The Minnesota Vikings remain perfect on the 2024 season thanks to some clutch play in the final seconds of their international matchup with the New York Jets. Sam Darnold’s team was able to move to 5-0 with a 23-17 victory over the Jets from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London after veteran corner Stephon Gilmore came up with an interception off Aaron Rodgers with 45 seconds left in regulation.
Prior to the turnover, it looked as if the Jets were on the doorstep of pulling off a remarkable comeback, pushing the football to the Minnesota 26-yard line and trailing by six points. It was on that third-and-10 play where Rodgers tossed the football up the right sideline for Mike Williams, and Gilmore was able to come away with the interception.
That erased New York’s comeback hopes after falling into a 17-point deficit in the first half. Out of the gate, it was a rough showing for the Jets. They mustered just seven points in the first half, and the offense looked out of sync, which included a Rodgers pick-6 thrown. The Jets defense was able to slow the Vikings offense in the second half, however, and Rodgers found Garrett Wilson for a goal-line touchdown in the fourth quarter to make it a field goal game.
Rodgers, who passed the 60,000-yard passing milestone in this game, finished with 244 yards passing with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Garrett Wilson caught 13 of his 22 targets for 101 yards and a touchdown. As for the victors, Darnold threw for 179 yards and an interception. Justin Jefferson caught six passes for 92 yards receiving.
For more on how this game unfolded, check out our takeaways below:
Why the Vikings won
Minnesota’s defense was able to give Aaron Rodgers and the Jets offense fits throughout the contest. He was sacked three times and tossed three interceptions, including a game-clincher and a pick-6 by Andrew Van Ginkel. That pressure, coupled with a stifling run defense, left the New York offense ineffective for a large majority of the contest.
Offensively, it wasn’t as prolific for Minnesota as it had been in recent weeks, but it came up clutch when it needed to. Specifically, Sam Darnold had two clutch throws on the the team’s final drive of the day outside of kneel downs. The quarterback completed chunk plays to wide receiver Justin Jefferson (25 yards) and then tight end Johnny Mundt (20 yards) that put Minnesota in field goal range to extend the lead to six. Just as important, it helped chew time off the lock and forced New York to burn a timeout.
Why the Jets lost
New York was totally out of sync to begin this game, which contributed to it falling behind 17-0. On top of not being able to move the ball, it was also handing it to the opposition.
The Jets’ first six drives went as followed:
- Three-and-out
- Three-and-out
- Pick-6
- Interception
- Turnover on downs
- Three-and-out
The Jets were able to find the end zone in the final seconds of the first half to make it a 10-point deficit at the break, but they were climbing uphill from the jump. Had they come out a bit sharper, the game was there for them to take.
Turning point
Of course, the key swing in this game came at the very end of the contest with former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore picking off Rodgers to secure the victory for Minnesota. Before that, it seemed like the momentum was building toward a Jets comeback, but the veteran corner made sure to shut that down with an impressive takeaway.
Play of the game
While Gilmore’s interception clinched the game, Andrew Van Ginkel’s put points on the board for the Vikings. The veteran linebacker picked off Rodgers in the first quarter and returned it 63 yards to give Minnesota a double-digit lead. This was just the fifth pick-6 thrown by Rodgers in his career.
What’s next
From here, the Vikings will be on the bye in Week 6, while the Jets will head back to the United States to host the Buffalo Bills on “Monday Night Football.”
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