Vikings' miserable first-half vs. Colts punctuated by non-fumble call by officials

Edward Sutelan

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Vikings' miserable first-half vs. Colts punctuated by non-fumble call by officials image

Absolutely nothing went right for the Vikings in the first half against the Colts. And just when it looked like they caught a much-needed break, it was taken off the board.

The Vikings had stopped Colts receiver Michael Pittman several yards behind the line to gain in the second quarter, and appeared to strip the ball from him and return it back for a fumble recovery touchdown. That would have made the score 23-6.

But just as Pittman lost possession, the whistle was blown, stopping the play for forward progress. Needless to say, the Viking crowd was less than pleased:

By the end of the first half, the Vikings trailed 33-0, the worst regular-season halftime deficit ever for a 10-win team, per Stathead.

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It certainly looked like Pittman was still fighting for yards when the play was blown dead, but the whistle could be heard just as the ball fell out. That means anything after the whistle would not count. It wasn't a reviewable play, meaning all the Vikings could do was vent to the officials and prepare to return the ensuing punt.

The fumble looked to be just the momentum-changing play the 10-3 Vikings needed in what was looking like a stunning beatdown at home by the 4-8-1 Colts. The Vikings got the ball back and went on to throw a pick-six — a 14-point swing:

The Colts opened the game with a field goal, followed by a blocked punt by Indianapolis' Ifeadi Odenigbo; the Colts' JoJo Domann picked it up and scored the 24-yard return for a touchdown.

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But Minnesota's woes didn't stop there. Dalvin Cook fumbled on the Vikings' next possession, and the Colts turned that turnover into another touchdown. The Colts kicked two more field goals before intercepting Kirk Cousins with 5:50 left in the second quarter and returning it for a pick-six (just one play after Justin Jefferson appeared to be injured).

The first half also featured these lowlights for the Vikings that included Cousins just falling down after taking a snap and failing a fake punt attempt on a fourth-and-1 from their own 31.

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The Vikings have already taking heat for their struggles despite the sterling record. At minus-1, the Vikings entered the game with the worst point differential for a team to start 10-3 or better in NFL history, according to Stathead, and that point differential certainly wasn't looking likely to improve trailing 33-0 at the end of the first half against the Colts.

Edward Sutelan

Edward Sutelan Photo

Edward Sutelan joined The Sporting News in 2021 after covering high school sports for PennLive. Edward graduated from The Ohio State University in 2019, where he gained experience covering the baseball, football and basketball teams. Edward also spent time working for The Columbus Dispatch and Cape Cod Times.