MINNEAPOLIS— The Minnesota Vikings won their second straight game in Week 10, albeit in concerning fashion.
Relying solely on a solid defensive performance, plus the leg of a new kicker John Parker Romothe Vikings improved from 7-2 to 7-2 12-7 decision over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Next up: a third consecutive AFC South clash, this time with the Tennessee Titans. Here’s what to expect, plus other nuggets, from CBS Sports NFL writer and Vikings insider Cody Benjamin.
News pieces
Star running back Aaron Jones (ribs) is expected to have a full shot against the Titans despite leaving Sunday’s win on a cart. Jones later explained that the cart was only used to expedite a trip to the X-ray machine at the Jaguars’ EverBank Stadium. Tight end TJ Hockenson is also trending toward a normal workload after absorbing just under half of the Vikings’ offensive plays against Jacksonville; the Pro Bowler now has two solid games under his belt after returning from a nearly year-long ACL rehab in Week 9.
Insider buzz
It’s fair to wonder if the Vikings can keep up their winning formula with quarterback Sam Darnold seemingly returning pre-Minnesota turnover trends the past few weeks. Don’t be so quick to assume that coach Kevin O’Connell is preparing to pull the plug and bring in backup Nick Mullens. This is a coach who, just a year ago, endured the weekly rise and fall of emergency substitutes like Joshua Dobbs and Jaren Hall. He then watched Darnold build confidence over a full summer schedule and through the early stages of the season, and he continues to believe in the veteran as a playoff-caliber starter.
The big picture
The Vikings certainly haven’t dispelled doubts about their surprisingly good start thanks to their current AFC South series, which has added two wins to their record while seemingly dampening overall confidence in the club’s trajectory. Still, a win over the Titans on Sunday would put them at 8-2, and keep them squarely in the mix for not only an NFC wild card, but the NFC North itself. A Week 12 matchup with the rival Chicago Bears also looks winnable.
Around the North
The Detroit Lions (8-1) survived a five-interception performance from Jared Goff defeated the Houston Texans on Sunday evening. Now they’ll look for an eighth straight win against the Jaguars, who are ranked about as low as any team in the NFL. The Green Bay Packers (6-3) are coming off their bye to take on the Bears (4-5), who just fired their offensive coordinatorShane Waldron, next a 19-3 loss to the New England Patriots.
WCCO personnel
