4 Moments, Happenings From Sunday's Vikings Win
The Minnesota Vikings earned a much-needed 30-24 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday to snap a four-game losing streak. But what a weird game.
It was one of the few NFL games where fans were just as glued to viral Internet happenings as they were with what was actually transpiring on the field. For the first time in more than 60 years, the Vikings got a defensive touchdown and a special teams touchdown that were both at least 100 yards.
The Vikings improved to 6-4 and have a huge opportunity to take the division lead at Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. Here are four moments from Sunday's game that went viral on social media.
Sound Guy Gets Pummeled
defpensports: Ouch Fox NFL Football: Bears at Giants https://t.co/dKb3KfoW0H pic.twitter.com/Ftm2ObCDWV
— FanSportsClips (@FanSportsClips) November 20, 2016
Ever wondered what it's like to get run over by an NFL defensive lineman? Ask Fox NFL worker Bernie Beaudry. The Vikings were taking the field during pregame introductions when Beaudry tried to dart across the field to get to a different spot. He was too late, and he got literally plowed over by Linval Joseph.
Brian Robison and Everson Griffen were also part of the aftermath, but they stopped to make sure he was OK and helped him up. We can laugh because Beaudry is fine, other than having his glasses smashed. He probably has a headache, but a good story to tell.
Vikings Troll Fox NFL Sunday On Twitter
Fox NFL Sunday has had a rough time with the Vikings and graphics this year. Twice, they've had to apologize for putting Sam Bradford's face on another player's body. First, it was Teddy Bridgewater and most recently, it was Matt Cassel.
So after the Vikings' first touchdown on Sunday, their social media folks had a little fun with Fox on Twitter. Yes, that's Bradford's head on the body of former quarterback Daunte Culpepper. He's doing his classic "Get Your Roll On" after a Vikings score.
.@NFLonFOXpic.twitter.com/NKalvPAXuW
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 20, 2016
Yes it's trolling, but well-timed and worth a gut laugh.
Cordarrelle Patterson's Flashy Socks
Cordarrelle Patterson might get a fine because of it, but it's worth every penny. The NFL has strict standards with its game day uniform policy and fines players every week as a result. Patterson has always been flashy, but he took his game to another level Sunday. That's both with his style and his play.
Patterson wore some flashy pregame socks with an image of himself on both.
#Vikings wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson sports himself on his socks. pic.twitter.com/6zK0P6zjLR
— Brace Hemmelgarn (@bracehemmelgarn) November 20, 2016
Maybe he was inspired by it, or maybe he's figured some things about in a big year for his NFL future. He returned a kick 104 yards for a touchdown to open the second half. He's also continuing to emerge as a receiving threat. He finished Sunday with four catches for 53 yards. He caught three passes all of last year, and now has 37 catches and is now averaging about nine yards per reception.
Terrible Day For Officials
The NFL is a billion dollar industry, so it's frustrating for fans and players when the officials policing the game have a bad day. And Sunday, they were pretty awful for both teams.
The Vikings had to challenge the referee's call for their first touchdown, a grab by Adam Thielen. The official was right in front of the play, but said Thielen was out of bounds. Replays clearly showed he caught the ball in the end zone and was in the field of play. Mike Zimmer also had to challenge the Vikings' second touchdown, a short run by Matt Asiata. He was originally ruled short of the goal line, but clearly got the ball across.
The Vikings also benefited from three personal foul calls against the Cardinals that were all pretty bad. Vikings defensive tackle Tom Johnson was called for roughing the passer on Carson Palmer for finishing a tackle. He called it a "B.S." call in the locker room after the game.
It will be interesting to see that the NFL does about its officials after the season, because most can agree this hasn't been a great year for the zebras.
Moving on, the Vikings are in a crucial stretch at 6-4 with six games left. It can be argued that five of the six left are very winnable, with the biggest test coming against Dallas on Dec. 1. Winning five of the last six puts the Vikings at 11-5, which should win the NFC North.
