NFL Week 9 Recap: Minnesota Vikings 21, Indianapolis Colts 13
2YF8NK6 Minnesota Vikings tight end Josh Oliver (84) celebrates with teammate wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) after catching a 14-yard touchdown pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
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Indianapolis Colts
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Minnesota Vikings
The Indianapolis Colts didn’t get the boost they hoped for with Joe Flacco stepping in for Anthony Richardson, falling 21-13 to the Sam Darnold-led Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night.
Flacco completed 16 of his 27 passes for 179 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception, as the Colts’ offense managed just -0.206 EPA per passing play — their second-worst mark of the season. Without Richardson’s dual-threat ability, the offense lacked the added dynamism in the running game, which clearly limited its effectiveness.
Darnold was efficient but unspectacular for the Vikings, completing 28 of his 34 passes for 290 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. He recorded one big-time throw but also had three turnover-worthy plays and was sacked four times in the victory.
PFF’s dedicated team of graders was hard at work, analyzing every player on every play in real time. The grades and data will be available after a thorough review tomorrow at 12 p.m. EST.
In the meantime, we’ve gathered some high-level data and snap counts from the game to give you an early look. Our expert graders have also nominated the standout player of the game, highlighting exceptional performance on the field.
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HIGHEST-GRADED PLAYERS
- TE Josh Oliver, Minnesota Vikings (94.3)
- S Camryn Bynum, Minnesota Vikings (86.6)
- EDGE Jonathan Greenard, Minnesota Vikings (83.2)
Note: Follow along with PFF’s in-game grading as our team of analysts evaluates every player on every play in real time! Initial grades for 1 p.m. games will then be relocked at 6 p.m. EST, while grades for 4 p.m. games will be relocked at 9 p.m. EST.
Click here to see PFF’s initial grades from this game!
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Star wide receiver Justin Jefferson did a little bit of everything on Sunday night. He was targeted a game-high nine times, and he came down with seven catches for 137 yards and five first downs. He hauled in his only contested target, forced two missed tackles after the catch and recorded five catches of 15 or more yards.
He also finished the game with 22 passing yards, as he found Aaron Jones for a 22-yard gain on a cross-field pass after catching the initial lateral.
BOX SCORE
| Colts | Vikings | |
| Total points | 13 | 21 |
| Total offensive plays | 49 | 71 |
| Average EPA per play | -0.269 | -0.038 |
| Total net yards | 229 | 383 |
| Avg yards per play | 4.7 | 5.4 |
| Total first downs | 13 | 29 |
| Rushing first downs | 3 | 9 |
| Passing first downs | 9 | 18 |
| Penalty first downs | 1 | 2 |
| Third-down efficiency | 27% | 50% |
| Fourth-down efficiency | 14% | 20% |
| Possessions | 10 | 11 |
| Avg plays per drive | 5.5 | 6.8 |
| Avg yards per drive | 20.8 | 31.9 |
| Avg points per drive | 0.6 | 1.8 |
| Red-zone possessions | 0 | 5 |
| Red-zone plays | 0 | 14 |
| Red-zone TDs | 0 | 3 |
| Red-zone FGs | 0 | 0 |
| Red-zone scoring efficiency | 60% |
SNAP COUNTS & PLAYER PARTICIPATION
Colts’ offensive snap counts
| Name | Pos. | Snaps played |
| Joe Flacco | QB | 54 |
| Ryan Kelly | C | 54 |
| Quenton Nelson | G | 54 |
| Braden Smith | T | 54 |
| Dalton Tucker | G | 54 |
| Matt Goncalves | T | 54 |
| Alec Pierce | WR | 48 |
| Michael Pittman Jr. | WR | 41 |
| Jonathan Taylor | HB | 39 |
| Andrew Ogletree | TE | 32 |
| Josh Downs | WR | 27 |
| Mo Alie-Cox | TE | 26 |
| Kylen Granson | TE | 24 |
| Trey Sermon | HB | 14 |
| Ashton Dulin | WR | 10 |
| Adonai Mitchell | WR | 5 |
| Will Mallory | TE | 3 |
| Tyler Goodson | HB | 1 |
Vikings’ offensive snap counts
| Name | Pos. | Snaps played |
| Cam Robinson | T | 73 |
| Sam Darnold | QB | 73 |
| Ed Ingram | G | 73 |
| Garrett Bradbury | C | 73 |
| Blake Brandel | G | 73 |
| Brian O’Neill | T | 73 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 72 |
| Jordan Addison | WR | 67 |
| Aaron Jones | HB | 55 |
| Josh Oliver | TE | 41 |
| T.J. Hockenson | TE | 33 |
| Jalen Nailor | WR | 20 |
| Brandon Powell | WR | 19 |
| Johnny Mundt | TE | 19 |
| Cam Akers | HB | 16 |
| C.J. Ham | FB | 13 |
| Trent Sherfield | WR | 10 |
Colts’ defensive snap counts
| Name | Pos. | Snaps played |
| Zaire Franklin | LB | 73 |
| Kenny Moore II | CB | 73 |
| Nick Cross | S | 73 |
| Jaylon Jones | CB | 73 |
| Julian Blackmon | S | 73 |
| E.J. Speed | LB | 70 |
| Dayo Odeyingbo | ED | 55 |
| DeForest Buckner | DI | 55 |
| Kwity Paye | ED | 52 |
| Samuel Womack III | CB | 44 |
| Grover Stewart | DI | 43 |
| Grant Stuard | LB | 29 |
| Laiatu Latu | ED | 28 |
| Raekwon Davis | DI | 22 |
| Taven Bryan | DI | 17 |
| Isaiah Land | ED | 16 |
| Adetomiwa Adebawore | DI | 4 |
| Rodney Thomas II | S | 3 |
Vikings’ defensive snap counts
| Name | Pos. | Snaps played |
| Harrison Smith | S | 54 |
| Byron Murphy Jr. | CB | 54 |
| Ivan Pace Jr. | LB | 52 |
| Stephon Gilmore | CB | 50 |
| Jonathan Greenard | ED | 48 |
| Camryn Bynum | S | 44 |
| Josh Metellus | S | 44 |
| Andrew Van Ginkel | ED | 39 |
| Jerry Tillery | DI | 36 |
| Harrison Phillips | DI | 31 |
| Jonathan Bullard | DI | 30 |
| Dallas Turner | ED | 26 |
| Jihad Ward | DI | 23 |
| Shaquill Griffin | CB | 20 |
| Kamu Grugier-Hill | LB | 18 |
| Pat Jones II | ED | 18 |
| Jalen Redmond | DI | 7 |
