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
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
Mike Conley was in Minneapolis, where he sounded the Gjallarhorn at the Vikings game, on Sunday during the robbery.
