MINNEAPOLIS — Twenty-six years of combined NFL experience made the difference on Sunday Night Football.
On fourth-and-2 with 5:24 left and a 14-10 lead in hand, Vikings defensive backs Harrison Smith and Stephon Gilmore teamed up to break up a pass by Colts 39-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco. The clutch PBU killed the longest Colts drive of the night and set up Minnesota's offense for a dagger touchdown.
"All the old guys trying to make the play," Gilmore said, laughing in the locker room after the game.
On the snap, Gilmore anticipated a quick-game route, and Smith delivered a trademarked "Hitman" lick.
"I didn't even see Harry, but I just tried to play through the ball," shared Gilmore, adding that film study this week informed him of quick-game tendencies. "I don't know who knocked the ball out, but I felt it.
"We needed this one," the 34-year-old cornerback added. "We knew it wasn't going to be easy, and we had to go out there and take it. I think we played well defensively. We've just got to keep building on it."
One play earlier in the 21-13 Vikings win, Smith was close to recording his 36th career interception.
"The first [pass breakup] I was probably upset I didn't pick it off, to be honest" Smith said. "I kind of had a couple of options there and the time came to go make a play. I was just reading the quarterback."
The sequence starring Minnesota's 35-year-old safety stamped and delivered the return of the Vikings headache-inciting defense. Indianapolis' offense gained all of 227 yards and was kept from the end zone — and red zone, for that matter, even on a possession that started at Minnesota's 25-yard line.
One week after returning to the Indianapolis lineup and scampering for 105 yards, Colts running back Jonathan Taylor was restricted to 3.7 yards per rush and a long run of 13 on the game's opening series.
Vikings safety Joshua Metellus said he expressed appreciation to his front-seven teammates for their efforts jamming the running lanes.
"I went up to them and gave all of them a hug," Metellus said. "I was like, 'Y'all did great today 'cause I [didn't] get touched.' So when I don't get touched, I know somebody is doing their job, and they did a great job. And that's what we're gonna need moving forward. That's what they've been giving us these first eight weeks. So I was happy to see them all game, consistently, being able to shut down the run."
Flacco completed a trickle shy of 60% of his throws for a meager 179 yards and 63.7 passer rating.
Overall, the Colts were inefficient when it mattered, converting only 3 of 11 third downs, and had to settle for a pair of field goals. They scored their lone touchdown on a sack-fumble in the second quarter.
Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell called Brian Flores' group the "backbone tonight for us."
"It was a great environment, great atmosphere, great to get back on track," outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard said, "and show that those last few games aren't indicative of what the season can be. I think everybody took that chip on their shoulder today into the game and made sure we imposed our will."
Some critical factors were limiting opportunities and taking away the football.
Smith made a key play on the first Colts drive of the night, as well, falling on a fumbled handoff for his first fumble recovery since Week 14 of 2019. Afterwards, he thought he should've scooped it and ran.
"I'm not sure anyone really knew where it was," Smith said, "but I thought it was kind of in a crowd."
The takeaway upended a promising start for Indianapolis, which trekked to Minnesota's 26 before botching the backfield exchange. Later on, an interception by Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy, Jr., had a similar effect, derailing the Colts best drive, in terms of yardage, in the fourth quarter.
The two "get-backs" supported the Vikings offense, which turned the ball over three times.
"Flo' normally says, 'There's nothing mystical or magical about it.' Just playing your keys, playing physical, making plays when they come to you. It's not rocket science," said Smith, attributing the defense's return-to-form to improved execution. "There was no wavering or anything like that. There won't be any going forward. It's the NFL, [and] sometimes it doesn't go your way. You've got to bounce back."
Minnesota finished with a 13:48 advantage in time of possession – its largest of 2024 so far by more than nine minutes – thanks mainly to its stifling early-down defense and exceptional ball control on offense.
Gilmore said the edge in TOP kept defenders' legs fresh, which helped in the final minutes when Minnesota's pass rush turned pressures into sacks and took Flacco down thrice in a span of five snaps.
The dire circumstances that Indianapolis faced also factored into its fate-sealing dropdowns.
"Finally, they didn't chip me," said Greenard, who sacked Flacco twice in the last 2:05. "When they weren't able to get a good hit on me, that's when I felt like I had a very good opportunity to get home."
Jihad Ward also got in on the fun, landing his first sack on the Vikings after the 2-minute warning.
"I'm like … it's about time," Ward said with a big smile. "But we got the 'dub,' that's the most important part. … We didn't fold, and we just got to keep on coming together when [stuff went South]."
After Smith's and Gilmore's veteran experience shined, the Vikings offense held up their end of the bargain, marching 60 yards on eight plays. Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold made up for some mistakes by laying a beautiful pass to tight end Josh Oliver on a rollout to his left with 2:05 remaining. Touchdown.
Tacking on seven points in that situation eased Smith's mind.
"Crazy things do happen, but pretty much you're gonna have to mess up pretty bad to win it at that point, so getting the touchdown there is a big deal," he said, applauding the Darnold-Oliver connection.
Valuable reflection by who else but one of the captains of the Vikings defense, the one constant presence over the past 13 seasons, and the player responsible for knocking away two Flacco passes with the lead on the line, Smith, accompanied Minnesota's prime-time redemption on Sunday Night Football.
"You're gonna have games that you have to learn from – and it's not our standard – but sometimes going through certain situations can help you grow," Smith explained, alluding to the team's previous two-game skid. "There's no growth in comfort, so I think we took a step in the right direction tonight."
