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Grant Gordon’s takeaways:

1. Vikings defense stands strong to stop two-game skid. Though Minnesota had three turnovers and two missed field goals, the Vikings were able to snap their two-game skid largely because of the tenacious play of their defense. Veteran stalwart Harrison Smith, who recovered a fumble on a botched Colts handoff during the game’s opening drive, had back-to-back breakups in the fourth quarter when he brought the wood to dislodge would-be completions. That led to a turnover on downs and a subsequent Sam Darnold touchdown toss on the ensuing drive. Darnold accounted for each of his team’s turnovers, but he also threw three touchdowns as the Vikings defense bailed him out time and again. On the Colts’ final possession and last gasp, they were held to three points as Joe Flacco was sacked thrice on the drive. The Vikings didn’t allow an offensive touchdown, relinquished just 227 net yards and helped Minnesota win the first down battle, 29-13. Justin Jefferson was his usual phenomenal self and Darnold overcame his struggles, but Minnesota is back in the win column chiefly because its defense was dastardly on Sunday night.
2. QB switch will be questioned after Colts lay offensive egg. This was not the Joe Flacco who rescued and resurrected the Cleveland Browns offense in 2023 or who Shane Steichen was looking for to give the Colts a playoff push. This was the version of Flacco who was teammates with his Sunday night counterpart, Sam Darnold, on the New York Jets four years ago. Flacco captained a largely lifeless offense that generated zero touchdowns, was a miserable 3 of 11 on third downs, taxed a Colts defense that performed sensationally most of the night and totaled 227 yards on 49 plays. It was the first time Indy’s gone without an offensive TD since Week 16 of the 2022 season, per NFL Research. With Steichen having made the move to the veteran Flacco and benching 2023 first-rounder Anthony Richardson for the good of the team in the here and now, the decision will be scrutinized all the more after Sunday’s dismal initial results. It wasn’t all on Flacco, of course. Jonathan Taylor was held to 3.7 yards per carry on 13 attempts and was responsible for a head-scratching botched handoff to open the game. But Flacco went 16 of 27 for 179 yards and an interception. He snapped a streak of seven consecutive starts with a TD pass, his last instance without a scoring toss coming in his final start for the Jets in Week 18 of the 2022 season. The Colts’ defense kept them in the game, but the Flacco-led offense kept them out of it — and out of the end zone.
3. Jefferson’s going to get you eventually. Through one quarter of play, Justin Jefferson was held to one catch. Then he did what Justin Jefferson does and made big play after big play, hauling in seven receptions for 137 yards on the evening. Darnold threw three touchdowns to three receivers, none of them Jefferson, but it was the All-Pro who most impacted the game. Jefferson, who also had a 22-yard completion to Aaron Jones, had five catches of 20-plus yards, including a 41-yarder to set up Minnesota to take a 14-7 lead a few plays later. Those five catches for 20-plus yards are tied for the most for any player in a game this season — the other being Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba earlier in the day — per NFL Research. This was hardly the most optically pleasing game, with five combined turnovers and three combined missed field goals. But the best wideout in the game showcased his usual excellence and, for good measure, recovered an onside kick to seal the win and snap the Vikings’ skid. 

Next Gen Stats Insight for Colts-Vikings (via NFL Pro): Justin Jefferson caught seven of his nine targets for 137 yards against the Colts, generating a season-high +53 receiving yards over expected. Jefferson accounted for over half of the Vikings’ air yards (53.4%) for the third time this season.

NFL Research: Vikings kicker Will Reichard, a sixth-round rookie, made the first 14 field goals attempted in his career prior to missing two on Sunday night. In five years at Alabama, Reichard only missed multiple field goals in three games.