Vikings vs. Broncos: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 Regular Season

Peyton Manning is the face of the current Denver Broncos franchise, but he took a backseat to his talented teammates Sunday during the squad's thrilling 23-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4. 

Ronnie Hillman ran for 103 of Denver's 144 rushing yards and found the end zone on a 72-yard burst in the first half to establish the early momentum. ESPN Stats & Info noted the Broncos finished with a season high in rushing yards and more than they had in their previous two games combined (102). 

That rushing performance helped counter Manning's two interceptions, although the veteran quarterback did throw for 213 yards and a touchdown. ESPN Stats & Info pointed out Manning rarely loses when he has the opportunity to hold on to a lead:

While the offense did enough to win, Denver's defense proved to be the ultimate difference. It sacked young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater seven times and clinched the victory with a strip-sack in the final minute. Adrian Peterson managed to tally 81 rushing yards, but he only had 33 rushing yards on 15 carries if his 48-yard score is not factored into the equation.

Star linebacker Von Miller noted his defensive unit takes a simple approach as it dominates football games, per the team's Twitter account:    

Behind that defense, the Broncos appeared well on their way to a straightforward home victory after they seized a 13-0 lead in the first half. Hillman took a toss from Manning in the second quarter and did the rest of the work with a burst to the outside on his 72-yard touchdown run. The NFL shared the highlight:

Rather than fold up on the road, the Vikings battled back to cut the lead to 13-10 by halftime. Denver pushed it back to double digits with a third-quarter touchdown catch from tight end Owen Daniels, but Peterson answered early in the fourth quarter with a 48-yard touchdown run of his own.

The NFL shared that play as well, while SportsCenter pointed out the impressive company the superstar joined in the process:

The Vikings added a field goal to tie the game at 20, but Manning engineered a 55-yard drive that resulted in a field goal and the 23-20 lead with just two minutes remaining in the contest.

From there, Bridgewater had the opportunity to be a hero on the road, but his offensive line failed to come through. With less than a minute remaining, T.J. Ward blitzed the 22-year-old quarterback and sacked him, forcing a fumble in the process. Denver recovered to clinch the victory.

Matt Miller of Bleacher Report highlighted one obvious problem from Minnesota's perspective, while Chris Trapasso of NFL.com described Bridgewater's mistake during the fateful play:

While Manning and the offense did their part on the field-goal drive in the fourth quarter, the defense was once again the main story for the Broncos. Denver sits at 4-0 and has yet to allow more than 24 points in a single game. ESPN's Danny Kannell summarized the season thus far for the AFC West-leading team:

ESPN's Bomani Jones couldn't believe what he saw from the Broncos on that side of the ball:

Miller singled out the dominant Miller who consistently pressured Bridgewater throughout the game and made the young playmaker uncomfortable in the pocket from the opening possession:

The fact Denver found a way to win Sunday's game despite Manning's overall struggles is a testament to the talent throughout this roster. This team is no longer just Manning and Co., and it remains a Super Bowl threat as long as the defense is flying around and dictating the tempo like it did in the critical moments of Sunday's victory.

Postgame Reaction

The Broncos recognized how important establishing the running game was after the victory, especially since Manning is 39 years old and probably won't be able to carry the team on his back all season.

Hillman discussed his breakout game, per ESPN.com: "We had three bad weeks of running the ball and tonight we got it started. This week it was just me and C.J. (Anderson) got tired of everyone trying to tell us that we can't run the ball."

The ability to stop Minnesota's running game was key as well, although Miller recognized that a player as talented as Peterson is bound to break a big run or two throughout an entire game. "That's just AP," he said, per ESPN.com. "We came into the game knowing that he was going to make plays and we're fortunate that that was the only big one."

As for the Vikings, the one silver lining was the fact that they didn't quit after falling behind.

Head coach Mike Zimmer suggested as much, per Mark Craig of the Star Tribune: “I don’t think we played very well offensively in the first half. But we were able to fight back and make some plays, keep going and hanging around. Our guys kept fighting. It could have been ugly, but we have a lot of fighters.”

What's Next?

The Broncos hit the road to play the division rival Oakland Raiders in Week 5. Oakland is typically an easy opponent, but it sits at 2-2 on the year and has flashed moments of brilliance with youngster Amari Cooper making highlight-reel plays at wide receiver. Those plays won't come as easily against the Denver defense, however.

As for the Vikings, they stick with the AFC West theme and return home to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6 after a bye. Minnesota then gets two games against the division rival Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears. Those three upcoming opponents are a combined 2-9 on the season.

The Vikings lost on Sunday and fell to a middling 2-2, but the immediate future looks bright if they can beat the teams they are supposed to in the race for a playoff spot in the NFC.