2024 Week 10: Vikings 12, Jaguars 7

The Vikings were clearly the better team, but it was close the whole way through, and Minnesota almost dropped one to a lackluster Jacksonville squad. Sam Darnold looked more like his former self, but not all of the picks were on him, more on the QBs later.

This was a big get for Minnesota (7-2), this keeps them just a game behind Detroit, they most likely won’t catch them, but winning this game keeps their hopes alive. As has been the theme all week, the good teams find ways to win when they are playing poorly… the bad teams do not.

Jacksonville (2-8) is now in last place in the AFC South, a division with the Titans and Colts, 2 other good teams that are bad because they can’t finish games. The Jaguars tied themselves to the sinking ship that is Trevor Lawrence, but their roster is so poorly constructed that he’s the only hope they have when it comes to winning games.

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QB Report:
- Sam Darnold (24/38 for 241 yards, 3 INTs; 7 rushes for 28 yards) threw 3 picks in this game, and 5 in his last two games, doubling his total to 10 on the year. I don’t think we are having a complete reversion to the ‘seeing ghosts’ Sam Darnold, but with the injury to Christian Darrisaw, we won’t be seeing MVP-candidate Darnold again. Pass protection has always been the key to making Darnold work. His issue right now is he’s trying to force it to Justin Jefferson way too much. He’s a great receiver but when you throw the ball into double or triple coverage on 1/4 of your throws it’s bound to hurt you eventually.

- Mac Jones (14/22 for 111 yards, 2 INTs; 5 rushes for 8 yards, 1 TD) was only the second-worst QB I’ve watched this week, so that’s an improvement. Cooper Rush takes the cake in that regard. Jacksonville should have never been in the game with Jones playing, they just played down to the competition. Mac Jones has not improved since last year, he might have gotten worse actually. No zip on the ball, he doesn’t appear confident in his decision-making, this is not good.

RB Report:
- Tank Bigsby (2-4-0) was hurt so Travis Etienne (11-44-0, 1 catch for -1 yard) had the full lead in the back field. With Jones at QB teams have no threat of an air attack so Etienne and Bigsby (when he returns) will be dealing with a stacked box on most of the obvious running downs. Both of these guys are screwed for fantasy for the rest of the season, even when TLaw returns.

- Aaron Jones (17-88-0; 2 catches for 13 yards) cannot find the endzone this year, and neither can Packers RB Josh Jacobs. Both are playing well and tallying good touches and yardage, but not many TDs. Jones had this issue back in Green Bay last season, he has 6 TDs in his last 20 games.

- Minnesota traded for Cam Akers (13-38-0; 1 catch for 9 yards) earlier this season, and when Jones went down this game, he got the overwhelming majority of playing time over Ty Chandler (4-18-0). Akers looked solid when filling in for Joe Mixon earlier this season, and that trend continued in this game, despite the low ypc.

Akers out-snapped Chandler 26-12 so if you are worried about Jones reinjuring himself (cleared this weekend, by the way) then Akers is his handcuff.

WR/TE Report:
- I have nothing to say but good luck, in regards to anything related to Jacksonville. Evan Engram (6-40-0/8) should be the guy for Mac Jones and he was in this game, everything else…

- Justin Jefferson (5-48-0/9) only has 1 TD in his last 5 games, seems like Aaron Jones passed whatever bug he has on to JJettas. I think I can actually diagnose Jefferson’s touchdown plague, and it’s two-fold… 

1) Sam Darnold telegraphs WAY too much when he’s throwing to Jefferson, most of the time it looks pre-determined before the ball is snapped or before any adjustments are made at the line. 

2) This is much less subjective but stat based, but Darnold is throwing to the tight end position more. This coincides with Darrisaw’s injury and the return of TJ Hockenson (8-72-0/9), as well as the breakout of Josh Oliver (4-52-06). Less time to throw, and Darnold struggling, he goes to his big-bodied and reliable TEs. All MIN TEs combined for 12 catches for 124 yards on 15 targets. The last two games, the games without Darrisaw, Darnold has thrown 11 and 12 targets to the TE position combined. Before this turn the previous high was 7 targets as a unit.

image source: (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)