4 takeaways at halftime from Week 8 Cardinals vs. Vikings
The first half has come to a close in Minneapolis as the Vikings hold onto a 14-10 lead as the half ended on a blocked 56-yard field goal from Greg Joseph.
The Vikings jumped on the board first with a 17-yard rushing touchdown from Kirk Cousins and the Cardinals answered in turn with a field goal from Matt Prater.
The Vikings got a touchdown on their third drive but left potential points on the board with simple missed throws from Cousins. The half finished with DeAndre Hopkins snagging a beautiful one-handed touchdown catch to shrink the lead down to four.
Throughout the first half, we identified four major takeaways from the first half.
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Kirk Cousins does his best Lamar Jackson impersonation
Oct 16, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) walks off the field against the Miami Dolphins at the end of the game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports
The Minnesota Vikings had the first possession of the game and Cousins took advantage of it. He ran three times on that opening drive for 21 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown where he showed some real burst in diving for the pylon. It’s a rare occurrence to see Cousins show that type of rushing acumen but it was a great call with that much open space.
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The running game has been tremendous
Oct 9, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook (4) runs with the ball against the Chicago Bears in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
The Vikings have been making things easy on themselves offensively. The easiest way to do that is to run the football effectively and the Vikings have done just that. On the first drive, Cousins had three rushes for 21 yards and so far, the Vikings have run for 134 yards at a staggering 8.4 yards per carry. Dalvin Cook looks like his former self with 80 yards on just nine carries. It has been a really nice game for the Vikings’ rushing offense and they should continue with that momentum after halftime.
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The Vikings pass rush is excellent
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Za’Darius Smith (55) celebrates with linebacker Danielle Hunter (99) after Hunter sacked Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the fourth quarter during their football game Sunday, September 11, 2022, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Min. Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
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The Vikings have an easy matchup against the Cardinals’ offensive line, who is missing three starters. They have been getting pressure on Murray throughout the first half and have sacked him twice with both coming from Za’Darius Smith. They are paying a lot of attention to Danielle Hunter, making sure that he is getting chipped on nearly every play. With the Vikings getting pressure across the line, they are doing a great job of also playing contain keeping Murray in the pocket. When your pass rush is playing this well, it makes this defense click.
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Kirk Cousins keeps missing throws high
Oct 30, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) drops back to pass against the Arizona Cardinals in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
The Vikings haven’t been great in executing their passing game in the first half and a lot of that has to do with the quarterback. Cousins has missed a few throws he normally hits with ease, but it’s missing them high which is weird. This has been a trend for a few weeks but this week doesn’t look like he’s rushing but rather just off a touch.
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