The Minnesota Vikings ended up losing a second straight game in heart-breaking fashion against the Chicago Bears 12-10.
In a game that is only suitable to watch as a comedy, Minnesota scored the lone touchdown as Josh Dobbs found tight end T.J. Hockenson for Minnesota’s go-ahead score with just under six minutes to go in the game.
With the way that the defenses were playing, that should have been enough.
It wasn’t.
The Bears made just enough plays down the stretch to send the Vikings licking their wounds as they head into a much-needed bye week.
As Minnesota takes its time to self-reflect, let’s look at whose stocks rose despite the ugly showing and whose stocks sank alongside the putrid performance.
Stock up: S Josh Metellus
With three safeties starting, someone had to step up and make plays near the line of scrimmage. Especially with how the Bears kept everything near the line of scrimmage.
Josh Metellus has played the role of at least three different positions on his way to
Do you need a sack? Metellus did that.
Cover and rally to the football to get the defense off the field? Metellus can do it.
Force a potentially game-changing fumble? Metellus can do that, too.
He was everywhere on the field and did everything he could to get the Vikings the win today. It’s certainly not his fault they came up two points short.
Stock down: Josh Dobbs
The magic that followed Josh Dobbs from Arizona has officially run out.
What’s left behind is akin to a stink bomb potent enough to be utilized by the U.S. government for crowd control.
Dobbs ends the day 22-of-32 for 185 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions.
At the half, he had a passer rating of 21.9. Quarterbacks get a 39.6 for just throwing the football into the ground. Dobbs didn’t even get the points for spelling his name right on the ACT in the first half.
After a sensational run of games to start his tenure in Minnesota, the bottom has fallen out hard for Dobbs, leaving questions at the quarterback position yet again.
Stock up: T.J. Hockenson
When the Vikings needed T.J. Hockenson the most, he showed up in the biggest moment possible.
Hockenson ends the day with five receptions on six targets for 50 yards, with 33 of those yards coming on two receptions on Minnesota’s lone touchdown drive.
Kevin O’Connell lined up a rare three-tight-end bunch set to confuse the defense and allow Hockenson to sneak up the seam, which is supremely difficult for a 6’5″, 245+ pound tight end.
Hockenson didn’t get the targets expected as Chicago forced the ball elsewhere but get ready for much more of Hockenson after the bye week. When they target the big tight end, good things happen.
Stock down: Time Management
Kevin O’Connell will have to answer for this drive, as he had a chance to ice the game after the Metellus fumble.
Dobbs and the Minnesota offense, fresh off the lone touchdown drive of the game, lined up at Chicago’s 43 with 3:36 left on the clock.
O’Connell stated how he was “fighting the [internal] battle between being aggressive and potentially giving [Chicago] a short field, in case of a turnover” in his post-game press conference.
O’Connell trusted his defense, which had been stout as the offense struggled mightily for the second week in a row.
But if this game showed anything, points were at a premium, and any opportunity to get them should be taken seriously. Minnesota ran the ball twice and ended the drive with a short throw to Powell that gained negative yardage.
Dobbs’ subpar performance had a significant impact on the decision, but O’Connell’s decision to be conservative may have cost Minnesota this game.
Stock up: OLB Danielle Hunter and OLB D.J. Wonnum
Danielle Hunter and D.J. Wonnum were forces to be reckoned with on the edges today.
Hunter was his usual disruptive self as he tallied nine total tackles (six solo), 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, three quarterback hits and a forced fumble.
Wonnum consistently pressured Fields throughout the night, especially when he was trying to get outside the pocket.
Both linebackers had the difficult task of keeping Justin Fields in the pocket.
While Fields eventually had some success running the football, it was usually through the interior of the defense. These two continue to be a fun tandem that complements each other well as they continue to torture quarterbacks.
Also, I want to shout out Sheldon Day’s impact today, as he was recently elevated to the active roster. He ended the day with three total tackles (two solo), one tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.
Stock down: Turnover battle (again)
Siri, play the classics.
Do the Vikings not get tired of hearing this same old song? This same tired melody? Hang on to the football.
When will this team decide that they will be serious about ball security?
It doesn’t seem to be any time soon, and if that’s the case, this team can’t be taken seriously as a potential playoff team.
