Kirk Cousins, Vikings Hold Off Cardinals 34-26 For Fifth Consecutive Win
Nothing comes easy for the 2022 Vikings, but they just keep finding ways to win. Week in and week out, they make plays in big moments and come out on top.
The Vikings won their fifth consecutive one-possession game on Sunday, beating the Cardinals 34-26 in a chaotic rollercoaster affair. They scored at least one touchdown in all four quarters, exceeding 30 points for the first time in the Kevin O'Connell era. Kirk Cousins ran for a touchdown and threw for two, and both Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison ran for a score in the third quarter.
It wasn't an incredible day for the Vikings' defense, but that unit continues to make impact plays even while allowing plenty of yards. Za'Darius Smith had three sacks, honoring Jared Allen on the day of his Ring of Honor induction by breaking out his calf roper celebration in the first half. Both of Minnesota's starting safeties — veteran Harrison Smith and youngster Cam Bynum — picked off Kyler Murray. Patrick Peterson, facing his former team for the second time, broke up three passes. The Vikings' special teams also chipped in with a big play, as Troy Dye recovered a muffed punt in the fourth quarter.
As is seemingly the case every single week when the Vikings play, dating back to last season, the result wasn't secure until the final seconds. A Greg Joseph missed extra point following Cousins' second touchdown pass kept the deficit at one score, giving the Cardinals a chance. With less than 30 seconds left, Arizona had the ball inside the Vikings' 40 yard line.
Then the defense stepped up one more time. Za'Darius Smith took Murray down for his third sack of the day, giving him 8.5 in seven games this season. With the final seconds ticking off the clock, Harrison Phillips then sacked Murray to end it, setting off a purple celebration inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
Not everything went to plan for the Vikings in this game, but they got it done with complementary football. All three phases stepped up and did enough in the game's crucial moments to get yet another one-possession win.
Cousins got things started with a 17-yard scamper for a touchdown on the Vikings' opening possession. When he hit Johnny Mundt for a short TD early in the second quarter to go up 14-3, it looked like the Vikings might've been on their way to a comfortable victory.
Then again, anyone who has watched this team for a while wasn't surprised to see the Cardinals get right back into it. They took a 17-14 lead in the third quarter on Murray's second of three touchdown passes. DeAndre Hopkins, in his second game back from suspension, gave Minnesota's secondary fits all day with 12 catches for 159 yards and a touchdown.
The Vikings punched back with a pair of rushing touchdowns in a span of less than two minutes, with Harrison Smith's 32nd career interception setting up the second one.
Then, in a game where two teams exchanged blows for four quarters, the Cardinals got in the next punch. Rondale Moore escaped multiple tackles for a 38-yard touchdown to make it a 28-23 game. The Cardinals had a chance to take the lead back, but their drive stalled in the red zone and they settled for a short field goal to make it 28-26.
Cousins hit K.J. Osborn for a touchdown to extend the Vikings' lead, but Joseph's missed extra point kept Arizona alive. In the end, the Cardinals couldn't find a way to score another touchdown and set up a potential game-tying two-point try.
Plenty of people stepped up for the Vikings in this game. Dalvin Cook had his best outing of the season with 25 touches for 141 yards and a touchdown. Justin Jefferson narrowly missed reaching 100 yards for the fourth straight game, finishing with 98 yards and one spectacular catch to move the chains on third down. Adam Thielen had 67 receiving yards of his own.
Defensively, just about every one of Minnesota's starters made a play or two at some point. Za'Darius Smith, Harrison Smith, and Peterson led the way, but Bynum's interception was huge too. Veteran inside linebackers Eric Kendricks and Jordan Hicks also made their presence felt at times.
The end result is a 34-26 victory that keeps the Vikings second in the NFC standings at 6-1. Their lead in the NFC North could grow even wider if the Packers lose to the Bills on Sunday Night Football.
Winning is all that matters in the NFL, and through seven weeks, O'Connell's team has proven that it knows how to win.
Next up is a road game against the Washington Commanders next Sunday.
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