Dan Bailey, Penalties Doom Vikings in Crushing Loss to Buccaneers
Dan Bailey's incredible meltdown, an ugly performance by the offensive line and a few questionable flags may have just cost the Vikings a trip to the playoffs.
Bailey missed all four of his kicks, the Vikings were hurt by two iffy pass interference calls late in the first half and the constant pressure allowed by the O-line meant they were unable to mount a comeback in the second half. In the end, the Vikings managed to outgain the Buccaneers 335 to 303 and still lose 26-14 in a crucially important game.
This loss isn't on Kirk Cousins, and it's not on the Vikings' defense.
Cousins and the offense started out hot, driving down for a Dalvin Cook touchdown on their second possession. Yet Bailey's missed extra point meant they only went up 6-0 and set the table for his disastrous afternoon.
Mike Zimmer's defense forced punts on the Buccaneers' first two drives, kept Tom Brady in check and allowed only around 300 total yards on the day. They were burned a couple of times, but the defense played well for the most part.
A huge swing in the game happened in the second quarter. Down 7-6, it appeared that Vikings corner Jeff Gladney had come up with an interception on the goal line. Instead, the officials called defensive pass interference on Gladney, setting up an easy touchdown run for Tampa.
After a Vikings punt, the Buccaneers attempted a Hail Mary that fell incomplete to end the half—except the half wasn't actually over. Pass interference was called on Todd Davis on the Hail Mary, a flag that Troy Aikman immediately criticized on the FOX broadcast. That allowed Tampa Bay to add a field goal and take a 17-6 lead into halftime.
The Buccaneers increased that lead to 23-6, which is when the Vikings began their comeback attempt. Kirk Cousins, who ran for a career-high 41 yards and didn't throw an interception, led the team down and found Irv Smith Jr. for a touchdown.
The Vikings drove downfield again on their next possession and appeared ready to cut it to a one-score game. That's when Bailey missed his fourth kick of the game, perhaps ending his time as Minnesota's kicker.
After that, the offensive line made a comeback impossible. Cousins had constant pressure in his face and did well to even make things as interesting as he did. The Vikings allowed six sacks on the day, and the total could've been higher than that if not for some escapes by Cousins.
This is a damaging loss for the Vikings' playoff hopes. With the Cardinals also winning on Sunday, Minnesota is no longer in the seventh seed and is now a longshot to make the postseason.
Positive takeaways are hard to find here. Cook went over 100 yards again and scored a touchdown, and Smith and Tyler Conklin stepped up with over 100 combined yards and a score in Kyle Rudolph's absence. Gladney made some standout plays on defense. That's about it.
The 6-7 Vikings will host the 6-7 Bears next week before traveling to play the NFC-leading Saints on Christmas Day.
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