NFL Week 9 Recap: Minnesota Vikings 21, Indianapolis Colts 13

The Indianapolis Colts didn’t get the boost they hoped for with Joe Flacco stepping in for Anthony Richardson, falling 21-13 to the Sam Darnold-led Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night.

Flacco completed 16 of his 27 passes for 179 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception, as the Colts’ offense managed just -0.206 EPA per passing play — their second-worst mark of the season. Without Richardson’s dual-threat ability, the offense lacked the added dynamism in the running game, which clearly limited its effectiveness.

Darnold was efficient but unspectacular for the Vikings, completing 28 of his 34 passes for 290 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. He recorded one big-time throw but also had three turnover-worthy plays and was sacked four times in the victory.

PFF's dedicated team of graders was hard at work, analyzing every player on every play in real time. The grades and data will be available after a thorough review tomorrow at 12 p.m. EST.

In the meantime, we’ve gathered some high-level data and snap counts from the game to give you an early look. Our expert graders have also nominated the standout player of the game, highlighting exceptional performance on the field.

Sign up for PFF+ for in-depth analysis, PFF grades, Premium Stats, fantasy football tools, betting dashboards and much more!

HIGHEST-GRADED PLAYERS

• TE Josh Oliver, Minnesota Vikings (94.3)
• S Camryn Bynum, Minnesota Vikings (86.6)
• EDGE Jonathan Greenard, Minnesota Vikings (83.2)

Note: Follow along with PFF's in-game grading as our team of analysts evaluates every player on every play in real time! Initial grades for 1 p.m. games will then be relocked at 6 p.m. EST, while grades for 4 p.m. games will be relocked at 9 p.m. EST.

Click here to see PFF's initial grades from this game!

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Star wide receiver Justin Jefferson did a little bit of everything on Sunday night. He was targeted a game-high nine times, and he came down with seven catches for 137 yards and five first downs. He hauled in his only contested target, forced two missed tackles after the catch and recorded five catches of 15 or more yards. 

He also finished the game with 22 passing yards, as he found Aaron Jones for a 22-yard gain on a cross-field pass after catching the initial lateral.

BOX SCORE

SNAP COUNTS & PLAYER PARTICIPATION

Colts' offensive snap counts

Vikings' offensive snap counts

Colts' defensive snap counts

Vikings' defensive snap counts