With each misfire by quarterback Carson Wentz, the boos directed at the Minnesota Vikings’ sputtering offense grew louder on Monday night.
asserted
boos → direct → night
The reaction came from the same fanbase happy to see Wentz start against the Buffalo Bills after previous struggles from Kyler Murray.
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Wentz → come → Murray
For as much as Minnesota’s defense did its part against quarterback Josh Allen and the Bills, there are no answers at quarterback for Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell.
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defense → do → O’Connell
Starting for Murray — who is week-to-week with a hamstring strain — Wentz finished 8-of-25 passing for 81 yards and three turnovers in a 23-6 loss.
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Wentz → start → loss
“To go kind of lay an egg, personally, the way I struggled early, especially with our defense playing as good as they’ve been all year, honestly,” Wentz said.
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Wentz → go → egg
“They did it again tonight, and we just didn’t help them out.
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we → do → them
I didn’t help them out.
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I → help → them
It’s hard to put my finger on the why.”
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It → ’ → why
Early on, Wentz fired high on several passes.
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Wentz → fire → passes
One attempt, on the second offensive possession of the game, was ruled a backward pass and fumble as receiver Justin Jefferson’s leaping attempt to grab it kept the ball in play for an easy recovery by Buffalo.
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attempt → rule → Buffalo
Minnesota didn’t get a first down until a penalty on Buffalo midway through the second quarter.
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Minnesota → get → quarter
The Vikings had 86 total yards in the first half, aided by a seven-play, 46-yard drive in the final minute.
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Vikings → have → minute
“Just not even close offensively to what we want to be,” O’Connell said.
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O’Connell → want → what
“I thought there was some opportunities to kind of flip that game a little bit, at multiple times, but we just never got Carson in a rhythm.
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Carson → think → rhythm
We tried a bunch of tools to see if we could help that happen.
uncertain
that → try → tools
I just didn’t do a good enough job.”
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I → do → job
On the first drive of the second half, Wentz was intercepted by linebacker Dorian Williams, who had tight end T.J. Hockenson blanketed.
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Hockenson → intercept → Williams
On the next possession, Jordan Mason ran for 24 yards on three plays.
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Mason → run → plays
Then Wentz targeted Jefferson and linebacker Terrel Bernard was standing in the way for another interception.
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Bernard → target → interception
Bernard nearly had a second interception later in the quarter.
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Bernard → have → quarter
Wentz had his foot stepped on by left guard Joe Huber as he threw, and the pass went straight to Bernard, who dropped it.
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who → have → it
This was not the outcome O’Connell or the Vikings hoped for with Wentz against a Buffalo defense that had surrendered 254.7 passing yards per game coming in, the third-worst mark in the NFL.
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that → hop → NFL
“This one felt pretty terrible.
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one → feel → ?
I’m not going to lie,” Wentz said of getting another start after filling in for Murray twice earlier this season.
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Wentz → go → Murray
Wentz completed just 1 of 8 passes in the second half before being replaced by Max Brosmer with 4:40 left.
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4:40 → complete → Brosmer
Of course, Brosmer’s entrance brought cheers from the crowd.
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entrance → bring → crowd
The second-year undrafted quarterback out of the University of Minnesota was 6 of 7 for 58 yards on his one drive that ended after a fourth-and-9 completion to Hockenson was a yard short.
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completion → end → Hockenson
Minnesota had a season-low 178 yards of offense.
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Minnesota → have → offense
A defense that had allowed a league-low 13.3 points per game and was second in yards allowed per game to Seattle has no complementary component.
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that → allow → component
“Offensive side of the ball, that’s kind of the only missing piece at this very moment,” Jefferson said.
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Jefferson → ’ → moment
“Defense is playing very good ball.
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Defense → play → ball
Special teams are doing what they need to do.
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they → do → what
Will (Reichard) is making field goals.
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Will → make → goals
We just got to be better at sustaining some drives, extending plays, extending drives and putting points on the board.”
The conundrum at quarterback continues for Minnesota, which is 6-2 after back-to-back losses.
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which → got → losses
A stout defense and a devout fanbase are wondering when the answer will come.
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answer → wonder → ?
The Aporia
