When they’re facing adversity, you might hear these phrases uttered on repeat from athletes, no matter what sport it is:
“Keep fighting.” “One play at a time.” “Play together.”
That resilient mindset can pay dividends down the road, and for the Minnesota Vikings, it has resulted in two critical comebacks against the same opponent.
It took a complete team effort from the Vikings in 2022 when they stormed back from a 33-0 halftime deficit to defeat the Colts 39-36 in overtime. The victory – which helped Minnesota clinch the NFC North division – also set the record for the largest comeback in NFL history.
Playing the Colts again, this time on the Sunday Night Football stage, the Vikings relied on that tenacious spirit after another tough first half against Indianapolis – although the deficit was much smaller at 7-0.
Minnesota was able to respond, getting help from everybody on both sides of the ball on its way to a 21-13 victory. It was the Vikings (6-2) ninth victory against the Colts (4-5) in team history, with all nine coming at home.
Despite first-half drives ending in an interception, a punt, a fumble returned for a touchdown and a pair of missed field goals, the Vikings offense kept marching forward and eventually found its rhythm. Minnesota possessed the ball for 36:54 on 71 plays and netted 415 total yards and 29 first downs, all season-highs.
Sam Darnold overcame three turnovers (two interceptions and a fumble) and finished the game 28-of-34 passing for 290 yards, three touchdowns and a passer rating of 107.1.
Multiple teammates benefited from Darnold’s production, as nine different pass-catchers recorded a reception, led by Justin Jefferson’s season-high 137 yards on seven catches and scores by Josh Oliver, Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor.
Defensively, the Vikings answered the bell, especially in timely situations. After allowing 777 yards of total offense and 59 offensive points combined in the previous two games, Minnesota held Indianapolis’ offense to season-lows in points (six), total yards (227), rushing yards (68) and first downs (13).
The Vikings also limited Colts quarterback Joe Flacco to just 179 yards on 16-of-27 passing and running back Jonathan Taylor to only 48 yards on the ground (tying a season-low) on 13 carries. Minnesota also sacked Flacco three times and forced two turnovers, including a fumble recovery by Harrison Smith on the fifth play of the game.
Minnesota’s win not only snapped its two-game losing skid, but also helped the team reclaim second place in the NFC North standings after Green Bay (6-3) fell to Detroit (7-1) 24-14 in the afternoon window on Sunday. It also allowed Minnesota to move up in this week’s Power Rankings, with the biggest jump being two spots.
Here’s a look at where the Vikings rank going into Week 10:
No. 6 (up 1 spot): Eric Edholm, NFL.com
Sunday night’s win over the Colts marked a return to form for the Vikings defense to the level we’d seen prior to their Week 6 bye. Brian Flores’ unit hounded Joe Flacco and Jonathan Taylor, picking off Flacco for the team’s 13th interception of the season, which is a terrific total through eight games. They allowed the Colts a mere six offensive points, all on field goals, with Indianapolis’ only touchdown coming on a (controversial) scoop and score. Sam Darnold coughed that one up, and he had a seriously up-and-down game. Ultimately, his three-TD second half proved to be enough; until then, the defense buoyed the team while the offense stalled. There likely was some adjustment around the arrival of Cam Robinson, who took over at left tackle with less than a week’s worth of practice, but Darnold’s play has flatlined recently. They’ll need him to pick things back up as the Vikings hit the road for the duration of November.
No. 6 (up 2 spots): NFL Staff, Bleacher Report
The Minnesota Vikings headed into Week 9 needing a win. After following their 5-0 start with two losses, they were in danger of falling off Detroit’s torrid pace in the NFC North.
The Vikings got that win against the Colts, even if they didn’t earn many style points during it.
Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold turned it over three times, including a lost fumble that was returned for a score. But Darnold rebounded with three touchdown passes in the second half, earning kudos from Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’ Connell.
“I’m sure Sam will be hard on himself for those two interceptions, but I’m going to stay aggressive with him because of my confidence in him,” O’Connell told reporters.
Superstar wideout Justin Jefferson came to his quarterback’s defense as well.
“The turnovers are nothing. Those are just little minor errors that we can fix easily,” Jefferson said. “We’ve just got to protect the ball, just not try to make that big play. Sam is a phenomenal quarterback.”
“The Vikings are 6-2, but with each passing week, my confidence in them as a legitimate Super Bowl contender wanes,” Bleacher Report NFL analyst Gary Davenport said. “That’s because Sam Darnold is starting to poke out of Sam Darnold.
“Minnesota has no shortage of offensive firepower. Adding Cam Robinson at left tackle was a smart move. And Minnesota’s aggressive defense was all over the Colts on Sunday night,” Davenport added. “But Darnold turning the ball over brings back far too many unpleasant memories. If he keeps it up, the Vikings aren’t beating teams like the Lions, the Eagles or even the Commanders.”
No. 7 (up 2 spots): Pete Prisco, CBS Sports
The defense got back on track against the Colts after a few tough weeks. That will be this team’s calling card in the second half of the season.
No. 6 (down 1 spot): Nate Davis, USA Today
This is no inconsequential bridge season with QB Sam Darnold. Management has sent a very clear signal it’s committed to winning now after importing LT Cam Robinson and RB Cam Akers to patch some holes. And getting T.J. Hockenson back into the lineup Sunday night is akin to making a major move … which Minnesota did for the Pro Bowl tight end two years ago.
No. 7 (up 1 spot): Josh Kendall, The Athletic
[Vikings wide receiver Justin] Jefferson notched a 118.8 passer rating Sunday night with a 22-yard completion on a double pass that required him to throw the ball 40 yards across the field to Aaron Jones. He’s also leading the league in receiving with 783 yards, and his 16.3 yards per reception are the most among any player with more than 35 catches this season.
No. 6 (no change): Conor Orr, Sports Illustrated
I am still blown away that, at the end of this game, [Sunday Night Football play-by-play announcer] Mike Tirico queued up [SNF analyst] Cris Collinsworth to say with absolute certainty that Sam Darnold will not be the quarterback of this team in 2025. Obviously, that’s why you draft J.J. McCarthy, but that revelation went largely unnoticed amid a Sunday Night Football victory. Darnold is good! We don’t know how McCarthy is healing! We don’t know, really, anything about him at all. Why is this team so hell-bent on hitting the rookie contract advantage when success is already here at this moment?
Biggest Takeaway From The Vikings Win Over The Colts | GMFB
No. 8 (up 1 spot): Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News
The Vikings rebounded from their two-game skid by ripping into the Colts at home with their swarming defense and Sam Darnold overcoming a rough night with clutch pass plays.
No. 9 (up 1 spot): Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports
Sunday was a needed rebound, but the Vikings didn’t look great, especially on offense. Sam Darnold can’t get into a turnover slump. He had three bad ones against the Colts. That’s been his issue through his career, and seeing him revert to that version of himself was troubling