Minnesota Vikings lose 21-20 to Denver Broncos; break 5-game winning streak
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DENVER (AP) — Courtland Sutton's leaping 15-yard touchdown catch with 1:03 remaining powered the Denver Broncos to a 21-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, ending the NFL's longest winning streak at five games.
The Broncos (5-5) now own the league's longest winning streak at four.
Sutton outleapt cornerback Mekhi Blackmon, who had his eyes on an interception of Russell Wilson's high throw. Danielle Hunter's tackle of Javonte Williams on the 2-point try kept the Vikings within a point and needing a field goal to win it.
The Broncos' defense — which produced three more takeaways, giving Denver a dozen over its last three games — didn't allow the Vikings to get out of their own side of the field.
Denver forced Joshua Dobbs into an intentional grounding that brought up fourth-and-25 before Dobbs threw one final incompletion with from the Vikings 21 with 16 seconds left.
Dobbs threw for 221 yards and a touchdown and ran for another but lost with the Vikings for the first time since they acquired him in an emergency trade with Arizona.
Wilson went 27 of 35 for 259 yards without an interception for Denver.
The Broncos started their go-ahead drive from their 25 with 3:17 remaining after Greg Joseph's field goal made it 20-15. That kick capped a 7-minute, 20-second drive by the Vikings that featured a fake punt from their own 30.
Ty Chandler took the snap on fourth-and-5 and scurried 31 yards into Denver territory. He added a 19-yard catch-and-run before the drive stalled at the Broncos 12 and Joseph converted from 30 yards.
Wilson drove the Broncos 75 yards in 10 plays and 2:14, hitting Sutton for the wide receiver's eighth TD of the season. The Vikings had led since Dobbs' 3-yard TD toss to tight end Josh Oliver in the second quarter made it 7-3.
Dobbs' 10-yard scramble into the end zone made it 17-9 in the third quarter.
After Josey Jewell recovered a fumble by Alexander Mattison, the Broncos again settled for a Wil Lutz field goal to make it 17-12 with 12:40 remaining.
Ja'Quan McMillian's interception of Dobbs set up the Broncos' offense just inside the Vikings' 10-yard line, but Denver went backward a yard and settled for Lutz's 28-yard field goal to get within 17-15 after Jerry Jeudy bobbled Wilson's pass in the end zone.
Broncos safety Kareem Jackson returned from a two-game suspension for an illegal hit and got away with another one on the Vikings' opening drive. He led with the crown of his helmet on a third-and-1 run by Dobbs, jarring the ball loose, and Denver recovered.
No flag was thrown and McMillian recovered the loose ball at the Vikings' 30-yard line, Denver's second straight opening-drive takeaway, which the Broncos would again convert into a field goal.
Dobbs went straight to the medical tent but came right back out and didn't miss any snaps.
Jackson's hit should have resulted in a 15-yard penalty with Minnesota maintaining possession, suggested NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay.
"He lowers his head and makes forcible contact to the opponent," McAulay said on the broadcast. "You see, his head is down. This should have been a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness."
The NFL will surely scrutinize Jackson's tackle. He has already been fined $89,670 for four illegal hits in addition to losing $279,000 in wages from his suspension.
After returning to practice Wednesday, Jackson said he couldn't guarantee he'd avoid hits bordering on excessive going forward because, as an instinctive player, "I'm going to always be in those situations."
Lutz added two more field goals, including a 52-yarder as the first half expired to pull the Broncos within 10-9 at the break.
After Lutz's first field goal, from 31 yards, Dobbs drove the Vikings 65 yards in 10 plays, hitting tight end Josh Oliver with a 3-yard touchdown pass after slipping out of a potential a sack near the sideline by Jonathon Cooper.
INJURIES
Vikings DL Dean Lowry suffered a pectoral injury in the first half and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. WR Justin Jefferson missed his sixth game with a strained right hamstring.
UP NEXT
Vikings: Host Chicago on Monday.
Broncos: Host Cleveland on Sunday.
Courtland Sutton scores touchdown for Broncos
Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton catches a 15-yard touchdown pass, closing the Broncos gap with the Vikings. The Broncos now lead the Vikings by one point with a minute left in the fourth quarter.
Greg Joseph scores field goal
Greg Joseph kicks a 30-yard field goal, extending the Vikings lead to five with a little over three minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Broncos score, shrinking Vikings lead 17-15
Wil Lutz scores another field goal and the Vikings now only lead the Broncos by two points early in the fourth quarter.
Broncos' Lutz scores 4th field goal of night
Wil Lutz hits his fourth field goal of the night, bringing the Broncos score into the double digits, but the Vikings still have the lead.
Josh Dobbs scrambles and scores
Josh Dobbs runs it in 10 yards for a touchdown and Greg Joseph scores the extra point, improving the Vikings lead to eight over the Broncos.
Vikings lead 10-9 over Broncos at half
Broncos Wil Lutz kicks a 52-yard field goal. The Vikings now only lead the Broncos by one point at the half.
Vikings DL Dean Lowry ruled out for rest of game
Vikings defensive lineman Dean Lowry has been ruled out of the rest of the game with a pectoral injury.
Broncos kick field goal; score now 10-6
Wil Lutz kicks a 31-yard field goal for the Broncos, shrinking the Vikings lead to 4.
Greg Joseph extends Vikings lead
Greg Joseph kicks a 34-yard goal, bring the Vikings' lead to seven, making the score 10-3.
Josh Oliver scores Vikings first touchdown
Joshua Dobbs throws a 3-yard pass to Josh Oliver for the Vikings first touchdown of the game. The Vikings lead 7-3.
Broncos score first with 31-yard field goal
Broncos kicker Wil Lutz hits a 31-yard field goal to put the Broncos ahead 3-0 early in the game.
Safety Kareem Jackson returns from 2-game suspension
Kareem Jackson returns from his two-game suspension and is set to step right back into the starting lineup Sunday night when the Denver Broncos host the Minnesota Vikings.
His replacement, P.J. Locke, is inactive for the game with an ankle injury he sustained against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.
Jackson drew a two-game banishment for an illegal hit on Green Bay tight end Luke Musgrave on Oct. 22. That was the fifth time this season he'd been flagged for unnecessary roughness.
Justin Jefferson won't play Sunday night
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson's much-anticipated return will have to wait. The team has officially downgraded him to out for Sunday night's game against the Denver Broncos.
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