Vikings-Colts recap: Game balls, numbers to know, and what's next

Kirk Cousins and Dalvin Cook starred, and you have to salute a third player who didn't get the rewards he deserved.

December 18, 2022 at 2:21AM
Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) celebrates with teammates, including Adam Thielen, left, and K.J. Osborn, right. (Alex Kormann, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

GAME BALLS

Kirk Cousins: Last week Kevin O'Connell said his quarterback was trying his will his team to victory. Cousins came up short against Detroit, but he pulled it off against Indy, throwing for a career-high 460 yards and four touchdowns.

Dalvin Cook: The Vikings running back had 190 yards from scrimmage, including weaving 64 yards for the tying touchdown off a screen pass late in the fourth quarter. He also reached 1,000 rushing yards for the fourth time.

Chandon Sullivan: The Vikings cornerback returned two fumbles for touchdowns. Neither counted, but he can have a game ball anyway.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

12/21/97: The last time the Vikings had beaten the Colts before Saturday. The Vikings have only eight wins against the Colts in 27 games.

55: Number of fourth-quarter points the Colts have given up in the past two games.

3: Number of Vikings first downs in the first half

29: Number of Vikings first downs in the second half.

82: Vikings' net offensive yards in the first half.

436: Vikings' net offensive yards in the second half and overtime.

25%: The Colts' red-zone efficiency. In a game where every point ultimately mattered, Indianapolis scored only one touchdown in four trips to the red zone, settling for field goals the other three times.

21: The Vikings' previous biggest halftime deficit in a comeback win. They trailed at San Francisco 35-21 at halftime on Oct. 24, 1965, but rallied to win 42-41.

4: Game-winning field goals for Greg Joseph this season, a team record.

JEFFERSON WATCH

After a 123-yard performance Saturday, Justin Jefferson has a career-high 1,623 receiving yards, 9 short of Randy Moss' Vikings record for receiving yards in a season and 341 yards shy of Calvin Johnson's NFL record from 2012. Jefferson needs to average 125.7 yards over the next three games to reach his goal of a 2,000-yard season.

UP NEXT

vs. Giants, Saturday, Noon

Their division title sewn up, the Vikings face a team fighting for playoff position. The Giants (7-5-1) got off to a surprising 6-1 start under new head coach Brian Daboll, but like the Vikings have endured questions about their legitimacy. The Giants play the 7-5-1 Commanders on Sunday in a crucial game in the NFC wild-card race.

SEASON SCHEDULE/RESULTS

Sept 11: vs. Green Bay, W, 23-7

Sept. 19: at Philadelphia, L, 24-7

Sept. 25: vs. Detroit, W, 28-24

Oct. 2: at New Orleans in London, W, 28-25

Oct. 9: vs. Chicago, W, 29-22

Oct. 16: at Miami, W, 24-16

Oct. 23: BYE

Oct. 30: vs. Arizona, W, 34-26

Nov. 6: at Washington, W, 20-17

Nov. 13: at Buffalo, W, 33-30 OT

Nov. 20: vs. Dallas, L, 40-3

Nov. 24: vs. New England, W, 33-26

Dec. 4: vs. N.Y. Jets, W, 27-22

Dec. 11: at Detroit, L, 34-23

Dec. 17: vs. Indianapolis, W, 39-36, OT

Dec. 24: vs. N.Y. Giants, noon

Jan. 1: at Green Bay, 3:25 p.m.

Jan. 7 or 8: at Chicago, TBD

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