Vikings fend off brave Jets comeback in London
From early on Sunday morning, NFL fans from all corners of the world converged on north London for the first in a trio of London games taking place throughout October. The opening fixture featured the Minnesota Vikings squaring off against the New York Jets, and as kick off drew closer the atmosphere at White Hart Lane was approaching fever pitch. It wasn’t just the supporters of these two franchises in attendance; in fact, the crowd was a veritable sea of colour with almost every NFL team along with a few others faithfully represented. This is the beauty of the NFL International games, fans from around the globe coming together through a common love of the sport.
Decked out in his purple Ring of Honour Jacket, Vikings legend Jared Allen got proceedings underway with the traditional Skol chant and the fans in attendance responded in full voice – really ramping up the home game vibe inside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The noise before kickoff was absolutely deafening and testament to the fact that this was a bonafide NFL game and not a cheap imitation.
The Jets received the opening kickoff, and despite the advantage couldn’t do much with the ball and were forced to punt after a quick 3 and out. This would be a recurring theme for the afternoon, as Gotham Football Club’s offense looked lethargic.
It was then the turn of the Vikings, who to their credit moved the ball well on the ground and through the air before eventually settling for 3 points and getting on the board first.
Rodgers seemed to be a little off kilter early on, missing some easy enough throws on his second drive and perhaps still feeling the effects of jetlag from his flight across the Atlantic.
Disaster nearly struck for the Vikings towards the end of the 1st quarter when Sam Darnold went down after taking a knock and Nick Mullens entered the game in relief. Mullens first pass went for over 30 yards to Aaron Jones and a Vikings first down, and to everyone’s relief Darnold returned on the following play. The offense then immediately turned the ball over; a fumbled toss recovered by the Jets defense, putting Gang Green in striking range.
Aaron Rodgers took back over and made his first costly error of the encounter with a pick six to Andrew van Ginkel of the Vikings, who took it straight back to the house and was virtually untouched. It went from bad to worse when the Jets got the ball back; Rodgers this time chucking directly to Vikings safety Camryn Bynum for his second consecutive interception. It’s hard to get anything going on Offense when your Quarterback insists on throwing to the other team!
The Vikings finally broke the damn with less than 5 minutes to go in the half with their first offensive TD of the game on a 2 yard run from backup CJ Ham. The advantageous field position came as a result of multiple pass interference calls against the Jets in the redzone, and they capitalized to go ahead 17 – 0 before the break. Sauce Gardner drew several PI penalties on the drive as he attempted to bottle up Justin Jefferson, leading to the score.
As alluded to above, Rodgers looked completely out of sorts in the first half, and it certainly didn’t help that he took a big shot from Harrison Smith right at the 2 minute mark – the safety streaking off the edge for a free shot on A Rod. The veteran signal caller did however manage to collect some points in the waning moments of the half, connecting with Allen Lazard for a score. It was a badly needed lift and ensured the game remained somewhat competitive.
The 2nd instalment of this entertaining duel got underway just after 4pm, as the rain started to fall, and the London sky grew dull. The poor weather didn’t subdue the masses however, despite somewhat of a lull in the action. Rodgers got absolutely sandwiched by a pair of Vikings defensive linemen in the middle of the 3rd and was pictured clutching his knee before walking off under his own power. He was briefly subbed by Tyrod Taylor before returning, but you must wonder how much this affected him as he gingerly limped off the field after leading his side to a field goal.
This was just one of several massive hits he endured throughout, and he definitely looked a little worse for wear as the game approached its conclusion.
A late Darnold interception gave the de facto away side a new lease of life late in the game, and they didn’t need to be asked twice – Rodgers finding Wilson in the endzone on a short pass to cut the lead the 3 points with less than 5 minutes to go. Was there a thrilling conclusion instore for us in London?
Alas, the Jets’ brave comeback attempt was ultimately scuppered as Aaron Rodgers threw his 3rd interception of the night in the dying moments; a desperation haul which was reined in by none other than Stephon Gilmore to seal victory for the Vikings.
This final turnover set a record for the signal caller as it was the first time he tossed three picks in a single game. Not a game he’s going to want to remember!
Regardless of the result it’s safe to say that the crowd of 61,000 plus had an absolute ball in White Hart Lane on Sunday afternoon. And we can’t wait to do it all again next weekend!
Final score in London, Minnesota Vikings 23 – New York Jets 17
