The Minnesota Vikings outlasted the visiting Arizona Cardinals, 34-26, at home in Week 8 of the 2022 NFL season. This sixth win solidifies the Vikings' hold on first place in the NFC North. Here we will look at Za'Darius Smith and three other Vikings most responsible for their Week 8 win vs. the Cardinals.
The Vikings are still a mystery team, but they found another way to win a football game on Sunday. They sacked Cardinals QB Kyler Murray on the final two plays of the game to seal a big win over the Cardinals. This extended the Vikings' winning streak to five games this season and 11 games overall over the Cardinals in Minnesota.
The offensive line was the biggest concern for the Vikings. The Cardinals' pass rush and blitz-heavy approach, led by defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, regularly pressured Cousins. It was a good thing they survived it.
The Vikings' did much of the same, too. They feasted on the Cardinals' ailing offensive line. They supported LB Danielle Hunter throughout the game, ensuring that whoever was blocking him received assistance.
Of course, the run and air games were pretty good, too. Perhaps most impressive, however, was the Vikings' own pass rush led by LB Za'Darius Smith.
The Vikings will next face the Washington Commanders, who defeated the Green Bay Packers last Sunday. The Vikings must not look ahead of the Commanders, as they face the Buffalo Bills in two weeks. Kirk Cousins will also make his first return to Washington since signing with the Vikings.
Here we look at Za'Darius Smith and three other Vikings most responsible for their Week 8 win vs. the Cardinals
4. CB Patrick Peterson
The Cardinals weren't afraid to go after their former cornerback, Patrick Peterson. For the most part, Peterson was up to the task. He recorded three passes defensed and added four tackles.
We all knew Peterson would be revved up to play Murray and the Arizona Cardinals since he spent the first ten years of his NFL career there. Interestingly enough, Peterson had plenty of opportunities to rejoice against his former team. Most notably, the Vikings cornerback celebrated with his teammates after this Harrison Smith interception against Murray.
Patrick Peterson mocking Kyler Murray's gamer persona. pic.twitter.com/i9SgdKAxgQ
— Chuck Harris (@chuckh3) October 30, 2022
Cardinals fans didn't think too highly of Peterson's celebration, but again, this game was pregnant with meaning for the CB. Peterson has now broken up six passes in the Vikings' last two games after only four in their first five. He stated that he wants to show the whole NFL that, despite being 32 years old and four years removed from his previous Pro Bowl appearance, he can still hack it.
3. WR Adam Thielen
Wide receiver Adam Thielen was Cousins' go-to guy early on in this matchup. Thielen grabbed six receptions for 67 yards on the day, but it was his early catches on the Vikings' opening touchdown drive that made the difference for the purple and gold.
Adam Thielen also very nearly reached the 500-catch threshold for his career but concluded the day with 499. Still, his performance helped him pass Vikings Ring of Honor member Steve Jordan (498) for the third-most catches in Vikings history.
Thielen also helped Cousins finish the game 24-of-36 for 232 yards with two touchdowns. Cousins ended up with a 103.0 passer rating. That's only his third triple-digit passer rating of the season.
2. RB Dalvin Cook
The Vikings began the game by rushing the ball frequently and successfully. Not surprisingly, RB Dalvin Cook had nine carries for 80 yards in the first half alone and looked like his old reliable self. He had good field vision and was quick in his carries.
Because of Cook, the Vikings established their run game right away, gaining 42 yards on their first possession. That was then bolstered by Kirk Cousins' 17-yard dash for a score.
This was Cook's first 100-yard game of 2022. Overall, he carried 20 times for 111 yards and a TD. Supporting him was Alexander Mattison, who rushed for 40 yards on five runs, including his own score.
Thanks to them, Minnesota outrushed Arizona, 173 to 78. The Vikings averaged 6.0 yards per rush to the Cardinals' 3.5.
1. LB Za'Darius Smith
Ferocious linebacker Za'Darius Smith went off against the Cardinals like a crazed madman. He exploited Arizona's porous offensive line with three sacks, three hits, and four tackles for loss. With the Cardinals focusing much of their blocking on the aforementioned Hunter, Smith was left to have his way. In total, he has 8.5 sacks this season and has been a force on the Vikings' edge. He's surely proving to be a gem of a free agent signing this past off-season.
Smith wreaked havoc on Arizona throughout the game. His third and final sack even came on the game's penultimate play. Harrison Phillips then followed suit with another sack to finish off the Cardinals.
One memorable moment from the game was when Smith sacked Murray early in the first period. After which, he celebrated using a calf roping ritual made famous by former Vikings star Jared Allen. Allen was honored into the Vikings Ring of Honor during the day and rang the Gjallarhorn before the game.
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