Vikings Win: Final Score And Reaction

The Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings played a tough game on Sunday as part of the NFL’s Week 6 schedule. The game had 13 three-and-out possessions from the two teams, but the offenses were still able to find some success and the Vikings were able to win the game.

Skylar Thompson, the Miami Dolphins’ starting quarterback, injured his thumb and had to leave the game. This led to Teddy Bridgewater coming into the game. The Dolphins’ offense never seemed to find a rhythm and made mistakes and had penalties that cost the team 97 yards. The Dolphins tried to make the game interesting, but it wasn’t enough and they lost, making their losing streak three games.

The Dolphins won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half. The Vikings started the game at their own 25-yard line after the touchback on the kickoff. Miami’s defense stepped up on the possession. After giving up an eight-yard pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins to receiver K.J. Osborn, Miami stuffed running back Dalvin Cook for no gain, then forced an incomplete pass on third down. The Vikings punted to end a three-and-out possession.

This is a good start for the defense. They need to play well this week to take some pressure off Thompson. The Dolphins are also 6-0 on coin tosses this year. This does not really mean anything, but it is an interesting stat.

The Dolphins just barely avoided disaster on the punt. Safety Jevon Holland back to return the kick muffed the catch as he got clotheslined as soon as he touched the ball. Luckily Miami fell on the loose ball and kept possession. Thompson came out throwing, going first to fullback Alec Ingold for eight yards, then to wide receiver Tyreek Hill for two yards. Two runs from running back Raheem Mostert picked up for yards, then lost a yard, before Thompson took off on a scramble for a nine-yard gain and another first down. A couple of plays later, Thompson found tight end Mike Gesicki over the middle for 18 yards. The drive stalled after that, however, as running back Chase Edmonds picked up just one yard, an incomplete pass, and an eight-yard sack backed Miami into needing to punt.

The scoring drive at the beginning of the game would have been great, but Thompson coming out and getting into a rhythm is more important. He looked sure of himself, and he doesn’t seem to be letting his first start get to him.

Thomas Morstead kicked the ball down to the Vikings’ six-yard line, where Justin Bethel caught it to set up the Vikings with a long field in front of them. Two Cook runs picked up just one total yard, with Cousins barely getting the third-down pass off as Trey Flowers pulled him down for the near sack. The pass fell incomplete and the Vikings again went three-and-out.

The defense did well again. The play almost resulted in a sack, but Cousins got the ball out before he was tackled.

A punt from Ryan Wright blasted the ball 73 yards out of the endzone and pushed Hill, in the game as the punt returner, back to the Dolphins’ 18-yard line. Thompson again came out throwing, finding receiver Jaylen Waddle for 18-yard on the opening play. Mostert then picked up 16 yards on a run, followed by a pass from Thompson to Hill for nine yards. A direct snap to Moster picked up three yards and gave Miami a first down. The Dolphins got in their own way after that, with penalties called on each of the next three plays and five of the next seven plays. Miami was flagged for holding twice, a false start, offensive pass interference, and an illegal man downfield, negating 66 yards of offense as the team tried to keep making up the lost yards. Ultimately, after an incomplete pass on a 3rd-and-28 situation, the Dolphins punted.

The offense showed it could move the ball, but three straight penalties on offensive linemen, then the offensive pass interference, and a holding penalty on big plays held them back from scoring any points in the game.

The Vikings started at their own 20-yard line with an incomplete pass. Then, Cousins threw a two-yard pass to Osborn. That was the last play of the first quarter.

The defense did great in the first quarter and the offense showed it can do well too, but they need to stop making so many mistakes. They had five penalties on one drive, which is more than any other team has had this year. If they don’t stop making errors, it’ll be hard for them to win.

Miami ran for two yards on first down but didn’t gain any yards on second or third down so they had to punt.

The Dolphins attempted to make a long pass to Hill, but the receiver was unable to catch the ball because there were two defenders covering him. Even though they weren’t successful this time, it’s important for Miami to show that they are willing to take this type of risk with Thompson as their quarterback. They will eventually make a successful long pass.

Alexander Mattison picked up three yards on first down, but then Jaelan Phillips and Elandon Roberts pulled down Cousins for a four-yard sack. A pass from Cousins to tight end Irv Smith picked up four yards, leading to a fourth-straight three-and-out.

Miami’s defense is playing well today. They haven’t allowed a first down yet and are shutting down receivers and getting after Cousins.

Teddy Bridgewater replaced Thompson after Thompson got a thumb injury from hitting it on a helmet. On the next play, Mostert ran for a one-yard loss. Then Bridgewater connected with Gesicki for a 17-yard gain. Mostert picked up seven yards and two yards on the next two plays. Ingold ran for two yards on the next play, getting a first down. Mostert ran for seven yards and then two yards on the next two plays. On the third play, Bridgewater tripped over Robert Hunt’s leg, got up, and ran for no gain. Jason Sanders then kicked a 44-yard field goal. Dolphins 3-0.

This is the second week in a row that the starting quarterback for the Dolphins has gotten injured and had to be replaced. Last week, it was Thompson. This week, it is Bridgewater.

The Vikings started at their own 25-yard line and finally found a way to move the ball. On the first play, Cousins found wide receiver Adam Thielen for 14 yards. The next play, Cousins went to Thielen for another 11 yards, then went to Jefferson for 20 yards. Cook picked up three yards on a first-down run and, after a Minnesota timeout, Cousins threw to tight end Johnny Mundt for a yard. On 3rd-and-6, Cousins found Jefferson on a short crossing route, with the receiver turning up field for a 24-yard gain. On the 1st-and-Goal play from the Miami one-yard line, Cousins found Smith over the middle for the score.

The Dolphins defense played well for the first four drives, but then they allowed the Vikings to score a touchdown. This isn’t fair to the defense, because they have been doing well up until this point. In a game where the third-string quarterback has been knocked out, and the second-string quarterback has had no time to prepare this week, the defense needs to be playing their best for the full 60 minutes.

The Dolphins started at the 47-yard line after a 25-yard kick return from Mostert and a 15-yard facemask penalty. Bridgewater threw two incomplete passes before finding Hill for 19 yards. After the two-minute warning, Miami’s drive stalled with an incomplete pass on either side of a run for no game from Mostert. Sanders then missed a 52-yard field goal.

The Dolphins need to go to halftime and fix their offense. The line is letting people through too quickly and the quarterback is throwing the ball all over the place. The defense has been good most of the day. The offense just needs to get into a groove.

Miami linebacker Elandon Roberts sacked Washington quarterback Cousins for an eight-yard loss on first down. On the next play, Cousins threw a screen to Jefferson who turned it into a 14-yard gain. An incomplete pass on third down led to the fifth three-and-out drive for the Vikings.

Bridgwater threw a 14 yard pass to Waddle on the first play. After a Miami timeout, 23 seconds remained. Bridgwater then looked deep for Waddle, but the ball was picked off by Harrison Smith.

The Vikings were able to capitalize off the interception, with Cousins throwing deep for Thielen and the cornerback, Noah Igbingohene, being called for pass interference. Then, Cook picked up five yards, putting them at 2nd-and-5 from the 15-yard line. However, after an incomplete pass, Greg Joseph made a 34-yard field goal as time expired in the half. Vikings 10-3.

The Dolphins are playing well, but mistakes are hurting them. They can move the ball, but they can’t score. The defense is good, but they gave up a touchdown just before halftime.

Miami starts the second half with the ball. They need to respond to the points scored by the Vikings. The offense needs to adapt to playing with Bridgewater at quarterback instead of Thompson. If they can make the necessary adjustments, they can get back into the game.

Miami started the second half with the ball, but they didn’t gain any ground with their plays. They lined up to punt, but instead of punting, they gave the ball to safety Clayton Fejedelem who was pushed out of bounds for no gain. Miami turned the ball over on downs at their own 34-yard line.

The Dolphins attempted to run a fake punt play in order to score some points. However, this backfired and now the Vikings have an easier chance to score more points.

Miami’s defense was very good. On the first play, the other team tried to pass the ball to Jefferson, but Wilkins pulled him down for a six-yard loss. On the next play, Wilkins stopped Cook for a one-yard loss. After a false start penalty and an incomplete pass, the other team had to punt.

Wilkins was not going to allow the Vikings to extend their lead by using the field position. He took over the drive and drove the Vikings backward. The defense did a great job of keeping the score 10-3.

Miami’s offense failed to produce points on its first drive. Mostert ran for 3 yards on first down, but then lost a yard on a pass. On 3rd-and-8, Bridgewater was sacked. Miami had to punt.

The Dolphins are struggling because their offense either throws short passes that rely on the receiver to make a lot of players miss, or they let the quarterback get pressured while the receivers get downfield. They need to find a way to give the quarterback more time, but the quarterback also needs to do more than just look for the outlet.

The defense played well, stopping Cook after a three-yard gain on the first play. On the second down play, Cousins tried to pass to Thielen, but Igbinoghene broke it up. A pass for two yards to Smith led to another three-and-out for Minnesota.

After an incomplete pass from Cousins toward Thielen, Cousins threw a bubble screen to Smith on second down. Zach Sieler stopped Smith for a three-yard loss and forced a fumble, which was recovered by Minnesota. Raekwon Davis then sacked Cousins on the next play, leading to another three-and-out.

Bridgewater threw a deep pass to Hill on the first play, moving the ball from the 14-yard line to the 35-yard line. However, the offense went back into its shell after that. A sack on first down was followed by a screen pass to Hill, which the receiver turned into a 13-yard gain. On 3rd-and-4, Bridgewater was called for intentional grounding as he tried to avoid a sack. Miami punted again.

When the Dolphins had the ball, it looked like their offense might start working better. But then the other team tackled the quarterback, and that moment was gone.

The Vikings had a hard time beginning their drive, with Jefferson gaining eight yards then Cook running for no yards. It looked like they were going to have to give up the ball again, but then Ham ran the ball up the middle for three yards, which gave the Vikings a first down. Cousins threw the ball to Osborn for seven yards, and then to Jefferson who was wide open on the sideline. This gained the Vikings 47 yards and took them to the Miami eight-yard line.

After the break, the Vikings started with a six-yard run from Cook. On 2nd-and-Goal from the two-yard line, Cousins found Thielen on a crossing route in the back of the endzone for the score. Joseph missed the extra point. Vikings 16-3.

This paragraph is saying that Miami is behind by 13 points with only one quarter left, and they need to start scoring. The offensive line needs to protect the quarterback so he can throw the ball to the receivers.

Bridgewater turned to Hill on the opening play of the drive, picking up 13 yards. Instead of the drive stalling there, however, they kept going with a three-yard run from Mostert, then a 28-yard catch and run from Hill as Bridgewater moved around in the pocket and found the receiver standing alone in the middle of the field. Bridgewater then connected with Gesicki for 13 yards, marking the first time on the day Miami reached the red zone. Moster picked up four yards on the next play, then Bridgewater scrambled for one yard. On the 1st-and-Goal from the four-yard line, Bridgewater found Gesicki again, this time for the score. Vikings 16-10.

The game is not over yet. The offense needs to get Hill and Gesicki involved. If the Dolphins can stop the Vikings offense, they could take the lead.

On the next Minnesota dive, the Miami defense did what they have throughout much of the game. The Vikings saw Mundt gain nothing on the first play, then a nine-yard pass to Thielen was backed up by an incomplete pass before a punt.

Miami started with a 25-yard pass from Bridgewater to Hill. After an incomplete pass, a sack for a loss of nine, and a pass to Edmonds for 14 yards, the Dolphins decided to try for a fourth down conversion. Bridgewater again found Hill on the play, picking up 14 yards. After a holding penalty on Miami, Bridgewater found Sherfield for six yards, then Waddle for 14 yards and a first down, but the receiver lost the ball and the Vikings recovered.

This is not normal for Waddle and he is not having a good day. Miami looked like they were going to be in the lead, but now they need their defense to step up again.

The game changed from Miami having a chance to get ahead to feeling like they might lose pretty quickly. The Dolphins have to score soon if they want to make an unlikely comeback.

Bridgewater threw the ball to Hill for 14 yards on the first play, then looked to Sherfield on the second play, but Peterson intercepted the pass.

The Vikings ran the ball three times, making Miami use two of their timeouts. On 4th-and-3, the Vikings punted back to Miami with 2:44 remaining in the game.

One timeout, two-minute warning. Miami is behind by 14 and will need to be desperate for the rest of the game. Bridgewater has not done anything to show he is good in desperate situations.

The offensive team started with a screen pass to Waddle, who turned it into a 49-yard gain. The receiver was injured on the play, however, seeming to have something happen to his left shoulder on the tackle. Bridgewater threw to Hill for 14 yards next, then to Gesicki for 14 more. After an ineligible receiver downfield penalty on a screen pass that never developed, Bridgewater was sacked as the clock reached the two-minute warning. After the break, Bridgewater floated a pass to Edmonds, who made a cut and picked up 14 yards. On 3rd-and-Goal from the three, Bridgewater found Gesicki for the touchdown. Miami failed on the two-point try. Vikings 24-16.

Miami attempted an onside kick. The ball was dribbled by Jason Sanders. Unfortunately, he was just barely unable to recover it and the Vikings knelt twice to end the game.

If Terron Armstead and Austin Jackson can come back and play this Sunday, it will be a big help to our offense against the steelers.

Miami’s defense played much better than anticipated this game. If they can keep this up, and the offense improves, the Dolphins have a chance to play very well overall.