Biggest Takeaways from Minnesota Vikings' Week 9 Win

The Minnesota Vikings are 6-2 and in a tie atop the NFC North after taking down the St. Louis Rams in overtime on Sunday at TCF Bank Stadium.

Despite losing quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to a concussion in the fourth quarter, the Vikings survived a late comeback attempt and sent the Rams home a loser on Blair Walsh's game-winning field goal in the extra period. Minnesota has now won four straight games at home to start 2015 and four straight overall. 

In the following slides, we'll break down the biggest takeaways from Minnesota's Week 9 win over the Rams. 

Linval Joseph's Pro Bowl Season

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Nose tackles don't often go to the Pro Bowl. Most nose tackles aren't having the kind of season Linval Joseph is currently enjoying. 

A dominant force all year, Joseph was at his best against the St. Louis Rams, finishing Sunday's win with a team-high 10 tackles, three tackles for loss and a half-sack of quarterback Nick Foles. The Rams couldn't block him. Few have. 

Even if Joseph doesn't get Pro Bowl recognition the old-fashioned way, he'll have a teammate doing the grunt work to get him to Hawaii. 

"He’s having a Pro Bowl-type season," defensive end Brian Robison said after the game. "I am going to lobby for him just like I did for Everson [Griffen] last year. He should go to the Pro Bowl. If he doesn’t, it’s a travesty."

The Rams won't need convincing. Neither will his head coach. 

"Linval continues to be a terrific player for us—he’s tough, physical, smart, a great competitor, loves the game, loves his teammates, wants to do the dirty work," Mike Zimmer said. "He’s a guy that I’m awful glad that we have."

Adrian Peterson Outduels Todd Gurley

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Playing against Adrian Peterson must have been a surreal moment for Rams rookie Todd Gurley, the game's best young runner. For Peterson, the matchup of running backs was an inspirational test, a chance to prove the NFL's top player at the position still resides in the state of Minnesota. 

On Sunday, Peterson won the first round against his rookie counterpart. 

“I don’t plan on passing the torch anytime soon,” Peterson said, via Craig Peters of the team's official site.

Peterson rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown, while Gurley gained 89 and scored once. The master came away impressed with his appointed apprentice. 

“He came out and had a good game," Peterson said. "I was able to sit back and watch him. He’s a very explosive and strong back. I would just like to encourage him to keep pushing. He’s going to come out of his game against our defense as a better player."

In overtime, the Vikings stopped Gurley for a six-yard loss on the Rams' first play. Once Minnesota got the ball, Peterson gobbled up 21 yards on four carries to set up the game-winning field goal. Peterson finished what Gurley could not.  

Passing Game Is a Work in Progress

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The Vikings' passing game very much remains a work in progress. Once again inconsistent, Minnesota produced just 15 completions for 159 yards between Teddy Bridgewater and backup Shaun Hill. 

Rookie Stefon Diggs wasn't able to bail out his quarterbacks, catching a career-low three passes for 42 yards. Veteran Mike Wallace had just one catch on six targets for four yards, while the Vikings managed six total completions to receivers. 

Bridgewater also threw another interception in the end zone. Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson outmaneuvered Diggs for the takeaway on Minnesota's first possession of the second half. 

More concerning, the Vikings are still missing on too many big plays down the field. Bridgewater missed deep shots to Wallace and Jarius Wright on Sunday.

The Vikings haven't always needed superlative quarterback play to win games in 2015. A stifling defense and productive run game have carried the load many weeks. Minnesota will become a real threat if the passing game starts firing on all cylinders.

Special Teams Remain an Asset

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The Vikings special teams are rolling. 

Not only did Minnesota produce a season-long kick return of 42 yards from Cordarrelle Patterson, but punt returner Marcus Sherels tight-roped the sidelines for 26 yards to help set up Blair Walsh's 40-yard kick to win the game in overtime. 

Sherels continues to provide big plays in the punting game, and Walsh has made 14 straight field goals. The two are huge assets for the Vikings. If Patterson starts breaking off long kick returns on a regular basis, Minnesota will have to be considered one of the better clubs on special teams in the NFL. 

Vikings Win Two-Point Situations

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Two-point conversions allowed for a four-point swing during Minnesota's three-point win on Sunday. 

The Vikings first stopped the Rams' curious decision to go for two in the first half, stuffing Todd Gurley after the rookie running back had made the game 10-6. Later, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater scrambled in for two points to extend Minnesota's lead to 18-15 in the third quarter. 

The first play likely influenced the second. Had the Rams kicked the extra point after Gurley's touchdown, Minnesota would have almost certainly kicked its extra point and gone up 17-16. What should have been a one-point game turned into a three-point lead.

Who knows how the contest would have unfolded from there, but the Rams possibly could have won the game on their late field goal. It simply sent the game into overtime. 

It wasn't obvious then, but the Vikings' early stop eventually paid big dividends later in the game. 

Zimmer Rolls the Dice and Wins

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NFL coaches tend to be traditionalists, mostly in response to the potential of massive backlash to any move made outside the box. Mike Zimmer cares not for your traditions, boxes and nonsense, NFL. 

After winning the overtime coin toss, Zimmer chose not to take the football. Instead, he rolled with his defense and the wind—which was swirling and causing havoc inside TCF Bank Stadium all afternoon.

Had the Rams scored a touchdown on their first drive and won the game, Zimmer would have been torn apart. Instead, the calculated risk worked out perfectly in his favor. 

The Rams went three-and-out, punted to the Vikings and never saw the ball again. A 26-yard return by Marcus Sherels set up good field position for the Minnesota offense, and Adrian Peterson did the rest. His 21 rushing yards on the drive set up Blair Walsh's 40-yard kick for the win. 

Credit Zimmer for trusting in his defense and tilting the wind factor in his team's favor for the overtime period. Not many coaches would have the confidence to make that decision. Zimmer did, and his club made the most out of the situation.