This was very much a game of two halfs, as the Vikings moved the ball at will through the first half … through the air, if not on the ground, while in the second half the Chiefs came alive and threatened to take control of the game. Adrian Peterson had one of his worst games as a pro: at one point he’d rushed for something like one total yard on fifteen carries and he was being hit well before he got to the line of scrimmage on many of those runs. Early in the game, it appeared that the Vikings had scored a safety, as offensive holding was called in the Chiefs’ end zone, but the referee determined that the hold had started in the field of play, so it was not a safety. Teddy Bridgewater had another up-and-down performance with some nice throws, but two interceptions and only one touchdown. The offensive line did a somewhat better job against the Chiefs than they did against the Broncos, but Teddy was still not getting a clean pocket to work in as often as he should have. A bright spot for the Vikings was the play of rookie receiver Stefon Diggs, who posted the first 100 yard game for Minnesota this season. In his first two games, he’s caught 13 of 19 for 216 yards, making some observers wonder why he didn’t see the field earlier in the season.
1500ESPN‘s Judd Zulgad sings the praises of Diggs:
As badly as the Vikings appear to have blundered with their decision to trade four picks to New England in 2013 in order to take wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson with the 29th selection, the franchise might have gotten the S.O.D. (steal of the draft) of 2015 by grabbing Diggs in the fifth round last April.
Diggs dropped because of injury concerns and because quarterback issues at Maryland didn’t enable him to showcase his talents. Diggs had no such issues with his quarterback getting him the ball Sunday.
In what could best be described as an uneven performance, Bridgewater continued to show that Diggs is quickly becoming his favorite target. Diggs had nine passes thrown his way and averaged 18.4 yards per catch.
One of Diggs’ best catches came with the Vikings leading by only three points in the fourth quarter and facing a third-and-15 from their own 15-yard line. Bridgewater, working from the shotgun, had to scramble as the Chiefs applied pressure. He then threw a strike over the middle to Diggs that went for 30 yards.
“Seeing the coverage they were playing, I was just trying to find some space for him to throw because the quarterback, he’s going to throw to open space, he’s going to try to get to somewhere open,” Diggs said. “He stepped up, and I was just trying to find an open space for him and catch the ball.”
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, who isn’t one to dish out unwarranted praise, used the word excellent twice when asked about Diggs’ route running. “He’s fast in breaks, fast out of breaks,” Zimmer said. “Doesn’t slow down when he cuts. I don’t know if he’s always right on the routes he’s running, but he’s pretty darn close most of the time.”
Munnerlyn was more effusive in his praise. “His route running is tremendous,” he said. “I’ve never seen a receiver who has come out of college with that (route-running) ability. I’ve played with first-rounders, second-rounders, guys who are supposed to be the real deal. But his route running is definitely special.”
According to Marino Eccher, Diggs is on a very impressive statistical trajectory:
Stefon Diggs didn’t see the field for his first three NFL games. His next two have been just about as good as Vikings rookies get.
The rookie receiver’s 129 yards receiving Sunday — on the heels of a strong debut in Denver — put him at 216 on 13 catches in his first two chances off the inactive list. That ranks as the second-best start for any rookie pass-catcher in franchise history.
It’s better than Randy Moss (184 yards, 10 catches), Sammy White (210, 12 catches) or Percy Harvin (77, 8 catches), all of whom went on to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
The only Viking to best Diggs’ debut? James Brim, a replacement player during the 1987 strike.
How close was this game? “I had to get my pacemaker readjusted after that one”, said Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer.
Update: Jim Souhan sticks the knife in a bit before praising (who else?) Stefon Diggs:
Adrian Peterson looked like a man repeatedly running into a sliding glass door. Teddy Bridgewater played like he had the Chiefs defense on his fantasy football team. The Vikings offensive line will spend the week drinking tea infused with honey and lemon to ease throats sore from yelling “Look out!’’
The Vikings on Sunday played poorly enough to lose to a bad team, poorly enough that TCF Bank Stadium almost became home to a Red Wedding Weekend, with Nebraska trouncing the Gophers on Saturday and Kansas City falling one fourth-quarter touchdown drive short of winning.
On a day both offenses looked like they were driving into a hurricane wind, Stefon Diggs saved the day. The Vikings’ rookie receiver made his first NFL start and caught seven passes for 129 yards. In his first two NFL games, Diggs has produced 13 catches for 216 yards, prompting his teammates to speak of him in terms usually reserved for stars, not fifth-round draft picks.
