The Minnesota Vikings hoped to rebound against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday after two consecutive losses. And despite one of the worst offensive performances in recent years, the team was able to squeak by with a 3-0 win over the Raiders in Las Vegas.

Vikings’ Defense Comes Up Big Again

The fact that they won at all was a testament to another outstanding performance by Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ unit. They shut down the Raiders’ star running back Josh Jacobs all game long until he left the field in the fourth quarter with a knee injury.

And D.J. Wonnum, Harrison Phillips, and the rest of the defensive front tied Las Vegas quarterback Aidan O’Connell in knots as they applied severe pressure all day. For the game, the Vikings sacked O’Connell four times and continually harassed him through Flores’s varied rush formations.

Vikings Offense Flounders

Vikings

Raiders DE Malcolm Koonce (51) tackles Vikings QB Josh Dobbs (15) – Ethan Miller/Getty Images

The Vikings offense? Not much to talk about, although Alexander Mattison and had some nice first half runs until he was knocked from the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury.

And unfortunately, Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs had another brutal game. For the day, Dobbs was 10-23, for only 63 passing yards. He was also sacked five times, twice by the irrepressible Maxx Crosby who also added 10 tackles to his stat sheet.

Mullens to the Rescue

Mercifully, Vikings coach replaced Dobbs with Nick Mullens with just over nine minutes left in the game. And this was the exact spark that Minnesota needed. On his second possession, Mullens led his team on an extended drive, highlighted by clutch receptions from T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison. These plays set up a 36-yard Greg Joseph field goal which turned out to be the only score of the game.

Then Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. made the defensive play of the game. On the first play after the field goal, O’Connell tried to thread a pass to Raiders’ receiver Davante Adams. But Pace playing in tight coverage make a diving interception at the Las Vegas 34-yard line to stop the Las Vegas drive.

Turnover Kings

The game ended when the Raiders attempted a dipsy doodle on the final action of the game. After several laterals, the ball was finally recovered by Minnesota’s Jay Ward at the gun. The Vikings had escaped with an ugly, but important victory.

Pace led the Vikings defenders with 13 tackles as he had the best game of his young NFL career. Multi-positional Josh Metellus was second on the team with seven tackles as he continued to make his case for a Pro Bowl berth.

Injuries Mount for the Vikings

Clouding the victory were multiple Vikings injuries including one substantial one to their best player. Just back from a seven-game absence, Justin Jefferson reached for a Dobbs pass and was immediately hammered in the torso by the Raiders Marcus Epps. He left the game and was treated at a nearby hospital for a chest injury.

He thankfully was released from the hospital and cleared to return home with the team to Minneapolis. His status for next week’s game against the Bengals is unknown.

Besides Mattison, Vikings offensive lineman Brian O’Neill and Dalton Risner were also forced to leave the game with ankle injuries. The team has not yet released any information on the status of their injuries.

On to Cincinnati

The Vikings next head to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals. They hope that Jefferson and the other injured Minnesota players can return to action soon to help them on their drive to the playoffs. They also hope that they have temporarily solved their quarterback situation with the insertion of Mullens into the lineup. And they will once again lean on their defensive core to hold the opposing team’s offense at bay.