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Good evening and welcome to Vikings Rewind on Kfan and the Minnesota Vikings Radio Network.
I'm Nordo from nine to noon.
Vikings Rewind is always presented by Omni Viking Lakes and you can book your stay today.
Just go to.
Omnihotels dot com slash Viking Lakes. It took nearly a month, Vikings fans, a lot of frustration, a lot of irritation, and a lot of losing, but.
We got one. The Vikings won a game.
One one thirteen was the final yesterday and Charlotte the purple beating rookie first overall pick Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers twenty one to thirteen. The final score and this is a massive one. The Bears found their way to spite up twenty eight to seven on the Broncos. At one point yesterday they figured out how to lose that game. They're the worst in the NFC North, but keeping pace with those Lions who you watch dominate the
Packers last Thursday, Packers themselves having some struggles. The NFC North still very much in the grasp finding the first victory, hopefully finding some rhythm and despite the fact that the Panthers are certainly far from being among the contenders in the NFL. Sometimes it may take a game like this just dominating a bad team statistically, sometimes making it a bit more dramatic than it needed to be, but getting some great plays from players and moments that put you
over the top. And the Vikings now one in three on the twenty twenty three season second segment. Next segment, you're gonna hear from head coach Kevin O'Connell in the exclusive postgame interview that he does with Ben Lieber, whether it's a win or unfortunately through the first three a loss, And you're gonna hear that next segment. But let's rewind to the action.
Now. What changed yesterday?
Of course a victory and what did not change, unfortunately is early woes offensively in terms of ball security. In the Tampa game, Vikings punted, then turned the ball over the next two possessions. In the Philly game Week two, punted and then fumbled against the Eagles on Thursday night.
Last week, TJ Hawkinson in the red zone fumbles. And then today well, after a very promising opening drive to start the game seven plays seventy yards, right at the doorstep of going up six to nothing, Kirk threw a pick six.
Cousin's up, the shotgun takes the Austin Schlopeman snap, looks left, rose, left right to a defender and this might be a nine nine yard pick six. It is Tam Franklin junior inside the fifty cousins of points of Blackford. Does he know he doesn't touchdown Carolta Panthers.
That is a ninety nine.
Yard pick six by Sam Franklin, fourth year from Temple, and the Panthers have taken a six zero lead.
You heard it in the boxes voice right there, He's like, is this happening again? This can't be, This can't be happening. And it feels like in a lot of ways, maybe we shouldn't be shocked, as so far in twenty twenty three, everything's happening the exact opposite way that things transpire a year ago.
For instance, specifically with early offense.
The Vikings were among the NFL's best a year ago in early points, specifically opening possession points, where in the first eleven games is scored a touchdown with that opening opportunity in seven of those games.
And now it's punting and it's turnovers.
Vikings respond to that by a three and out, and suddenly it's midway through the first quarter and the Purple are on tilt against one of the worst teams in the NA longest drive for either team yesterday started midway through the first as the Panthers won on a fifteen play drive eight and a half minutes that ended.
In a field goal.
So now, right at the beginning of the second quarter, the Vikings need to wake up in Charlotte against a team with a quarterback that doesn't seem quite ready to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. But they do just that, ten plays, sixty four yard drives. Everybody, calm down, this game's not over. We still have.
Justin Jefferson out of the time out, third and one tenth playoff possession. That's gone sixteen yards, taking five minutes and change. Cousins play action, rolls out to the right, pumps fires cut, touchdown justin Jefferson. It is the second touchdown this season for JJ, tenth thrown by Cousins, and it's ten to six Carolina.
There we go, ten minutes left in the half. It's ten to seven after Greg Joe's I puts one through the uprights, and now the teams are exchanging a few punts, wearing themselves in and Kirk Cousins kind of a story of the season so far. He was hit thirty two times total in the first three games. That's unsustainable for a guy that we want to keep upright now with the Panthers, they got some linebackers out secondary's injured, but
they have Jeremy Chin. And Jeremy Chin with a couple of fumble return tds against the Vikings a few seasons ago, put one on Kirk.
Yesterday, Minnesota one to four on third down, Kirk Cousins is blip and Cousins is sacked by Jeremy Chin. Fourth year Southern Illinois is eleventh back the season for the Carolina Panthers.
Now I play these highlights and you have to trust me here. The offensive line, in my opinion, actually played pretty well yesterday. Overall, he was sacked twice, Kirk was hit just four times. The numbers significantly lower in totality in terms of the amount of times Kirk was under fire, the amount of times he was hitting the turf or at least being hit a lot lower yesterday than they had been in any of the three previous games, so
a sign of improvement. Many people wondering when Dalton Reisner was going to replace a certain guard on the offensive line. It didn't happen yesterday. Now what did happen yesterday? Which maybe led to people calling Dalton Reisner's name is a defender gets around His name is ye Tor Grossmatos, and he gets around at Ingram and forces another Vikings turnover thousands out of.
The shot done first down from the Panthers twenty one, Kirk back to pass. His arm is hit as he threw it, and the ball goo lies into the air and into the arms of an awaiting Carolina Panther who goes tearing down the sideline.
That was Camou Brew j. Hill that's who that was the linebacker. You know what I'm gonna do.
I'm just gonna go ahead and let Pa handle the pronunciation of that particular player's name. But I can pronounce somewhere words like turnovers, turnovers as in a massive theme for the Vikings in twenty twenty three, the pick six. Think about all these tide turners throughout the twenty twenty three You're on your way in yesterday to go up seven to nothing. There was a penalty on Josh Oliver,
by the way, that negated a touchdown before that. Pick six penalties yesterday, some lack of discipline from the Vikings. Seven penalties yesterday. So that's a problem in its own right. But the tide turners and turnovers is you go in for seven, Nope, never mind, they go the other way
ninety nine for seven. That's a tide turner, TI turner going in for points and ye tor gros Matos gets around at Ingram hits Kirk's arm, ball flies in the air and lands in the arms of that player whose name I am not interested in trying to pronounce at this particular moment. So tide turners throughout the day, these turnovers, leading to points as well, and in this case, the Carolina Panthers find their way in the final forty seconds of the half to get themselves a field goal off
that inn. So now it is thirteen to seven at the break. So here those highlights, Kirk's getting sacked, Kirk's throwing the ball to the other team, and all of those things against many teams in the NFL.
The game is over, but it's the Panthers.
So after the teams exchange a couple of punts to start the third quarter, the Carolina Panthers are in the midst of another long drive ten play, six and a half minute drive. And it was the defense yesterday that stepped up and crated a little tide turn for ourselves.
By Seung facing a blitzing Harrison Smith and the ball team out come in and picked up bye du jay onehum.
Is loose inside the ten touchdown.
D k one, Them's first National Football League touchdown, has tied the game.
At thirteen, stripsacked by the hitman Harrison Smith coming in on a blitz and then Dja rumbled tumbles his way to the end zone and the Vikings take the lead.
And while they would not look back while the tension.
And the drama wasn't over, Defense needed to make another play. As with the defensive touchdown, Carolina just gets the roll right back out there and they can go down. They can put seven on the board, and now Vikings are chasing the score line again. They can kick a field goal and at least take the lead. Now, defense just put the pedal down, and this time Daniel Hunter found his way to the rookie.
Daniel Hunter and dj Wanham the alclad guys for Bryce Young on third down, back to pass.
He has no idea what's happening in his sack. Ryce Young is so confused right.
Now, Marcus Davenport started it. Daniel Hunter will get the solo.
Sack, which means he has fixed the season.
It was amazing and it was kind of fun yesterday to feel it for myself, this massive attitude change that took place in such a short period of time. I also noticed it with the fans via social media and sech yesterday too. And we love JJ getting to the end zone, and we love the idea of what this offense can be, but we very rarely have seen it truly dominate, at least in twenty twenty three and the defects.
It's one of those things where you know, we'll get to final stats and such from yesterday, but they gave up two hundred and seventy rushing yards to the Philadelphia Eagles, come home and allow four hundred and fifty passing yards to the Los Angeles Chargers. So we know about the inadequacies and the imperfections, and above all else, you're in each of those games and you're not getting over the hump.
So everything's negative.
And through that first half yesterday, you start out the game the way that you've started out other losing affairs, with a turnover, the pick six and it goes the wrong way. So all of that is just this and the perception that the Carolina Panthers, by the way, are one of the worst teams in the NFL. That perception appears to be accurate. And so you're doing this against the bottom feeder of the entire league.
What is happening? It's so negative.
And we've seen Kirk throw for three one hundred and fifty yards and three or four touchdowns, and we've seen the team lose. We've seen JJ go for one hundred and fifty yards and touchdown off and touchdown, and we've seen the team lose. But dj Wanam hitman on the strip sack and then you force the three and out
with a massive Danil Hunter sighting. Immediately after that, the defense making itself known and becoming such a huge presence and a force in this game, taking over the game, I would say helped with that attitude change that I went through late stages of the third quarter as Bryce Young was running for his freaking life. Now the offense, you got the lead fourteen to thirteen towards the end of the third quarter.
You just have to close this one out if you will.
Bob up four plays fifty six yards and JJ get into the end zone for a second time.
I like that second and one from the Carolina thirty two receivers right JK to the left got a three one takes the stat fires to the end, so did Jefferson to They single JJ and they paid. It is twenty to thirteen, Minnesota, and that.
Ends up being your final score, twenty one to thirteen with the extra point.
But it is not the end of the game. It's just the end of the third quarter.
And as I mentioned just a couple of minutes ago, We love it when Kirk goes for three point fifty and four. We love it when JJ catches all those passes, makes all those plays. Big smile, he's dancing in the end zone. Those are all great things for the Vikings that we adore. But as much as we needed JJ to put the Vikings in front, we need the defense to shut it down. When you heard daneil Hunter sacking
Bryce Young, Bryce Young was under fire yesterday. One guy that we had not heard being mentioned much, if at all, through the first three games. Marcus Davenport. Where's he ben Vikings choire him in the offseason? Has an ankle injury. I think he played four snaps in the Thursday night game at Philly, but zero impact to match the zero on his jersey. He was a one man wrecking crew yesterday with highlights like this.
Re receivers right and Hayton Hurst to the left, Adam Field inside lot right, yump back to pass on third down, sees nothing.
Marcus Davenport.
Goddamn Marcus Davenport with his first sack as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. Drive back the Carolina Panthers and Johnny Hecker.
Is into pun How about that?
Marcus Davenport, who totaled one half sack a year ago for the New Orleans Saints.
At half sack was on Kirk Cousins in London.
By the way, he got a full sack, he doubled last year's total in one play. But in all honesty, he was requiring extra attention. It opened up opportunities for other and that was something that was sorely missed on that defense on the front line for the Minnesota Vikings defense. Now he was making himself no love Marcus Davenport being healthy about Harrison Smith.
Let's just this stat line here.
Fourteen tackles, three sacks, tackles for loss. He had two hit the quarterback a few times. The way he was being deployed yesterday, and the way he dominated, specifically on the final possession for the Carolina Panthers where they're driving again it's.
A one possession game. Let's not forget this.
Midway through the fourth the Carolina Panthers going a fifteen play fifty one yard drive that took six and a half minutes, and we were sweating it as they got inside Minnesota's ten yard line. It was first in goal at the Vikings nine but then Harrison Smith while he went to work second and goal from.
The nine by to leave by eight five to go in the game. Rece Young fasting a blitz and he cannot get away from it. Here's that for the fourth time, and it was a blitzing. Harry the hit Man. Marcus Davenport also in the mix. Two sacked today if they give it to him and pull for Harrison Smith and that backs up these kiddies.
Third and eighteen. Eventually at the Minnesota Vikings eighteen yard line, Bryce Young, he's harassed again DJ Wantam in the mix. He has to throw it in complete, falls harmlessly front side of the end zone, and then the Vikings take a time out.
There's about a minute.
Left, fourth and goal from the eighteen yard line, and Harry the Hitman kicks down the door once more.
A come fourth and goal from the eighteen empty backfield. Three receivers left, two right, twenty one thirteen Minnesota. Bryce Young between the hash marks, takes the Bozeman snat.
Poor Man rush Pay's hit, Henry's sacked. He is hit and sacked and taken down.
If I have the player of the game, Harrison Smith with his third sack, this game, his second sack as he throws his helmet in joy to the Viking sideline. First time he ever had a two sack game in his career. This is the one hundred and sixty ninth game. Well he has three stacks today.
The most sax Harrison Smith's ever had in a season was three, and he had three yesterday. So big outlier game for a guy that's had a lot of those big games for the Vikings in his decade plus time in Purple. The Vikings offense takes over, wears out the clock. Twenty one to thirteen is the final score. Vikings now one to three, and so many cool things to celebrate. Defensively, yesterday you can play the game of well it's the Panthers,
Well it's Bryce Young. But these are the types of games I think a team like the Vikings need as they propel themselves forward, but offensively even as well. Two consecutive games where the Vikings are running effectively twenty three carries at five point nine per one hundred and thirty five yards in the ground. Madison with ninety five got to see cam Akers yesterday his five carries, but he
went for forty and so productivity in the run game. Actually, the Kirk threw for one hundred and thirty net yards and the Vikings ran for one thirty five. It's been a few years since the running attack out game, the passing attack.
It was light work for Kirk yesterday.
He only completed twelve passes to his own team, fourteen if you count the two that he gave to the kiddies.
We're not gonna do that. Twelve and nineteen, a buck thirty nine, and the two.
Touchdowns to JJ, the two picks, but light work for the receiving corps, just kind of game flow, all of those things. The Panthers had forty minutes of possession yesterday, but we're severely overmatched, just a weird one down in Charlotte. Vikings are on the right side of it, and they improve to one and three chiefs next week. We know that it's Patrick Mahomes, it's Travis Kelce and all those things.
But for today, let's just celebrate that the Vikings were victorious and now have a victory something to build off of. Before I go, because we're gonna play KOC with Ben Leeber around the corner, I do want to remind you you can go to Monticello this Friday the Friday Football Feast BA in Charge in Monticello at b Dubs and that's from nine to noon. The feasts are always presented by Coors Light. By the way, you can enjoy food and drink specials and answer to win Vikings tickets and more.
Just go to Vikings dot com slash bww for a full schedule in details Bubs and Monticelo on Friday, pumping up that Chiefs game. But when we return, you're gonna hear Kevin O'Connell finally a victory interview in the postgame.
Ben Lieber each and every week tracks him down.
We'll hear most of that next Vikings rewind presented by Omni Viking Lakes on Kfan and the Minnesota.
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To Vikings, rewind Kfan and the Minnesota Vikings Radio Network.
Before we get to Hey, you can join Mike Mussman and.
Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips.
They're at Jimmy's and vaden His Heights tomorrow at five point thirty pm and it's presented by Miller Light. Win great prizes including tickets in the Miller Light Lounge at us Bank Stadium. Go to Vikings dot com slash Vikings Country for more info in a full schedule. Jimmy's and Vadness Heights, Harrison Phillips and muss Welcome back. You heard the highlights from yesterday's twenty one thirteen Vikings victory over the Carolina Panthers immediately after the game.
Now that the team.
Finally won one a much more positive conversation in the exclusive postgame interview that Ben Lieber does with Kevin O'Connell and Ben.
Got to start things out going. Hey, how about that defense?
No, I think so much credit to coach Flow, his staff and those players, really taking what I thought was a really really good game plan by those guys, really taking advantage of what we've done these first three weeks, trying to cost some confusion out of some of those looks, and then just relying on some critical downs, relying on our best to go make some place. Harrison Smith, what an unbelievable performance and when you had to have it over and over again twenty two just we can rely
on him in those moments. Three sacks, the force, fumble all over the place. You know, from the jump, I knew we were going to get a special day out of Harrison and it doesn't shock me one bit. One of my favorite players I've ever coached.
Well, one of the other guys that we we haven't seen much of, and that's Marcus Davenport. I know that you guys had a chance to see him in training camp. You guys know how disruptive he can be. Guys know that you know what he does your defensive front as far as different different alignments and the flexibility. But all day today he was just creating chaos. Is that sort of what you guys expect with a healthy Davenport?
Yeah, that was the expectation.
And Marcus, to his credit, you know, has not allowed this, you know, early on struggle of getting on the field to affect his overall preparation. Nobody's wanted to be out there more Ben than Marcus, and so great to have him back with that group. And I mean, I know
you could feel it. You can feel his impact from the jump, I mean, pairing him with Danil in some of those rush groups on third downs, his physicality and how hard he can beat a block on the edge in the run game, and then just what that's able to do for a guy like dj Wantam, you know, to get in that nice sweet spot. He had six tackles in a sack and obviously a fumble return for
a touchdown. Pat Jones was physical. That outside backer group can be a real determining factor for our team when we have all four of those guys up and rolling, and then you combine it with some of the looks that flows throwing at people, pairing the pressure with coverage and pressure and coverage.
It's exciting for me.
And my challenge to them is just to keep on building on what we've been able to do, and that's really our whole team. Mantra Go back to work, regardless of the outcome, improve and go play our best game yet, our very next opportunity.
Well, switching over to the offense, I know, obviously, you guys, not the way you want to end that first series. Guys did a great job getting down the field, some big plays and then obviously the pick six. But you guys settled in not a ton of offensive plays, but you really got the run game going. We've talked about it, you know, all year long, getting the run game going. One hundred and thirty five yards on the ground and was six yards of rush. Madison goes off for ninety five.
But then Cam Akers much like Marcus Stavenport. You know, we don't know much about this player. You know him a lot more, but what sort of effect did he have in the run game.
Yeah, I think Alex and Cam we're both very, very good getting downhill. I credit our offensive line, the interior of our offensive line, Josh Oliver TJ on the edges with Johnny Munt CJ getting sell him on a power play backed up there. I love the urgency that we've shown in the emphasis that we've put into the run game as a staff and as players that we can lean on it in moments when our defense is playing
really well, and we did have two turnovers. You know, I love the first drive of the game, mixing it different plays here and there. We get all the way down there, we score one time, they take it off the board with the hold and then that's just a throw that we can't make in that moment, and Kirk knows that just kind of laid it out to the flat and kind of just because it's you know, it's the starting point of the read. But he's more than
capable of progressing through that and he will. Kirk continues to lead the show, doing everything we need him to do to help move our team and ultimately Ben when you look at before that four minute drive, at the very end, forty plays on offense, we're still at near six and a half yards of play. But we just have to sustain more and when we have to have those third down conversions, the protection's got to hold up.
Pitching and catching's got to happen, especially with how much coverage Justin is seeing, and that will be the lively the livelihood of this offense because we're going to run it. We're going to marry the run in the past. We hit some nice play passes today, but overall our offensive group, the standard is said high and we got to keep chasing that perfect performance out there over and over and over again to do our our job to play complimentary.
For that.
It's KOC with Ben Lieber wraps up.
Vikings rewind presented by Omni Viking Lakes one more time before I go, You can rediscover fun again an Omni Viking Lakes Hotel. The playlist is endless, just steps from the Vikings headquarters and training facility. Book online omnihotels dot com slash Viking Lakes, Vikings Win, Vikings win. Feels good to be able to say that one in three in the season. Tough one ahead Chiefs in Town three twenty five, kickoff one pm. Pregame on your home for Vikings football Defan.
It's going to be a fun one next Sunday. Thank you so much for listening. I'm Nordo from nine to Noone to Kfan and the Minnesota Vikings Radio Network.
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