The Vikings defense made the big plays that enabled them to hold on for a 23-17 victory over the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday. The defense also got attention of its pop culture references to England, where the Vikings are unbeaten in four regular-season games since 2013.
Homage to ‘The Parent Trap’ part of London highlight reel for Vikings defense
Vikings players performed the handshake from the Lindsay Lohan movie to celebrate one of their interceptions against the Jets and dressed like they were on ‘Peaky Blinders’ on Sunday.
After nabbing the Vikings’ second interception of Aaron Rodgers in the first quarter, safety Camryn Bynum celebrated with teammate Josh Metellus by performing the famous handshake from the 1998 Lindsay Lohan remake of “The Parent Trap.” Bynum said after the game that he “had to shout out to London.”
The choreographed celebrations for takeaways have been a staple of the Vikings defense for a few years now, and Bynum said that ever since he learned the team would be playing in London, he was looking for inspiration.
“We know we’re going to get that ball,” he said. “So my mindset is I’ve got to have something ready every single week.”
Last week, he was watching “The Parent Trap,” calling it one of his favorite movies. In it, one of the long-separated twins played by Lohan lives in London and does the handshake with her family’s butler Martin. Bynum said he thought, “This is it.”
Bynum posted a video of Metellus and him rehearsing the dance on Instagram after the game.
Metellus reposted a video of the celebration on X, commenting, simply, “90s babies.” (Bynum and Metellus, both 26, were born in 1998.)
The handshake was not the only pop culture reference from Vikings defenders that got noticed Sunday.
Defensive lineman Harrison Phillips and safety Harrison Smith made sartorial nods to the TV show “Peaky Blinders,” a British crime drama set largely in the 1920s, in their choice of suits and hats.
After trailing by 18 points, Minnesota pushed back, but the extra period turned strongly in Houston's favor.