That doesn’t mean last night wasn’t a success for the purple, however. Not only did Max Brosmer prove himself to be a legitimate QB2 candidate for JJ McCarthy, but head coach Kevin O’Connell and the rest of the coaching/scouting staff got help answering all sorts of depth questions facing them with cut day looming.

But as the MN Vikings and other NFL teams across the league work night and day to shave their 90-man training camp roster down to 53 players this week, the Nashville police department is working overtime the past 12-14 hours on an investigation that penetrates much deeper than Friday’s Vikings vs Titans game.

Familiar oblong object spotted at Vikings vs Titans

During last night’s preseason game in downtown Nashville, someone hurled a familiar-looking sex toy onto the Nissan Stadium field. Video of the sausage-shaped object was shot from multiple angles, before it was collected by a staff member for safe keeping.

LMAO a green dildo was thrown onto the field at the NFL Tennessee Titans football game. 🤣😭

https://t.co/D92l8X1e5q

— Tiffany Fong (@TiffanyFong_) August 23, 2025

The first identified flying green object landed on a WNBA hardwood back on July 29, during a regular season game between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyrie.

Since its viral debut about three weeks ago, the neon sex toy has wriggled its way onto more than a handful of other WNBA courts; frustrating players, coaches and executives around the league, including Minnesota Lynx president of basketball operation/head coach, Cheryl Reeve.

Latest on Minnesota Vikings vs Tennessee Titans toy tossers

According to reports, in-stadium cameras got photos of the toy tossers, which they have handed over to Nashville police, in hopes it can help assist them in their investigative efforts.

To this point, at least three people have been arrested for throwing sex toys onto professional sports playing surfaces, all of which have apparently been part of some crypto pumping scheme. If more comes out on this fast-moving story, it will be added to this article.

Of course the Vikings were forced into a change with Rondale Moore after he suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Houston Texans. That move came with another transaction though, and it was surprising.

Former third round pick Brian Asamoah was waived. Despite being a potential cut candidate, it didn’t seem like it would come this soon. Fortunately for him he wasn’t unemployed long.

Tennessee Titans sign Brian Asamoah

The Minnesota Vikings took Brian Asamoah with their third round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. At one point he appeared like an athletic freak that could contribute in a big way on defense. Now the front seven has worked him out of their plans and he joins the Tennessee Titans.

The #Titans plan to claim linebacker Brian Asamoah off waivers, per sources.

The Vikings’ former third-round pick was released Tuesday, now gets fresh start in Tennessee, which is first in the claim order. pic.twitter.com/OygM2Y2PKp

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 13, 2025

Asamoah played in all 17 games for the Vikings last year, and has appeared in 46 throughout his career. He never established himself as a key cog in Brian Flores’ defense though, and he played just a combined 69 defensive snaps the past two seasons.

The Titans take a flier on Asamoah and he could earn more substantial run with the AFC South unit. They finished just 3-14 last year and could use all the additional talent they can come into.

Related: Patriots Head Coach Taking Joint Practices vs Vikings VERY Seriously

Tennessee picked quarterback Cam Ward in the first round during the draft in hopes of getting back to being competitive. Asamoah will compete with James Williams Sr. and Cody Barton for linebacking reps this season.

Minnesota does not play Tennessee during the regular season this year, but the Titans are the final (and lone road) preseason opponent for the Vikings. That game is scheduled for August 22nd.

The 2018 1st round pick had a lackluster performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars in week 10, and the offense needed him to bounce back against a much more formidable defense than what he struggled against just seven days ago.

Sam Darnold has a bounce-back game vs Titans

Kind of like what we saw vs the Detroit Lions in week 7, after he struggled in London vs the New York Jets last month, Darnold bounced back and executed the Vikings offense effectively against the Titans on Sunday, completing 20/32 passes for 246 yards and two passing touchdowns.

Darnold also added a rushing touchdown on a QB sneak in the second quarter. Not only did he look better throwing the ball, but on multiple occasions, Sam Darnold channeled his inner Fran Tarkenton to extend plays. On a third down to finish the first quarter, Darnold escaped pressure and found receiver Trent Sherfield Jr. for a 16-yard completion.

Let Sam Darnold cook! pic.twitter.com/FD4lSHCm3H

— vikesinsider (@vikesinsider) November 17, 2024

Later in the drive, Darnold again evaded pressure on 3rd-and-7, scrambling for a six-yard gain. The Vikings converted the ensuing 4th-and-short, and the drive culminated in the rushing touchdown mentioned above.

Darnold’s mobility helped him avoid negative plays. He was sacked twice in 11 total pressures, an 18.2 pressure-to-sack-rate (P2S%), tied for his third-best mark of the season. This kept the Vikings out of 3rd-and-long situations, which plagued the team in their loss to the Rams last month.

PFF loved Darnold in week 11

According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), no one performed better than quarterback Sam Darnold. He posted a career-high 90.8 PFF grade (90.4 pass grade), miles better than anyone else on the Vikings offense. The closest was RT Brian O’Neill, who came out with a 74.5 offensive grade.

#Vikings top-5 and bottom-5 OFFENSIVE @PFF grades against #Titans:
Top-5:
1. QB Sam Darnold: 90.8
2. RT Brian O'Neill: 74.5
3. TE Jonny Mundt: 71.6
4. WR Justin Jefferson: 68.4
5. C Garret Bradburry: 66.7

Bottom-5:
1. RB Aaron Jones: 29.7
2. WR Jalen Nailor: 36.6
3. RG Dalton… pic.twitter.com/LZn3eEE5wA

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) November 18, 2024

Related: Minnesota Vikings Open as Tepid Week 12 Favorite vs Bears

As good as his day was, it could have been even better. PFF tallied five drops by Vikings receivers, none more significant than a 46-yard bomb that went right through the hands of Jalen Nailor. Securing the catch would have given the Vikings a three-score lead early in the fourth quarter, essentially icing the contest.

This not being a TD still has me hot man 🤦‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/4TVEXBTUjd

— Drac☔️ (@angeldra33o) November 18, 2024

Darnold was also credited with one fumble, which occurred when a toss to Aaron Jones slipped through the running back’s hands and was recovered by the Titans. Darnold almost fumbled in the fourth quarter, when taking a sack, but officials ruled that he had possession, when his knee went down, before losing control of the ball.

Let’s give the Minnesota Vikings interim QB1 his flowers

Overall, it was one of his cleanest games of the season, after Sam committed six turnovers over the previous two weeks. This was all done against a Titans defense that has allowed the fewest passing yards of any team all season.

Related: Should Minnesota Vikings Fans Be Worried About Dallas Turner?

Many fans are still waiting for the former third-overall pick to return to the 1st round bust everyone remembers from his Jets and Carolina Panthers days. While he has had moments of questionable decision-making, Darnold continues to demonstrate that he can quarterback the Vikings’ offense at a high level.

Thus, this one became somewhat of a measuring stick contest for the purple. Yes, the Titans entered Sunday with the opposite record of the Vikings (2-7). But so were the Jags, and winning that game was anything but easy. So, the challenge for Minnesota this week was to take care of business in Nashville.

And the Titans are no joke, on defense. In fact Tennessee’s defensive unit is one of the best defenses in the NFL in yards allowed, especially on the ground. Without a doubt, they proved that vs the Vikings, who didn’t even really try to run the football today, and signaled that would be the plan by starting Dalton Risner, in place of Ed Ingram at right guard.

In the end, Kevin O’Connell & Co earned a 23-13 win on the road to Nashville, and it looks like a pretty dominant performance, on paper. Still, some untimely Vikings turnovers, combined with a couple of big 2nd half throws by Titans QB Will Levis allowed the Titans to stay within shouting distance for most of this contest. Anyway, here’s what we learned from today’s win.

Vikings defense dominant early… but leaky late (again)

It’s been a little while since this was a narrative, coming out of a game for the Minnesota Vikings. But on Sunday, some old bad habits revealed themselves against the Titans. Early on, Brian Flores’ defense was dominant. They allowed just 3 Tennessee points, holding their offense to just 86 net yards (28 rush, 58 pass), on 2.9 yards per play.

.@AndrewVanGinkel is taking it to the Titans.

📺: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/FNxJdAFd5v

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 17, 2024

Their run game didn’t stand a chance and Will Levis looked mostly lost, especially when he had to drop back and throw. Remember, this is a game the Vikings should have run away with. Business trip stuff. In the first half, that’s what it felt like when they went into halftime up 16-3.

But then, in the 2nd half, things got away from Minnesota on defense, a little bit. It started midway through the 3rd quarter, when Will Levis took a snap from his own two yard line, dropped back, and fired one deep to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for a 98-yard touchdown. Just like that, it was a 16-10 game.

Anyone interested in a 98-yard Nick Westbrook touchdown? #iufb x #ProIU pic.twitter.com/qLHDScB3Fj

— Hoosier Huddle (@Hoosier_Huddle) November 17, 2024

On the play, Flores gets burnt for sending a blitz that left Josh Metellus as the deep coverage guy on one of Tennessee’s fastest receivers. He made a late mistake playing the ball, Levis made a good throw and Westbrook-Ikhine did the rest.

But that wasn’t the end of the story for Minnesota’s leaky 2nd half defense in this one. After allowing just 86 net yards and 3 points in the first half, the Vikings defense gave up 208 yards and 8.3 yards per play, in the 2nd.

Thankfully, with some help of the refs (yes you read that right), they were able to hold the Titans to just that one 3rd quarter touchdown, and 10 second half points, allowing the purple offense to ride this one out for a 10 point victory.

Report: JJ McCarthy Injury Setback is More Concerning Than Vikings are Leading On

We’ve seen just how dominant this defense can be, but they can absolutely be had, if they start bringing five or six man pressures, and the quarterback can hang in long enough to find the open man. There is plenty of time for Flores to fix the leaks, before playoff time. But it’s possible the problem can’t be fixed and certainly a narrative worth watching, as we get deeper into this stretch run.

Sam Darnold will be fine

The biggest concern for the Minnesota Vikings, in last week’s way too close win over the Jags, was Sam Darnold, who threw three untimely interceptions and single-handedly kept the offense out of the endzone. Head coach Kevin O’Connell told everyone this week that he still had 100% faith in the Vikings’ bridge QB.

But on Sunday, he put his game plan where his mouth was, and rode Sam Darnold against a Tennessee defense that they had no interest running the ball against, especially early on. For the most part, though, Darnold was pretty damn good this afternoon. Far from perfect, but good. And some of the plays he made were downright jaw-dropping, putting on full display the talent that made him a No. 3 overall pick back in 2018.

What a move by Sam Darnold for the 1st down 😮‍💨

📺: #MINvsTEN on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/NeyAfGA0pe

— NFL (@NFL) November 17, 2024

When the dust settled, the 27-year-old NFL vet was able to bounce back from the most difficult outing of his 2024 season, finishing 20-of-32 (62.5%) for 245 yards through the air. Most importantly, he threw 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. It wasn’t his fault, but the league leader in fumbles lost another one on Sunday, when Aaron Jones inexplicably dropped a mostly on-target toss that resulted in three of the Titans’ 13 total points on the day.

Related: Another Minnesota Vikings Game Targeted as Prime Time Flex Candidate

He was especially good in the first half, completing 12-of-17 passes (70.5%) for 148 yards and a touchdown. His protection was much better in the first half too, where it appeared the swap at right guard between Risner and Ingram was paying dividends.

What a pass from Sam Darnold to Jordan Addison for 6! 🎯pic.twitter.com/Hs2gplgZZY

— DraftKings (@DraftKings) November 17, 2024

Even after looking a bit shaky at times, in the 2nd half, it’s safe to say this was absolutely a bounceback game for our interim QB1. The Tennessee run defense is what got it to the top of the league, as a whole, but the pass defense is no joke either, and Sam Darnold more than held his own.

The Minnesota Vikings are a good (but flawed) football team

Here’s where we get to the most important takeaway from Sunday’s win. It plays into the first two points in this article, too. The Minnesota Vikings are a good football team, which is something that many around the league have been doubting in recent weeks.

As long as they hang onto the football and the defense doesn’t get itself into trouble, when trying to bring pressure, the Vikings can hang with any team in the NFL. Yet… for the second straight game, you can’t help but feel like they left meat on the bone vs a lesser opponent.

After outpacing the Titans 192 yards to 86, in the first half, Minnesota finished with just 24 more total yards of offense (318 vs 294), and were beat 10-7 in the 2nd half. That was enough to get a win on Sunday, but it should have been much more convincing. The head coach clearly feels the same way.

#Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell seems frustrated at the podium post-game.

Definitely don't think he's excited with how the offense has failed to put bad teams away the last couple weeks.

Complimented the win… but mentioned how the team left some points off the board again. pic.twitter.com/XvgtwpNiCU

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) November 17, 2024

Running back Aaron Jones, one of the most reliable players on offense the entire season, dropped the previously mentioned toss from Darnold in the first half, then butterfingered away another one at the start of the 2nd half. Both killed momentum in a game that appeared in full control, at the time.

Add those offensive mistakes to the big plays allowed in the second half, by the defense, and it’s easy to pinpoint why the Minnesota Vikings only secured this win by 10 points, and the Titans had a chance to cut the lead to a single possession multiple times in the 4th quarter. Against better teams, the purple cannot make those mistakes.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Finally Shake Up Starting O-Line vs Titans

But in the end, the Vikings are 8-2, and still just one game behind the division leading Detroit Lions for the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC. Next up on the schedule is a road game vs the 4-6 Chicago Bears, who lost a heartbreaker 20-19 vs the Green Bay Packers today.

As long as this team stays healthy and fixes some of these issues on both sides of the football, anything could happen. Yes, the Lions look dominant, after defeating the Jaguars 52-3 on Sunday, but the Vikings still have one game left in Detroit and there is a lot of season left.

Without looking outside the organization, the Vikings have had one option to try improving their RG spot the last couple of weeks. In fact, 29-year-old career starter Dalton Risner told media members over a month ago, that he was 100% healed from the back injury that originally put him on the PUP list.

Minnesota Vikings finally starting Dalton Risner over Ed Ingram

But for whatever reason, head coach Kevin O’Connell was resistant to replacing Ingram with Risner… until today, vs the Titans. In week 11, Dalton Risner officially gets the start over Ed Ingram. The switch was first reported by media members watching warm-ups and Nissan Stadium about 30 minutes prior to kickoff. Moments later, the team confirmed it.

In pregame warmups, Dalton Risner is working at right guard in place of Ed Ingram. That's notable. Ingram has started all 41 games he has been active for since the Vikings made him a 2nd round pick in 2022. Missed 2 games b/c of injury in 2023.

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) November 17, 2024

As previously noted, Dalton Risner publicly pleaded for the Vikings to activate him off the PUP list pretty much immediately after he became eligible, but they mostly maxed out his 21-day return window, instead. Then, when he did finally return to the active roster in week 9, Risner was on the sideline and Ed Ingram remained on the field. Week 10 came and went… same thing.

What does this move tell us?

What made the Vikings change their thinking in week 11? Tennessee has one of the best run defenses in football, and Dalton Risner is a terrible run blocker, so what gives? While Risner is knowingly brutal when run blocking, the former Denver Bronco 2nd round pick has been an above average pass blocker, throughout his career.

The other side of the coin, Ed Ingram, is pretty much the opposite. So what this move tells me is that Kevin O’Connell plans to air the offense out with Sam Darnold vs Titans. Why force something that won’t be there? Put in your best pass blockers and air it out.

The Minnesota Vikings moved some pieces around this offseason, inserting Blake Brandel at left guard, and giving up on 2023 starter, Dalton Risner. But after Risner hit an open market that lacked interest in his services, he crawled back to the Vikings and took a deal for backup money, hoping to earn a starting role.

Related: Another Minnesota Vikings Game Targeted as Prime Time Flex Candidate

Unfortunately, he dealt with injuries during training camp, and landed on the Physically Unable to Perform list, to start the 2024 season. That left the Vikings with no choice other than to start 2022 second round pick Ed Ingram, who is having the worst season of his unimpressive three-year career.

But, even when Risner has been healthy, the Minnesota Vikings have shown little interest in his services. They new they were weak on the interior OL last offseason, and they let Dalton walk anyway.

Tennessee Titans missing two starters vs the Minnesota Vikings

Want more good news? On one side, the Vikings’ 53-man roster is healthier than it has been all season. The same cannot be said for the Titans, who are entering this game banged up. And unfortunately for fans in Tennessee, the injury situation didn’t get any better on Friday, when head coach Brian Callahan told reporters that starting OT LeRoy Watson (back) and “star” CB L’Jarius Sneed (quad) will not be able to play on Sunday.

Per @Titans HC Brian Callahan, starting RT Leroy Watson and star CB L’Jarius Sneed will be OUT against the @Vikings on Sunday.
pic.twitter.com/GCmNpn4UF7

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) November 15, 2024

Tennessee is dealing with a lot of injuries, but they are especially banged up in the secondary. Defensive back, Justin Hardee (groin), is also on Friday’s injury report as “Questionable”. CB Roger McCreary is a full go, but he was limited in practice on Wednesday and Friday with a knee injury.

Related: 4 Bold Predictions for Minnesota Vikings’ Week 11 Matchup vs Titans

How much will the Tennessee Titans miss all of their injured players? Well, missing your starting right tackle can’t be a good thing, and losing a superstar cornerback has to hurt. But if you look at the statistics and PFF grades of each player, you might wonder.

Will Titans miss their starters that much?

Leroy Watson only has four career starts in the NFL and they have all come in the last four weeks. So, the 2022 undrafted free agent’s 5 false starts, 7 total penalties, and 50.3 PFF grade isn’t a huge surprise. CB L’Jarius Sneed, on the other hand, has seen a mysterious drop in production, during his first season with the Titans.

The 27-year-old has given up 11.9 yards per reception. Most alarming, for those who put any stock in Pro Football Focus, is his drop in PFF grade this season. Sneed’s 36.3 defensive grade and 36.8 coverage grade are half of what they were his last two seasons in Kansas City, where he gained reputation as one of the best corners in football.

Report: JJ McCarthy Injury Setback is More Concerning Than Vikings are Leading On

Sneed’s week on the injured list coincides with an Instagram post, from Tuesday, where he seemed to suggest he is unhappy with the Titans, and misses playing for the Chiefs, who are 9-0 on the season.

#TITANS STAR DB L’JARIUS SNEED JUST POSTED THIS… and deleted it.

👀👀👀

It appears he is UNHAPPY… pic.twitter.com/DIFYN48BMQ

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) November 12, 2024

In other words, the Titans will miss their injured starters, just like any team would. But Tennessee has been bad all year, no matter who they have put on the field. That is why they are 2-7. If the Minnesota Vikings want to be a serious NFC contender, they will destroy the Titans on Sunday.

But that won’t be the case during week 11, not for the away team at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. This week, everyone from the Vikings’ 53-man roster is available. That includes a healthy TJ Hockenson, Jordan Addison, Blake Cashman and Dalton Risner.

Related: What’s the Cheapest Way to Watch NFL Games?

Final Minnesota Vikings injury report vs Titans is clean

On Friday, the team released a squeaky clean final injury report, leading into the weekend. The only player listed was undrafted rookie EDGE Gabriel Murphy. He is listed as OUT, while continuing to work through his 21-day PUP practice window.

Final #MINvsTEN injury report

OUT: Gabe Murphy*

*Currently in 21-day practice window pic.twitter.com/sa6RERpvGY

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 15, 2024

Kevin O’Connell told media moments ago that Murphy is on track to be activated sometime during or immediately after his 3-week practice window. That means, if they can get through the game Sunday, without any more devastating injuries, this team could get even healthier in the coming weeks. But that’s a big “if”.

Related: 4 Bold Predictions for Minnesota Vikings’ Week 11 Matchup vs Titans

Earlier this week, Sam Darnold and Aaron Jones, among others, were listed as limited participants, thanks to some bumps and bruises suffered in week 10 vs the Jacksonville Jaguars. Those injury concerns were lifted, as the week wore on, and now everyone is a full-go.

But in the NFL, they don’t ask how, they only ask how many. And after their ugly 12-7 victory over the Jags, the Vikings are now 7-2 and battling for a top playoff seed in the NFC. But that’s not exactly how sportsbooks view things.

Minnesota Vikings week 11 betting odds vs Tennessee Titans

So, after an ugly performance in week 10 vs a bad team, what does Vegas think about the Minnesota Vikings’ chances in week 11, when they go back on the road vs another two-win football team, in the Tennessee Titans? Pretty much the same as they did this week. The Vikings opened as -6.5 point favorites at both DraftKings and FanDuel, on Sunday evening, vs the 2-7 Titans.

It looks like oddsmakers saw the same thing that Minnesota fans did today. The Vikings had the better team vs the Jaguars, just like they will have the better team next weekend, vs the Tennessee Titans. Yes, Sam Darnold is a roller coaster ride that oftentimes makes you want to vomit on the fans sitting directly behind you.

But the former 3rd overall pick has proven over the course of nine games that he is a better QB than what he showed in week 10 vs the Jacksonville Jaguars. Let’s not forget, while Minnesota did trail for most of the contest Sunday, they also outgained the Jags 402 to 143 and gained 28 1st downs, opposed to just 10 by Jacksonville.

Related: What We Learned About the Minnesota Vikings in Nail-Biting Victory Over Jaguars

Had I not already told you that Minnesota barely squeaked one out on Sunday in Jacksonville, and you only looked at the statistics from both teams, you would think the Vikings drug the EverBank Stadium Field with the Jaguars this week. Sportsbooks clearly believe all those Sam Darnold turnovers and timely mistakes will not be repeated vs the Titans. I hope they are right.

If your team is trailing 31-30 with 1:36 left in the 4th quarter and you have no timeouts remaining, who is the quarterback you’d want to pay to be in that clutch spot? Would it be Kirk Cousins? That’s who the Minnesota Vikings chose.

Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, those are some of the first names that come to mind. Even the older vets like Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady are up there. The best QB’s make the best money. Mahomes, Wilson, Brees, Rodgers, Roethlisberger and Brady all rank top-10 in highest-paid QB salaries (by year-over-year average)

Top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL by average salary.

Wentz one of only 2 of the top 10 that have a passer rating below 90: pic.twitter.com/ug9YVHswjd

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) September 28, 2020

When you pay a substantial amount of money to a quarterback, it not only speaks to the high cost of maintaining that position, but also the anticipatory characteristics that you expect from that big money QB. You’re paying for the trust. You’re paying for the comfort… for that feeling in crunch time that reassures you, ‘some way, somehow, this QB is going to get us down the field and we’re going to win this game.’

Kirk Cousins Ain’t It.

As foreshadowed in the opening paragraph, the Vikings chose their QB 2.5 years ago. Now, down 31-30 to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday afternoon, with just 1:36 remaining in the 4th quarter and no timeouts, Kirk Cousins is who steps into the huddle.

Minnesota is paying Kirk Cousins $33 million per year, which puts him in an economic class with all of the QB’s we mentioned above. One would expect similar feelings and results as what you see from the Brees’ and Wilson’s of the NFL, right? Wrong. Instead, we’re wondering how we can run him out of town.

I have absolutely ZERO faith in “Big Moment” Kirk Cousins. Be honest with yourself. When the Vikings got the ball back, down one point yesterday, how confident were you feeling about Cousins taking the Vikings 40 yards and into field goal range?

Personally, I would’ve picked 20 other QBs, over Kirk, in that spot. Seriously, I don’t have hope that our $33M QB can guide our football team down the field during crunch time. On 4th and LONG during that last drive, I expected Kirk to check it down to CJ Ham just to boost his completion percentage.

Pain. pic.twitter.com/DjEMzAp7TE

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) September 28, 2020

Nobody Fears Kirk When He Steps on the Field in Any Moment.

There’s an insatiable feeling of fear, when the opposing defense sees Aaron Rodgers strut onto the field (especially when the game’s on the line) with that Grinch-like smirk on his ugly face. When crunch time occurs, the best quarterbacks live for the moment. Cousins gets paid to live fro that moment, but when that moment actually arrives, he dies. Sunday represented yet another example of why people can’t take Cousins seriously as a top-paid quarterback.

The Vikings even caught another break on that drive, when the first play was flagged for hitting Kirk Cousins in the helmet. But then, Garrett Bradbury snapped the ball when Cousins wasn’t ready, the Vikings lost 14 yards and that was all she wrote. If anything goes wrong, it’s all over but the crying.

“Get What You Pay For” is Dead

At a young age, my dad taught me a valuable lesson, “you get what you pay for.” I guess he forgot to tell me there was one exception, when you’re paying for NFL quarterbacks like Kirk Cousins. Minnesota Vikings fans should have a feeling of confidence, when their $33 million quarterback takes the field in a must-win game.

But that’s not how anyone feels when that QB is Kirk Cousins.

Stephen Strom | Minnesota Sports Fan

So it turns out, there are still Minnesota Vikings believers walking among us. What are the odds (pun intended)? First, Tony Dungy picked the Vikings as the most likely 0-2 team, to pull their season together. Now, with the Vikings ~(+2.5|+125) home underdogs this weekend vs the Tennessee Titans, lost gambling souls around the country are jumping all over the purple and gold, according to oddschecker.com.

? Who are the 3 most backed #NFL teams this weekend

1️⃣ Vikings – 81%
2️⃣ Colts – 77%
3️⃣ Patriots – 73%

Who is going in your parlay?

— OddsChecker (@OddsCheckerUS) September 24, 2020

Minnesota Vikings may have started the season with back-to-back losses, but sports bettors are wagering that their Week 3 matchup against Tennessee Titans is when they will turn things around.

Across all 16 games this week, no matchup is more lop-sided in terms of the betting breakdown; OddsChecker data shows that 81% of bets placed on the moneyline market have gone in favor of the Vikings, compared to just 19% for the Titans.

This is despite the fact that the Vikings are actually underdogs, with their odds of +120 indicative of a 45.5% chance of winning.

Oddschecker.com – Pete Watt

I was able to get updated numbers from Pete Watt, who wrote the Vikings/Titans blog for Oddschecker. As of this morning, the scales were still heavily tipped in Minnesota’s favor. The moneyline wager % is now 79/21 in favor of the Vikings, compared to 81/19 earlier this week (when the excerpt above was written). In other words, the movement has been minimal.

Am I watching the same team as everyone else?

This shocked me because the Minnesota Vikings have been absolutely terrible in the first two weeks of the 2020 season. Not only that, but they are playing completely undermanned on defense in week 3. This injury report doesn’t list Anthony Barr, who was placed on the IR at the beginning of this week.

Final @Titans vs @Vikings Injury Report. pic.twitter.com/aAA4EjiJex

— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) September 25, 2020

The Vikings’ defense has been beaten and worn down for two straight weeks. Now, Derrick Henry, who won a rushing title last season by wearing defenses down, is coming to town.

The offense is rather healthy, but hasn’t shown any ability to help their ailing defense, even the slightest. Am I watching a different team than what others around the country are watching?

Trap Game?

This does fit the “trap game” mold but I don’t know if a trap game warrants 80% of moneyline wagers… I’ve seen some Vikings fans call this game out as “the classic upset win that gets everyone back on board”. I can’t disagree with that, either.

I understand those sentiments… but then I go back to the game film from the first two weeks and I’m slapped in the face by reality once again. The Vikings are terrible right now. Any hope that they will change, is just that… “hope”. There’s no factual or statistical evidence behind anything.

But… I will let Oddschecker’s, Pete Watt, speak for those in the betting world, who are clearly less cynical that I am on my hometown team.

“The Vikings have lost to two good teams as opposed to folding against weak opposition, so it’s understandable that bettors have retained their faith in Minnesota.”

“However, they do need to get a win under their belt and fast, as their odds of winning the Super Bowl have already slipped to +10000, demonstrative of just a 1% implied chance.”

Pete Watt – Oddschecker

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan