Five extra points: Defense helps Vikings get out of Jacksonville as the less boneheaded team

The Jaguars faced second down 13 times in Sunday’s 12-7 loss to the Vikings. Six times they did so having lost yardage on first down. Their average second down was second-and-11. After Mac Jones completed his first first-down attempt for 23 yards, he faced the wrath of Brian Flores’ aggressive bag of tricks. Jones’ next eight first-down pass attempts included an incompletion, two completions for losses, two 8-yard sacks and a game-sealing interception, the Vikings’ third takeaway in eight snaps. Andrew Van Ginkel was untouched on his 8-yard front-side sack because the right tackle and running back both blocked Ivan Pace Jr., who also rushed to that side. Pace had the other 8-yard sack. Meanwhile, the Jags’ eight first-down runs netted 21 yards. Seven of them netted 6 yards.

T.J. Hockenson converted four third downs and drew a defensive holding penalty on the 17-play drive that ended with Sam Darnold somehow throwing an interception despite having a whopping 4.6 unbothered seconds to pass. Hockenson had two other first downs, including a 26-yard reception, and set up a fourth-and-1 conversion. Darnold targeted Hockenson and Justin Jefferson nine times apiece. He forced two balls to Jefferson that were intercepted. Meanwhile, he overlooked Hockenson during an 18-second three-and-out in the final two minutes of the first half. Hockenson was open on third-and-2, but Darnold forced the ball to Jalen Nailor, who was blanketed. Darnold matched his career high for wins in a season (seven). He’s lucky he was playing the Jags. His passer rating: 48.2. Jones’: 38.3.

Aaron Jones continues to be a precious backfield commodity who’s three weeks shy of 30. So, hey, Kevin O’Connell! Do a better job protecting the man! Earlier this season, Jones stayed in too long just trying to reach 100 yards. He left Sunday due to an injury late in the third, returned with 3:39 left and had four carries with his team protecting a 12-7 lead. The Vikings just needed a battering ram at that point. Cam Akers is qualified. O’Connell also went a tad overboard running on second-and-long on the opening drive. Jones ran twice on second-and-7, getting 4 and 9 yards. He ran again up the middle on second-and-10 from the Jags 30. He got 3 yards and the Vikings settled for a field goal.

The Vikings ran 82 plays. They held the ball for 42:19, longer than any team has all season. They ran 47 plays in Jacksonville territory, four more plays than the Jaguars ran, period. Yet the Vikings had 12 points and averaged 4.9 yards per play against a defense giving up a league-worst 6.02. And who knows what might have happened if Travon Walker hadn’t gone berserk punching at the ball and losing his wits after Aaron Jones was stopped short of the first down at the Vikings 10 with 1:04 left. Fortunately for the Vikings, Walker’s personal foul ended the game and sent the Vikings home as the slightly less boneheaded team on the field.

The Vikings haven’t had a punt return touchdown since Oct. 16, 2016. The streak reached 229 attempts over 131 games quite comfortably as the 32nd-ranked return unit turned in yet another lifeless performance on a day when the offense had only four explosive plays (runs of 12-plus yards and receptions of 16-plus). Jacksonville’s Logan Cooke averaged 54.8 yards with a net of 49.0 on five punts, four inside the 20. Brandon Powell had room to run when he fair caught a 52-yarder at his 17 and a 55-yarder at his 14. His lone return was a tentative 9-yarder on a 60-yarder he caught at his 16. The Vikings haven’t ranked above 21st in punt returns since 2018, Marcus Sherels’ last full season.

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