With the CFL’s Eastern and Western conference finals being played, there was no Canadian broadcast coverage of the Arizona Cardinals visiting Minnesota that I could access, so I had to follow the course of the game on Twitter. Many Vikings bloggers were billing this game as a make-or-break for the Vikings season after enduring a four-game losing streak and yet more injuries on the offensive line. It would be especially important because the team is playing again on Thursday in Detroit. Another loss and a short week before facing the Lions at home was probably going to be too steep a hill to climb.
During the pre-game introductions, a Fox sound technician had an unwelcome encounter with the Vikings defence:
Vikings Linval Joseph absolutely destroys Fox sound guy during pregame intros https://t.co/4C3Afhj3tU
— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) November 20, 2016
Despite the violence of the collision, he was able to continue working after the hit, and had a brief cameo during the halftime coverage.
The Vikings scored first (although they had to challenge the initial ruling on the field) on a Sam Bradford pass to Adam Thielen at the goal line:
Sam Bradford ➡️ @athielen19 = 6 points https://t.co/Ef7hWhAJIf
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 20, 2016
They also had to challenge the initial ruling on their second touchdown play, on a two-yard plunge by Matt Asiata. The extra point was blocked (according to several reports, the first successful conversion got the biggest cheer anyone had ever heard for a single point). Late in the first half, the Cardinals were driving for the go-ahead score, but Carson Palmer’s pass was intercepted by cornerback Xavier Rhodes on the goal line and run back for a touchdown:
100. Yards. To. The. House.#ProBowlVote @XavierRhodes29_ https://t.co/zefsuS5PqK
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 20, 2016
It was the longest interception return in team history, beating a 97-yard return by Reggie Rutland in a game against the Los Angeles Rams in December 1991.
To start the second half, Cordarrelle Patterson took the kickoff back for a touchdown:
⚡ ➡️ 🏠 https://t.co/Ez2bvXLbDD
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 20, 2016
Later in the half, Arizona fans were probably getting quite irate about the officials, if even the Viking bloggers were commenting about it:
I'm guessing with how well Vikings are playing today that the calls won't be the difference, but I'd understand why ARI fans would be pissed
— Arif Hasan (@ArifHasanNFL) November 20, 2016
Man, Arizona is getting hosed penalty-wise so far. Blakeman's crew is going to get a bad review from this one.
— The Daily Norseman (@DailyNorseman) November 20, 2016
Then the Cardinals got a break as Sam Bradford was sacked and the ball was recovered by Arizona, with just over nine minutes left in the game. The home crowd was tense:
You couldn't jackhammer a larded toothpick into the 66,000 tightened sphincters in this stadium #vikings
— Brian Murphy (@murphPPress) November 20, 2016
Eventually, Xavier Rhodes notched his second interception of Palmer and the game was out of reach for the Cardinals.
