The Vikings couldn’t convert in the red zone
The Vikings narrowly squeaked out a 28-25 victory against a feisty New Orleans Saints team in London on Sunday morning.
One of the reasons the game was as close as it end up was due to the Vikings’ lack of consistency and success on offense. After scoring with relative ease on their first drive, the Vikings struggled mightily in the red zone.
In five total trips, the Vikings only converted a touchdown two times: their first and last trips. The only reason they scored a touchdown on their last trip was due to a massive pass interference penalty that gave the Vikings the ball inside the five-yard line.
One of the big reasons why the Vikings struggled to convert? Kirk Cousins’ indecisiveness. It wasn’t more evident than their second drive in the second half. On a third and goal, the Vikings ran a shallow/deep crosser concept designed to get Justin Jefferson open in the back corner of the end zone. Cousins took Thielen which was a one-yard gain forcing a field goal attempt.
The Vikings had plenty of opportunities to put this game away and struggles in the red zone are the main reason why they only won by a field goal in the final minute. They will have to fix it if they want to be a contending team long-term.
