A total of 76,848 showed up in attendance to watch the Denver Broncos host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football. The 6-4 Minnesota Vikings were enjoying a five-game winning streak over the Chicago Bears, the San Francisco 49ers, the Green Bay Packers, the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints before heading to Denver to take on a hot Denver Broncos team.
Both teams enjoying winning streaks after slow starts looked at Sunday’s game as a must win on their journey to the post season. The Vikings are behind the first-place streaking Detroit Lions in the NFC North with most of their wins coming on the road.
The odds were in Minnesota’s favor despite Denver’s latest wins over the Buffalo Bills, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers, and for a good majority of Sunday night’s game it appeared as though they could very well beat the Broncos at home.
Despite the Broncos getting on the board first, the Vikings scored the first touchdown of the game after coughing up the ball on their first play of their first possession that led to Denver’s first field goal of the game. The Broncos would kick four more field goals before getting into the end zone.
The Vikings led the Broncos in all facets of the game, total first downs, rushing yards, red zone efficiency yet the Broncos never gave up and were gritty in Sunday night’s win.
The Broncos’ defense added three more takeaways (two forced fumbles and one interception) in Sunday’s game making them one of the most dangerous defenses in the league. It was Denver’s defense that gave them the opportunity to win as the offense struggled to get the running game going to help open up the pass. Denver’s running backs combined for a total of 46-yards on the ground.
After the Broncos fifth field goal to pull within two points of the Vikings early in the fourth quarter, the Vikings, faced with fourth and four, lined up to kick the ball away but instead direct snapped the ball to Minnesota running back Ty Chandler who ran for 31 yards, a first down and put the Vikings within field goal range.
The Vikings eventually kicked a field goal taking a 20 – 15 lead, leaving 3:17 on the clock in the fourth quarter. Russell Wilson took the Broncos 75-yards on 10 plays when Wilson linked with wide-out Courtland Sutton for a 15-yard touchdown that gave the Broncos the lead and eventually the win.
The Broncos have now turned heads in the league after winning games against teams they were expected to lose to.
Denver is at home next week to hosts the Cleveland Browns who just lost their starting quarterback Deshaun Watson for the season with a shoulder injury. The Browns managed to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at home 13 – 10. Denver will now face another talented defense which will be challenging for Denver to extend their winning streak to five games.
