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Studs and Duds from the Vikings' 16-10 win over the Colts in Week 7
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- Studs and Duds from the Vikings' 16-10 win over the Colts in Week 7
The Minnesota Vikings won another ugly game on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, defeating the Indianapolis Colts 16-10 to improve to 6-0. While the defense was great for the most part again, Minnesota's offense again failed to get into a rhythm.
After Myles Price returned the opening kickoff 58 yards to the Colts' 47-yard line, the Vikings ran four times in a row, only to be stuffed on back-to-back plays and turn the ball over on downs. That appeared to set the tone for the day, as Minnesota managed 275 total yards.
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But the Vikings' defense was stingy again, stifling Indianapolis' offense. Although the Colts had some success on third down (8-of-15 conversions), they totaled only 218 yards. The lone turnover of the day came when Daniel Jones threw an interception with 1:08 remaining in the game.
That pick was historic for our first entry in today's "studs and duds" piece.
Studs and Duds from the Vikings' 16-10 win over the Colts in Week 7
Stud: Harrison Smith
The Vikings' longest-tenured player ended Indianapolis' potential game-winning drive. Harrison Smith intercepted Jones for his 40th career pick, making him only the third player in NFL history with 40+ interceptions and 20+ sacks , joining Hall of Famers Ronde Barber and Charles Woodson. Smith also added a half sack, adding to his historic day.
Dud: Kyler Murray
It'd be a disservice to leave Kyler Murray off this list, even though he didn't make any back-breaking mistakes. Murray completed 14 of 24 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown to T.J. Hockenson. Not including two kneel-downs to end the game, Murray ran three times for 41 yards, including a 35-yard scamper one play before his touchdown pass.
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Still, Murray missed several routine throws throughout this game. Two dump-offs to Jordan Mason were too high and fell incomplete. Murray's first pass of the second half was behind Justin Jefferson, who was open for what would have been a first down. Instead, the drive ended in a three-and-out.
I'm not sure if we need to be calling for Murray to be benched yet, but it's becoming harder to find excuses for the offensive deficiencies. So far, the Week 5 win over the Saints was the most complete offensive performance, but Sunday was another game where Murray provided flashes but was overall too inconsistent.
Stud: Blake Cashman
Smith may have sealed the game, but no one on the field was more impactful than Blake Cashman on Sunday. The linebacker was officially credited with 12 tackles, two sacks, and four passes broken up. Per Vikings Communications on X, Cashman became the first player since Chicago Bears DE Alex Brown in 2005 to record at least two sacks and four passes defensed in the same game.
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Per Next Gen Stats, Minnesota blitzed on 85.2% of dropbacks on Sunday, the highest rate of any team since 2016. Cashman led the charge, mugging up the A-gap and forcing Colts running back Jonathan Taylor to stay in pass protection.
Dud: Third-down defense
I don't want to completely bag on the defense for allowing only 218 yards. But one reason for the weird game flow was Indianapolis' ability to extend drives. As stated above, the Colts converted 8 of 15 third-down conversions, including three on 3rd-and-7 or longer.
Entering Week 7, the Vikings allowed opponents to convert only 22.2% of their third-down attempts. So this isn't a recurring problem, and Sunday may be a valuable learning experience as Minnesota enters a tough four-game stretch.
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Stud: Will Reichard
I'm not going to fault Will Reichard for his first miss in nearly one year. His 59-yard attempt was blocked, ending a franchise-record streak of 36 consecutive made field goals. Reichard connected on 28, 47, and 52-yard attempts. Including his extra point, Reichard accounted for 10 of the Vikings' 16 points. His misses are rare, and the 52-yard kick came one drive after his blocked attempt. Although the offense's frustrations are real, Reichard has helped ease some of the struggles by being reliable.
Dud: Offensive line
It's hard to pin this on any one player, as no one stood out as catastrophically bad. Will Fries was pushed back into Murray on 3rd-and-4 on Minnesota's second drive, affecting a pass to Jefferson, who was wide open for a first down. The Colts entered Week 7 with the league's lowest pressure rate, yet they sacked Murray three times.
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Prior to Reichard's blocked kick, the Vikings had a 2nd-and-6 at the Indianapolis 35-yard line. But then Christian Darrisaw was flagged for a false start, pushing Minnesota back to fringe field-goal range.
One drive later, still up 13-10, the Vikings had the ball at the Colts' 36-yard line. Murray eluded pressure and escaped the pocket, connecting with Jordan Addison for a 34-yard pass that would have set Minnesota up at Indianapolis' 2-yard line. But Blake Brandel was called for a hold, and the Vikings instead had to focus on getting back into field goal range to only take a 16-10 lead instead of potentially scoring a touchdown on 1st-and-goal to put the game out of reach.
The Colts entered this game with the league's lowest pressure rate but still managed to sack Murray three times for 22 yards lost. Part
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Studs and Duds from the Vikings' 16-10 win over the Colts in Week 7
