks, but they seem to have taken a step back in Week 6. Inconsistency has been the name of the game for them. In some games, they appear nearly unstoppable, while in others, Minnesota can only achieve success in bursts.
Fortunately, this inconsistency makes it difficult for opposing teams to figure out the Vikings. Minny has just struggled to maintain consistency, whether it's in the passing game, or it could just be Cousins and Jefferson. Sometimes it's the run game, and you never know what will click.
At this point, Vikings fans and maybe even coach O'Connell don't know what to expect except that their unevenness may continue to win close games. That's an ironic thing, but the proof is in the pudding. As long as the Vikings get dubs, nothing else really matters.
1. Game ball to the Vikings defense
The offense may have been a mixed bag in this game, but the defense generally pulled through. This was a pretty solid stand on D by the Vikings. Spot those six sacks, a fumble recovery, and two interceptions by Minnesota. They all looked great!
We especially love how the Vikings applied consistent pressure to the Miami quarterbacks, resulting in numerous sacks. Case in point — Za'Darius Smith was involved in three sacks, including two himself, with the third breaking Patrick Jones II free on a stunt. Smith has arguably been the Vikings' defensive MVP this season, with 5.5 sacks and over 20 pressures (18 entering the game) according to PFF.
And speaking of Patrick Jones II, he stepped up big time with D.J. Wonnum on the sidelines. Jones came in as the third pass rusher and performed admirably. He finished with two sacks and was in a position to make plays throughout the entire game.
Vikings safety Harrison Smith also had a strong game, highlighted by one of the best interceptions of the season. This set up a Vikings field goal, giving the Vikings a 10-3 lead at halftime.
This INT from Harrison Smith took every ounce of concentration 😅
(via @vikings) pic.twitter.com/1hVJo8045Y
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 16, 2022
In the fourth quarter, Patrick Peterson also made a nice interception that set up Cook's touchdown to seal the deal. Peterson struggled on a few early plays, but he came up big in the fourth quarter.
The Vikings enter the bye week at 5-1, but there is still a lot of work to be done. As good as the defense was, they still gave up 491 yards on the day. They rest in Week 7 before taking on the Arizona Cardinals at home in Week 8.
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