Based on the statistics sheet, this game should have been much closer than the actual final score indicated. The Jaguars got more first downs than the Vikings (17-15), more passing yards (286-104), and held about even in time-of-possession. However, the Vikes dominated the game in two key areas: turnovers recovered (five) and rushing yards (122-35).
So far on this Vikings forum, most people have attributed the Vikings' win to either dumb luck (the bounce of the football) or Jacksonville's wide variety of miscues. I will admit that, without those two quick early scores that were essentially handed to the Vikings, the game would have been much more of a tense affair. Thus, this win did relatively little to establish Minnesota as any sort of force in the NFC. However, there are two alternate ways of looking at this win over the Jags:
1. Yes, the Jags played terrible, but the Vikes were able to convert when given the opportunity to do so, something that doesn't always (or almost never) happens in Vikingland. The biggest example of this was on the second kickoff of the game, when the Jags' returner fumbled and the Vikes recovered deep in JAX territory. How many times in recent games would penalties or incompetence force the Vikes to settle for just a field goal in such a situation? Quite a few. In Jacksonville, though, the Vikes converted those opportunities and gave themselves the best scenario in which to pick up a victory: Get a big lead, stuff the run, make the other team pass and come up with a few turnovers. Plus, we saw great improvement on the special teams units (removing Maurice Hicks from kickoff return duty was long overdue). Sure, the Vikes didn't play all that well in Jacksonville, but at least they didn't squander a victory, and to me that is something.
2. Going along with the rare "positive-thinking Vikings fan" mindset from above, this win puts the Vikes in great position to potentially win the NFC North division. All I want to see this season is for the Vikes to return to the playoffs...I know they will likely not make a SuperBowl run, but just seeing them in January would be fun. Plus, going along with my positivity from above once again, let's say the Vikings were to play, oh, Carolina in the first round of the playoffs. If we got an early lead and forced them away from their gameplan, we could have a great shot to advance deeper. A reach, I know, but at this point I just want the Purple to have that opportunity, and the win over Jacksonville gave them a better chance to do so.
Finally, I also wanted to note that I was very impressed by the toughness of QB Gus Frerotte. I do not feel a bit bad for him, as he was purely responsible for most of the big hits layed upon him, but I still was surprised at his ability to shake those hits off and never really leave the game. It reminded me a lot of Jeff George in that 1999 playoff game against the St. Louis Rams, when George took hit after hit but kept getting back up and chucking it.
