Sunday’s game in Detroit started off so slowly that you’d be forgiven for thinking that the Vikings were already out of the playoff race and that the Lions were chasing a wildcard slot. It took most of the first half for Minnesota to decide they actually did want to play football, and were facing a 9-0 score by that point. If Detroit had been just a bit better, they’d have been up by much more. Eventually, despite a veritable blizzard of yellow hankies due to self-inflicted penalties, the Vikings finally got out of their own way and took the lead at the end of the first half on a Hail Mary pass to tight end Kyle Rudolph (who himself seemed to be alternating really good plays with boneheaded plays, but ended up with a career day despite himself).
Judd Zulgad says the team rarely, if ever, actually practice an actual Hail Mary play:
The Vikings spend a brief portion of their practice each Saturday going through the motions of a Hail Mary play. That means everyone gets into the proper position, quarterback Kirk Cousins drops back and then … nothing.
After all, what are the odds that you can replicate the chaos that takes place as the quarterback heaves the ball down the field toward a mass of humanity, some of whom want to catch the ball and many of whom simply want to bat it down?
So the Vikings were sort of, kind of prepared as Cousins dropped back and let it fly on third down Sunday in Detroit with 2 seconds left on the clock in the first half. The Vikings, having played a mostly terrible first half, trailed 9-7. “We don’t practice it very much,” coach Mike Zimmer said. “I mean we go through the mechanics of it, but we really don’t practice it.”
At the Daily Norseman, Ted Glover posted his usual Stock Market Report:
Buy: The Hail Mary. I think the last time the Vikings had a Hail Mary to end a half was against the Saints in the 1987 playoffs. I didn’t see it coming at all, but Rudolph just went up and grabbed it. It was a great play, and it was really needed.
Sell: Needing a Hail Mary. But you could argue it shouldn’t have been needed. The Lions are terrible, are dealing with a ton of injuries, and have nothing to play for. Had Minnesota come out and started the game like they started the second half, it would have been over by halftime. And take the Hail Rudy out of the equation, this game is a nail biter, when it shouldn’t have been.
Buy: The defense not letting the game get out of hand in the first half. Early on, the game felt like it was getting ready to veer out of control, but the defense kept it together and kept Detroit out of the end zone. 9-0 was a lot better to come back from than 17-0 or 21-0, and even though they had a couple bad penalties called on them that kept drives alive, they never gave up a backbreaking play.
Sell: The offense not able to anything for most of the first half. The Vikings went three and out on offense in their first four possessions and managed a grand total of five yards of offense. How is that even possible? With players like Cousins, Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, and Dalvin Cook, it feels like you almost have to try to be that bad. Seriously. If they make the playoffs and start a game that way they’re getting run out of the stadium. Furthermore, they had a chance (with some help) to clinch a playoff spot, but for about the first 25 minutes they played like they were more concerned about tee times in week 18 than playing football.
Buy: The Vikings going to the playoffs. It’s simple for the Vikings, as they control their own destiny: Win next week and they’re in the playoffs, and they’ll either go to Dallas or Chicago. They’ll be at home, where they generally play much better football, too.
Sell: The Vikings going to the playoffs. But … it’s against the Bears, it’s going to be a high stakes game, and if they lose they go home. these games always make me nervous. But I’d rather be watching my team play with the playoffs at stake than for nothing at all.
