Five takeaways from Vikings’ 21-13 win over Colts

After losing a couple of games in a row, the Vikings desperately needed a win on Sunday night at U.S. Bank Stadium.

That primetime game against the Indianapolis Colts proved to be exactly what the doctor ordered.

It was an impressive performance by the Vikings on paper that could’ve been a blowout had it not been for a trio of turnovers. That kept things interesting despite the fact that the Vikings put up 415 yards of total offense and held the Colts to 227 yards of total offense.

Here are five takeaways from the Vikings’ 21-13 win over the Colts:

The full Sam Darnold experience

As good as quarterback Sam Darnold was throughout the game, he was also the only reason the game was close down the stretch.

He completed 28 of 34 passes for 290 yards and a trio of touchdowns. He also threw a pair of interceptions and coughed up a fumble that was returned for a touchdown.

The best part about Darnold’s makeup continues to be his resilience. Many players in his position would’ve started to crumble in the face of so many miscues. He managed to shake it off and keep playing at a high level.

Some highlights from Darnold on this particular night included an incredible throw to receiver Jordan Addison in the back of the end zone, a perfectly placed pass to star receiver Justin Jefferson along the sideline, and a dagger to tight end Josh Oliver in the final minutes.

The next step for Darnold is eliminating some of the boneheaded mistakes.

Jordan Addison looked pretty free

The cryptic social media post made waves last week as Addison dropped a picture of himself on Instagram with the phrase “Free 3” typed out near the bottom.

Though he claimed it had nothing to do with his usage in the offense — he said the phrase “Free 3”  is something he’s been using since college — Addison certainly made the most of his increased opportunities under the lights.

After hauling in a pair of receptions on the opening drive of the game, Addison later made an unbelievable catch in the back of the end zone that got the Vikings on the board. On that play, Addison laid out with the ball seemingly sailing out of reach, then he somehow caught the ball with his left hand.

Asked postgame where that catch ranked for him, Addison said he would probably put it No. 1.

The defense got back to dominating

After a couple of rough performances in losses to the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams, the defense got back to dominating against the Colts.

It stared with the Vikings stopping the run thanks to some inspired play in the trenches. The lack of explosion from running back Jonathan Taylor hindered what the Colts were able to do on offense, and as a result, veteran quarterback Joe Flacco never got into a rhythm.

Not once did the Colts take a snap inside the red zone.

Fittingly, the Vikings got to pad their stats down the stretch, with edge rusher Jonathan Greenard recording a pair of sacks and fellow edge rusher Jihad Ward also getting in on the action.

Cam Robinson was a steady force

Never mind that left tackle Cam Robinson had roughly 72 hours to prepare. He started for the Vikings at left tackle and more than held his own.

It’s safe to assume Robinson was going off of instincts more often than not in the matchup between the Vikings and the Colts. He should continue to round into form in the coming weeks as he learns more of the offense.

There’s a lot of pressure on Robinson as the replacement for injured left tackle Christian Darrisaw. He appears to be up for the challenge.

Will Reichard finally missed a kick

It appears rookie kicker Will Reichard is in fact human.

You could hear an audible gasp when Reichard went wide right on a 53-yard field goal attempt. That shock turned to angst when Reichard later hit the upright on a 31-yard field goal attempt.

It’s safe to assume that Reichard will bounce back sooner rather than later. The only issue is that he appeared to tweak something during the game.

It’s worth monitoring that development as the Vikings start to prepare for a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.