Minnesota Vikings: Studs and duds vs. Chiefs in Week 9

Stud: Vikings tight ends

With Thielen once again out in the game for the Vikings after exiting the contest in the opening quarter, the tight end pair of Irv Smith Jr. and Kyle Rudolph stepped up big down the stretch to help fill in the gap left by Thielen in the passing game.

Smith Jr. finished the contest with four catches for a total of 33 yards, being targeted a total of six times while recording a game-long reception of 21 yards. Rudolph, on the other hand, finished with three catches on five overall targets, hauling in a total of 23 yards along with one touchdown reception for Minnesota.

It was good to see Smith Jr. and Rudolph step up once again while Thielen was out in a game, although it ultimately wasn’t enough to help the Vikings come away with a win.

Dud: Missed extra point from Bailey

Dan Bailey’s crucial missed extra point occurred after Minnesota opened up the third quarter with a fumble recovery on the kick-off out of halftime, ending the offensive drive with a touchdown that pushed it up 16-10 in the early minutes of the second half.

Bailey capped off that impressive drive and early second-half momentum swing by missing an extra point, which wasn’t the first time that has occurred this season.

That missed field goal probably didn’t ultimately decide the game in the end, since Kansas City’s field goal at the end of the game would have pushed the game out of reach regardless, but it’s hard to argue that missed extra point from Bailey put a halt to Minnesota’s momentum it gained right out of the gate in the third quarter.