Minnesota Vikings: Studs and duds from Week 14 vs. Buccaneers

Stud: Playing well against a solid Tampa Bay team

Although the game didn’t end up with a win, Minnesota looked somewhat impressive against a top-notch Tampa Bay squad and kept the Week 14 game closer than many thought going into the matchup.

The Vikings ended up holding a potent offense on the side of the Buccaneers in check for the most part, with the exception of a few big plays that pushed things out of reach in the end. Minnesota also was able to do what it does best on offense, which is running the football, against one of the top run defenses in the NFL.

It didn’t wrap up in the win column and there are no moral victories in the NFL, especially at this point in the season, but Minnesota looked solid against Tampa Bay but it just shot itself in the foot one too many times led by the three missed field goals from kicker Dan Bailey.

Dud: Falling in an important NFC contest

If Minnesota would have won in Week 14, it would have moved into a tie with Tampa Bay in the Wild Card race, with both teams sitting at 7-6 overall.

Instead, the Vikings fell to 6-7 overall and moved further back into the standings in the conference standings, although they certainly still have a chance to fight for that final Wild Card spot. Minnesota also allowed Arizona back into the picture for that spot for the final spot, with the Cardinals beating the New York Giants in Week 14.

Moving forward, the Vikings still have their work cut out for them in trying to grab one of the final playoff spots in the NFC, but a win over the Buccaneers would have been season-changing for Minnesota.