At FedEx Field on Sunday, the Washington Commanders and Minnesota Vikings engaged in a defensive duel in the first half. The Washington Commanders were arguably one of the league’s hottest teams heading into Week 9 despite their 4-4 record. They were riding a three-game winning streak. However, the Minnesota Vikings (6-1) were just as hot when they arrived at FedEx Field on Sunday, and they showed it early on.
However, despite giving up very little on offense and allowing a quick score on their first drive, the Commanders maintained their lead at 7-3 at halftime thanks to a strong defense.The Vikings were unable to kick a field goal in the second half due to Washington cornerback Danny Johnson’s late interception.On the game’s first drive, Vikings receiver Jefferson tore through Washington’s defense, catching four passes for 48 yards and scoring a hard-fought nine-yard touchdown in the back of the end zone to give Minnesota an early 7-0 lead.
However, the defense woke up after the Commanders’ first offensive drive stalled after five plays, forcing the Vikings into a three-and-out that resulted in a sack of Cousins on third down by a Washington defensive tackle.After Washington got the ball back, Commanders receiver Curtis Samuel started the offense with a 16-yard run, but Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke was sacked and then had back-to-back runs with small gains that stopped the drive.Fortunately, Washington gave Minnesota’s offense, which had not yet recovered from its opening drive touchdown, another chance after forcing a punt.
