MINNEAPOLIS – Sam Darnold threw his second touchdown pass of the second half to Aaron Jones, giving the Minnesota Vikings their first lead with just 1:13 remaining in the game. With this comeback, the Vikings overcame a 13-point deficit to defeat the Arizona Cardinals 23-22, marking their fifth consecutive win.
Darnold completed 21 of 31 passes for 235 yards while facing a relentless pass rush from the Cardinals, who sacked him five times. Arizona’s defense held the Vikings (10-2) scoreless until Darnold connected with Johnny Mundt for a touchdown with 1:17 left in the third quarter.
Kyler Murray struggled in the fourth quarter, throwing two interceptions, which overshadowed what was otherwise a strong outing for the Cardinals (6-6). This loss dropped them to second place in the NFC West, falling behind the Seattle Seahawks.
Jonathan Greenard was instrumental for the Vikings’ defense, stripping the ball from Murray on a critical second down with 48 seconds remaining. He also managed to limit Murray to a 3-yard gain on the subsequent play, prompting the Cardinals to use their second timeout.
On fourth down, the Vikings ramped up their pressure on Murray, forcing him into a hurried throw that was intercepted by Shaquill Griffin. Earlier, Murray’s risky throw was picked off by Byron Murphy at the Minnesota 32-yard line, which set up a field goal by Parker Romo.
Justin Jefferson was a key target for the Vikings, making seven catches for 99 yards. One of his critical receptions came on a fourth-and-6 from Arizona’s 34-yard line, allowing the winning drive to continue. The Vikings managed to stay just one game behind the Detroit Lions in the NFC North by scoring on three of their final possessions, amassing 187 yards on 23 plays during those drives.
Surprisingly, despite racking up 228 yards in the first half, the Cardinals only led 9-6 at halftime, in part due to conservative decisions once in scoring position.
Murray’s costly errors included an intentional grounding penalty during a first-and-goal situation from the 10-yard line. This mistake gave the Vikings a crucial chance to limit the Cardinals to a fourth field goal by Chad Ryland, who extended their lead to six points with 3:20 left on the clock.
Arizona’s lengthy 16-play drive utilized tight end Trey McBride heavily, who contributed significantly with 12 receptions for 95 yards. However, his efforts were not enough to secure a win for the Cardinals.
The Vikings also faced challenges in their secondary, as cornerback Stephon Gilmore, a seasoned Pro Bowler, left the game due to a hamstring injury in the second quarter. His replacement, Fabian Moreau, struggled against Murray, giving up two pass interference penalties totaling 51 yards, and was beaten for a touchdown by Marvin Harrison Jr. that put the Cardinals up 19-6.
Minnesota’s Jones had a rough outing, fumbling on the first play of two drives early in the game. Fortunately for the Vikings, Brian O’Neill recovered the first fumble, but Arizona’s Roy Lopez capitalized on the second turnover after a punch-out by Sean Murphy-Bunting.
Injury updates indicate that Cardinals’ defensive lineman Darius Robinson, who had not played all season due to a calf injury, was finally cleared for his NFL debut. On the Vikings side, tight end Josh Oliver missed his second consecutive game due to an ankle issue.
In upcoming matchups, the Cardinals will face the Seattle Seahawks at home next Sunday, while the Vikings will host the Atlanta Falcons.
