Minnesota United looks to sweep in Seattle, Vikings forge ahead with return of J.J. McCarthy
Dayne St. Clair #97 of Minnesota United FC after a save during a playoff game between Minnesota United FC and Seattle Sounders at Allianz Field on Oct. 27, in St Paul.
Jeremy Olson | ISI Photos | ISI Photos via Getty Images
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Audio transcript
NINA MOINI: This weekend, Viking season took a positive turn. They beat the Detroit Lions 27 to 24. It was quarterback JJ McCarthy's first game back on the field in a while. He sat out the previous five games with an ankle injury. Head coach Kevin O'Connell praised him for how he showed up, especially for an away game.
KEVIN O'CONNELL: He's a young player in a heck of an environment today. Really, he's had three starts, two of which in very difficult road environments. And his poise, him running the show, I thought, was matched by him making some big-time throws.
NINA MOINI: Joining me now to talk about this and other sports news are our contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson. Hey, guys. Happy Monday.
ERIC NELSON: Yeah, same to you, Nina.
NINA MOINI: Wally, are you still riding the high from the Vikings game yesterday? Tell us a little bit more about what happened.
WALLY LANGFELLOW: Yeah, it was fun to watch the game yesterday because not only did they get JJ McCarthy back, but their defense showed up, something that didn't happen against the Chargers a week and a half ago when they were playing in Los Angeles, when they lost 37 to 10.
So I thought the defense was as big a part of the Vikings' victory as anything. They recorded five sacks. I think that they did a really nice job on both David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. They held Gibbs to just 28 yards on 12 touches. Montgomery had 40 yards on 11 carries.
So I thought that they played well on both sides of the ball. They got a huge turnover when former Eden Prairie and University of Minnesota player Blake Cashman forced a fumble and Harrison Smith recovered the fumble. There's just a lot of things that went right for them.
Now JJ McCarthy's numbers were not great. Statistically, it wasn't a huge game for him. He was 14 of 25 passing the football, 143 yards and two touchdowns. He did throw an interception. But he came through in the clutch. A huge 3rd down conversion at the end of the game to Jalen Nailor, and that sealed the victory. The Vikings could then just kneel down to run the clock out at the end.
So all in all, probably their best effort of the season, and I've heard some folks say it's maybe the best win for head coach Kevin O'Connell in his time here in Minnesota. So yeah, big win. It kind of gets them back in the picture for sure.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. It sounds like everybody pitched in in some of the ways they were supposed to. Eric, where do the Vikings go from here, though.
ERIC NELSON: Yeah, they play on Sunday at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The Baltimore Ravens come to town. Ravens are 3 and 5 and the Vikings are 4 and 4. And Nina, this is a game that Prince would love because it's going to be purple on purple football. The Ravens and Vikings are the only NFL teams whose primary color is purple.
NINA MOINI: Oh!
WALLY LANGFELLOW:
ERIC NELSON: So yeah, cue up Purple Rain for this one.
NINA MOINI: Yeah.
ERIC NELSON: And they don't play a lot. They're in different conferences. The Ravens are in the AFC, Vikings in the NFC, so they've met just seven times before. Baltimore has won four, Minnesota's won three.
And the thing you need to about Baltimore, they're historically, year in and year out, a very good team, but they've started slow this season. A lot of injuries to key players, but the Ravens are getting back on track. They've won two straight. Their star quarterback, Lamar Jackson, has returned. He was sensational last week. He threw for 204 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Miami.
Baltimore also has a bulldozer running back in Derrick Henry. He ran for 119 yards in the win over the Dolphins, and Nina, he's got this unique combination of power and speed. So it's going to be a challenge for the Vikings' defense to make sure Henry does not shred them to pieces.
NINA MOINI: Sure.
ERIC NELSON: And the way they played yesterday against Detroit's running backs, I'm sure the Vikings have a lot of confidence. Now, if you include the playoffs, Baltimore's Head Coach, John Harbaugh, has 185 wins. He's been with the Ravens since 2008. He's one of the top coaches in the NFL. He's won a Super Bowl. So this will be a good match-up of wits with John Harbaugh and Kevin O'Connell, the Vikings Head Coach.
And the Ravens, despite the slow start, they're making progress, they're in second place right now in the AFC North. I would say this is another measuring stick game for the Vikings. If they can knock off Baltimore and get above .500 to 5 and 4, the Vikings might be able to go on a run.
NINA MOINI: All right. So tonight is a big night for Minnesota soccer fans, too. If the Loons win, I understand they'll move on to the next round of the playoffs. It would be the fourth time this season that they beat the Seattle Sounders. So I'm wondering, what is working in Minnesota's favor? What's kind of standing in their way, Wally?
WALLY LANGFELLOW: Well, standing in their way-- and that's a great question, is a Seattle team that just doesn't lose at home.
NINA MOINI: Yeah.
WALLY LANGFELLOW: They've only lost one match at home all season. However, that one team that beat them in Seattle? Minnesota United.
NINA MOINI: That's right.
WALLY LANGFELLOW: So there is a little bit of history there going for Minnesota. This, as you mentioned, if they win tonight in Seattle, they will move on to the next round of this best-of-three series. Now Minnesota won the opening match. If there was no score through regulation, they went into penalty kicks, and the Loons won that game on penalty kicks, so technically, a 1-0 victory over Seattle.
But Seattle's very good at home, and they're going to-- Minnesota will be tested tonight. Now if, for some reason, the United do not win tonight, then they will come home on Friday, and the third and deciding game will be Friday at Allianz Field in downtown St. Paul.
And this rivalry goes back. Let's not forget that Seattle is the team that knocked Minnesota out of the Final Four a few years back when they had-- Minnesota had the lead late in the game and they gave up three goals late and they end up losing, and Seattle went on to the championship. So this had this rivalry has some history, and hopefully they can win tonight and avoid having to play that third game back here on Friday.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. And so Eric, I understand you were at the Gopher game Saturday, too. How was that? I know you like Huntington Bank Stadium.
ERIC NELSON: Yeah, it was excellent, Nina. I mean, my kid, Preston, who plays at Champlin Park High School, was invited by the Gophers on a recruiting visit, so we got to sit in row 3 right behind the Minnesota bench, and I want to thank the U of M for their hospitality.
NINA MOINI: Shout-out? OK.
ERIC NELSON: Yes, indeed. But as far as the Gophers go, they won a squeaker in overtime, knocking off Michigan State 23 to 20 in Dinkytown, and it was quarterback Drake Lindsey who scored on a 3-yard run in overtime to give Minnesota a walk-off win. Lindsey also scored the tying touchdown on a 2-yard run with 29 seconds left in regulation. Running back Femi Ajiboye ran for 108 yards and one touchdown for Minnesota, replacing the injured Darius Taylor.
So the Gophers get the win, they're now 6 and 3, 4 and 2 in the Big Ten. They're off this week. Their next game is a week from Friday when they travel to Oregon, and the Ducks are the real deal. Oregon is 7 and 1, 4 and 1 in the conference, they're ranked sixth in the nation. They're paced by a quarterback named Dante Moore. He's throwing for 1,772 yards, 19 touchdowns, and just four interceptions.
And while he talked about how tough it is to beat the Seattle Sounders up there in Washington State, Oregon is equally as difficult to beat in Eugene. The Ducks are 34 and 3 at home in the last five seasons, and this program is fueled by Nike money because Nike owner Phil Knight is an Oregon grad, he's a huge Ducks fan. Nike is located in suburban Portland, and some folks jokingly call Oregon the University of Nike. So it's all about Just Do It when it comes to the Oregon Ducks.
And one other thing. For our fashionistas out there in the listening audience, the Ducks are one of the most colorful teams in college football. They have hundreds of uniform combinations, so I have no idea what they're going to look like when the Minnesota Gophers play them a week from Friday. It's a national TV game on Fox. It's a chance for the Gophers to make a statement, but if they don't show up ready to play, it could be a long night in Oregon.
OK, I love all these fashion updates. Wally, before we go, how about a quick update on the Wolves, the Timberwolves?
WALLY LANGFELLOW: Yeah, they play tonight in Brooklyn against the Nets, but I think the big news today, Nina, is that Anthony Edwards has been cleared to go back to practice, and hopefully that means soon, he will be back on the court in games. He's been out the last week or so.
They are 1 and 2 without Edwards, losing to Denver and the Lakers, and then they beat Charlotte this past Saturday night. So hopefully things are pointed the right direction for the Timberwolves because without Anthony Edwards, they are a different team for sure.
NINA MOINI: All right. Thanks, guys. Have a great week.
ERIC NELSON: See you, Nina.
NINA MOINI: See Ya. That's sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson.
KEVIN O'CONNELL: He's a young player in a heck of an environment today. Really, he's had three starts, two of which in very difficult road environments. And his poise, him running the show, I thought, was matched by him making some big-time throws.
NINA MOINI: Joining me now to talk about this and other sports news are our contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson. Hey, guys. Happy Monday.
ERIC NELSON: Yeah, same to you, Nina.
NINA MOINI: Wally, are you still riding the high from the Vikings game yesterday? Tell us a little bit more about what happened.
WALLY LANGFELLOW: Yeah, it was fun to watch the game yesterday because not only did they get JJ McCarthy back, but their defense showed up, something that didn't happen against the Chargers a week and a half ago when they were playing in Los Angeles, when they lost 37 to 10.
So I thought the defense was as big a part of the Vikings' victory as anything. They recorded five sacks. I think that they did a really nice job on both David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. They held Gibbs to just 28 yards on 12 touches. Montgomery had 40 yards on 11 carries.
So I thought that they played well on both sides of the ball. They got a huge turnover when former Eden Prairie and University of Minnesota player Blake Cashman forced a fumble and Harrison Smith recovered the fumble. There's just a lot of things that went right for them.
Now JJ McCarthy's numbers were not great. Statistically, it wasn't a huge game for him. He was 14 of 25 passing the football, 143 yards and two touchdowns. He did throw an interception. But he came through in the clutch. A huge 3rd down conversion at the end of the game to Jalen Nailor, and that sealed the victory. The Vikings could then just kneel down to run the clock out at the end.
So all in all, probably their best effort of the season, and I've heard some folks say it's maybe the best win for head coach Kevin O'Connell in his time here in Minnesota. So yeah, big win. It kind of gets them back in the picture for sure.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. It sounds like everybody pitched in in some of the ways they were supposed to. Eric, where do the Vikings go from here, though.
ERIC NELSON: Yeah, they play on Sunday at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The Baltimore Ravens come to town. Ravens are 3 and 5 and the Vikings are 4 and 4. And Nina, this is a game that Prince would love because it's going to be purple on purple football. The Ravens and Vikings are the only NFL teams whose primary color is purple.
NINA MOINI: Oh!
WALLY LANGFELLOW:
ERIC NELSON: So yeah, cue up Purple Rain for this one.
NINA MOINI: Yeah.
ERIC NELSON: And they don't play a lot. They're in different conferences. The Ravens are in the AFC, Vikings in the NFC, so they've met just seven times before. Baltimore has won four, Minnesota's won three.
And the thing you need to about Baltimore, they're historically, year in and year out, a very good team, but they've started slow this season. A lot of injuries to key players, but the Ravens are getting back on track. They've won two straight. Their star quarterback, Lamar Jackson, has returned. He was sensational last week. He threw for 204 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Miami.
Baltimore also has a bulldozer running back in Derrick Henry. He ran for 119 yards in the win over the Dolphins, and Nina, he's got this unique combination of power and speed. So it's going to be a challenge for the Vikings' defense to make sure Henry does not shred them to pieces.
NINA MOINI: Sure.
ERIC NELSON: And the way they played yesterday against Detroit's running backs, I'm sure the Vikings have a lot of confidence. Now, if you include the playoffs, Baltimore's Head Coach, John Harbaugh, has 185 wins. He's been with the Ravens since 2008. He's one of the top coaches in the NFL. He's won a Super Bowl. So this will be a good match-up of wits with John Harbaugh and Kevin O'Connell, the Vikings Head Coach.
And the Ravens, despite the slow start, they're making progress, they're in second place right now in the AFC North. I would say this is another measuring stick game for the Vikings. If they can knock off Baltimore and get above .500 to 5 and 4, the Vikings might be able to go on a run.
NINA MOINI: All right. So tonight is a big night for Minnesota soccer fans, too. If the Loons win, I understand they'll move on to the next round of the playoffs. It would be the fourth time this season that they beat the Seattle Sounders. So I'm wondering, what is working in Minnesota's favor? What's kind of standing in their way, Wally?
WALLY LANGFELLOW: Well, standing in their way-- and that's a great question, is a Seattle team that just doesn't lose at home.
NINA MOINI: Yeah.
WALLY LANGFELLOW: They've only lost one match at home all season. However, that one team that beat them in Seattle? Minnesota United.
NINA MOINI: That's right.
WALLY LANGFELLOW: So there is a little bit of history there going for Minnesota. This, as you mentioned, if they win tonight in Seattle, they will move on to the next round of this best-of-three series. Now Minnesota won the opening match. If there was no score through regulation, they went into penalty kicks, and the Loons won that game on penalty kicks, so technically, a 1-0 victory over Seattle.
But Seattle's very good at home, and they're going to-- Minnesota will be tested tonight. Now if, for some reason, the United do not win tonight, then they will come home on Friday, and the third and deciding game will be Friday at Allianz Field in downtown St. Paul.
And this rivalry goes back. Let's not forget that Seattle is the team that knocked Minnesota out of the Final Four a few years back when they had-- Minnesota had the lead late in the game and they gave up three goals late and they end up losing, and Seattle went on to the championship. So this had this rivalry has some history, and hopefully they can win tonight and avoid having to play that third game back here on Friday.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. And so Eric, I understand you were at the Gopher game Saturday, too. How was that? I know you like Huntington Bank Stadium.
ERIC NELSON: Yeah, it was excellent, Nina. I mean, my kid, Preston, who plays at Champlin Park High School, was invited by the Gophers on a recruiting visit, so we got to sit in row 3 right behind the Minnesota bench, and I want to thank the U of M for their hospitality.
NINA MOINI: Shout-out? OK.
ERIC NELSON: Yes, indeed. But as far as the Gophers go, they won a squeaker in overtime, knocking off Michigan State 23 to 20 in Dinkytown, and it was quarterback Drake Lindsey who scored on a 3-yard run in overtime to give Minnesota a walk-off win. Lindsey also scored the tying touchdown on a 2-yard run with 29 seconds left in regulation. Running back Femi Ajiboye ran for 108 yards and one touchdown for Minnesota, replacing the injured Darius Taylor.
So the Gophers get the win, they're now 6 and 3, 4 and 2 in the Big Ten. They're off this week. Their next game is a week from Friday when they travel to Oregon, and the Ducks are the real deal. Oregon is 7 and 1, 4 and 1 in the conference, they're ranked sixth in the nation. They're paced by a quarterback named Dante Moore. He's throwing for 1,772 yards, 19 touchdowns, and just four interceptions.
And while he talked about how tough it is to beat the Seattle Sounders up there in Washington State, Oregon is equally as difficult to beat in Eugene. The Ducks are 34 and 3 at home in the last five seasons, and this program is fueled by Nike money because Nike owner Phil Knight is an Oregon grad, he's a huge Ducks fan. Nike is located in suburban Portland, and some folks jokingly call Oregon the University of Nike. So it's all about Just Do It when it comes to the Oregon Ducks.
And one other thing. For our fashionistas out there in the listening audience, the Ducks are one of the most colorful teams in college football. They have hundreds of uniform combinations, so I have no idea what they're going to look like when the Minnesota Gophers play them a week from Friday. It's a national TV game on Fox. It's a chance for the Gophers to make a statement, but if they don't show up ready to play, it could be a long night in Oregon.
OK, I love all these fashion updates. Wally, before we go, how about a quick update on the Wolves, the Timberwolves?
WALLY LANGFELLOW: Yeah, they play tonight in Brooklyn against the Nets, but I think the big news today, Nina, is that Anthony Edwards has been cleared to go back to practice, and hopefully that means soon, he will be back on the court in games. He's been out the last week or so.
They are 1 and 2 without Edwards, losing to Denver and the Lakers, and then they beat Charlotte this past Saturday night. So hopefully things are pointed the right direction for the Timberwolves because without Anthony Edwards, they are a different team for sure.
NINA MOINI: All right. Thanks, guys. Have a great week.
ERIC NELSON: See you, Nina.
NINA MOINI: See Ya. That's sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson.
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