New York Jets at Minnesota Vikings: Second Quarter Open Thread

The game between the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Jets at TCF Bank Stadium started with the Vikings winning the coin toss and deferring to the second half, putting the Jets' offense on the field first. Percy Harvin took the opening kickoff out to the 23-yard line for the Jets, and that's where they started their first drive.

Havin also got a nice chorus of boos when he was announced, as he should.

And it didn't take long for the Vikings to get things going. On the first play of the game, Gerald Hodges. . .starting today for the injured Anthony Barr. . .intercepted Geno Smith's first pass and returned it 27 yards for a Minnesota touchdown! Great read and interception by Hodges for his first ever NFL touchdown, and the Blair Walsh extra point put the Vikings up 7-0 just 12 seconds into the game.

The next kickoff from Walsh was a touchback, and the Jets started at their own 20-yard line. The Vikings got the Jets to third down, but Smith found Harvin on a severely blown coverage for a 44-yard gain into Minnesota territory. However, a sack by Harrison Smith on the next third down snuffed out the New York drive, and the Jets were forced to punt. Marcus Sherels called for the fair catch at the Minnesota 11, and that's where the Vikings took over on offense for the first time on the afternoon.

The Vikings started the drive with a false start penalty on Joe Berger, and then the Jets' defense got their team on the board, as Matt Kalil got beaten on a stunt and Sheldon Richardson took Teddy Bridgewater down in the end zone for a safety. Just an awful series for the Vikings' offensive line, and the score went to 7-2 in favor of Minnesota.

The free kick from Jeff Locke was taken by John Connor, and the Vikings took him down at the New York 35-yard line. The Vikings again pushed the Jets into a third down situation and appeared to have made a stop, but a pass interference penalty on Captain Munnerlyn kept the Jets alive. And that came back to bite Minnesota, as Geno Smith eventually found Percy Harvin on the next third down for a 35-yard score. Harvin beat Josh Robinson on a jump ball, and suddenly the Jets were ahead by a score of 9-7.

Marcus Sherels (not Cordarrelle Patterson) took the ensuing kickoff from Nick Folk back to the Minnesota 30-yard line, and that's where the Vikings started things off. A couple of completion from Bridgewater, one to Matt Asiata and one to Greg Jennings, gave the Vikings their first first down of the afternoon to the 44-yard line. And then Bridgewater dialed up the deep ball, hitting Charles Johnson for a 56-yard score! It was a beautiful throw from Bridgewater, and Johnson was wide open for the score. The extra point from Walsh was good, and the Vikings went back on top by a score of 14-9 with just under six minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Thanks to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Kalil. . .of all people. . .the Vikings had to kick off from the 20, and Harvin returned the kick for a big gain, taking the ball all the way into Minnesota territory at the 35. The Jets got a first down on a pass from Smith to former Gophers' standout Eric Decker, and appeared poised for more, but Harrison Smith took Harvin down on a third down run to make the Jets settle for a field goal. Folk was good from 36 yards out, and the score went to 14-12 in favor of the home team.

The Jets kicked the ball short on the ensuing kickoff, and Matt Asiata took the ball to the Minnesota 42-yard line, giving the Vikings another relatively short field. The Vikings have put together a nice sequence of plays, and as we move to the second quarter of play, the Vikings are looking at a 2nd-and-2 at the Jets' 36-yard line.

After an eventful first quarter of play at TCF Bank Stadium, the Minnesota Vikings lead the New York Jets by a score of 14-12. Come and hang out with us for the second quarter of play!