Franchise($) Playoffs Divisional Round - Vikings at Cardinals - Trey Benson Is A Freak! #madden24

[Applause] Madden football brings you the divisional round of the NFL playoffs and is brought to you by EA Sports It's the Vikings and the cards on Sunday night EA Sports coverage of the NFL playoffs brings us to the desert Southwest Glendale Arizona and State Farm Stadium just ahead we'll decide the second entrance to next week's NFC title game and we' got a great one in store as it'll be the Minnesota Vikings taking on the Arizona Cardinals hello everyone as the postseason continues here on EA Sports we're pleased to bring it to you alongside Charles Davis I'm Brandon garden and who has the edge here you got one side that had some extra rest but another comes in off a win last week in the Wild Card round and it's funny depending on which team you are you say that that's an advantage you'll take the rest you'll take the week off get your guys healed up a little bit and ready to go but that team that's coming in off of a win last week they're really excited to keep playing they feel like they are hot and ready to go who will punch the fourth and final ticket to the conference Championship round we'll know soon enough as we are underway here on a January afternoon and in hindsight probably should have taken as he only gets this out to the 16 yd line so here's the Viking offense making their way out and they will be led out by their 63 quarterback all in all he was pretty solid in the victory in the Wild Card round and threw a couple of touchdowns and when it comes to quarterback play you'd always love spectacular but in the playoffs you'll take solid and that's exactly what they're looking for from him again in this contest nice little Juke and he's got it past the 30 before he's hit and dropped blocking the back off so that flag obviously takes away the good yardage that they had on the play and talk about a momentum shift because we can visibly see this celebration shifting from one side of the field to the other as soon as everyone saw the flag and now a throw on first down there but it's incomplete and I can see the officials kind of looking at each other down there silent wondering does this meet the level of grounding fortunately he did have a receiver in the area but I have seen less obvious throwaways call this penalties and tackled down after a gain of three leaves him with one yard to go on third down just play number three here on the opening drive and it's an early third and one off the play fake he'll look to throw and the pressure will bring him down here the Cardinals get home for the sack BJ oari in there to get him for a loss of n yds and that also leads to fourth down but defensively you really can't script the start much better you get a three and out and a sack yeah you're exactly right about that they kept him short of a first down on first and second down and then on third down they pick up a sack what tremendous momentum for them to start this game now on fourth down on is the punt team sending this one away Juke that'll be a 41 yd punt four yds there on the return and the cards will take over first and 10 so now we'll get a look at the other offensive unit as they come out for their first possession they will be L out by the Heisman Trophy winner from 2018 drafted number one overall the subsequent year Kyler Murray and he and his team they were the beneficiaries of a first round buy earned by a tremendous regular season he'd been a little bit nicked up so he could use the and I'm sure his teammates felt the exact same way but now it'll be interesting to watch their first few drives in this one because sometimes getting the rest is great but sometimes you accumulate a little bit of rust as well maybe they come out flat and they can't afford that in the post season here's Murray a quick throw complete the result only four yd there on the play and it makes it third down and two yards to go they'll come to the line needing only two yards to gain the first here on Third and short they'll try option left that is not going to be any help as they dump him behind the line of scrimmage it's a loss of a full three yards and it brings up fourth down well so much for that possession yeah I think he tried to do a little too much there partner he tried to keep it himself end up getting buried in the back field and that brings up fourth down on fourth down on is Cory bohor has to punt and the kicks away as he angles this one for the sideline and this will carry out of bounds where are they going to spot it now at about the 18 yd line it looks like Minnesota's offense takes over possession and for them maybe a little carryover from last week's game they got the win on the road in the Wild Card round on the road here again in the divisional round but they're hanging tough hey cute a little music right on the road again I mean this is been kind of the Mantra they're under right now and they can't change it the season dictated what happen with them right they had to go on the road for the first round for the playoff they're on the road again and sometimes teams get really comfortable with that not only the idea of going on the road and shocking the world but just hey it's just us we don't have to worry about outside distractions it's just us let's go play comes at us against the world mentality doesn't it and may be overplayed you know in the media it's real when it comes time to play ball on Third and short they'll try and pick it up through the air and the throw they going to be incomplete two drives won't tell the story of this game but you absolutely have to like how this defense has played thus far they have yet to allow this offense to get on tracked in this one on fourth down the punt team is on as this is sent away fielded at the 33 a 39 yd punt a return of five and out will come the offense as they take over so the Cardinals offense back onto the field here for their second Drive of the game and on the first drive three and out I know that these are professional athletes but I would imagine sometimes you you get the nerves at the beginning of a game still don't you those don't ever go away and typically what I've heard from guys and what I remember from playing if you don't have nerves at the start of a game it's not going to be a great day for you you're not really ready to play so finding a way to harness those nerves and not let them affect you in a negative way that's what all the guys are looking for now an option play on second down and now Off to the Races down the right side and he's going to get this all the way down to the Vikings 21 yd line a big time gain there on the keeper using his legs to hurt him first down so this play you know until recently only something you probably expect to see in a college game but running quarterbacks are certainly in Vogue and this turned into a big play and you and I both know that for a long time coaches worried about their quarterbacks taking too much much punishment running plays like this and they still worry about it but when you can break off big chunks of yardage like that it's worth the risk you're coaching that quarter to see those guys coming and get down before the big hit occurs here's Murray got his tight end that's complete it's mcro and the Cardinals are going to have a first and goal as the tackle is made at about the five and perhaps close to the first points of this divisional round game as it's first and goal from the gun they'll try to run it and he'll get this one back to the 5 yd line but no further than that they'll say no gain on the play and it'll be second and goal and they'll keep leaning on the running game back to the ground and he's going to get him about three yd closer he's down to about the two two straight shot on the ground now on third do you go to the air I think the possibility exists and if you're doing it you're probably going play action since you're and this time he is in taking it in from two yds out and the Cardinals are on the board first here in this division round match up just power football there down near the goal line give it to him he's able to push his way across yeah they went heavy there sometimes you have those big offensive lineen have to report like they're eligible but all they're doing is getting a good stance blocking and getting their Runner across the goal line extra point by Sly is up and good and that makes the score seven nothing Joey slly now to kick off after the [Applause] touchdown and he'll elect not to return this one so they'll bring it out to the 25 on the T back the Vikings ready to go again on offense still in the first half but this offense has struggled haven't really been able to get anything going not only in the points category but in the yards category we'll see if they can do better here on this drive and it's incomplete boy he doesn't drop many like that one second down an incomplete pass leads to Second and 10 from the 25 they're going to look to throw this one swung out here with Jones and he's going to be dropped following a pick up of seven pass the 30 to the 32 so finally completes his first pass credit the defense though they've been showing him some different looks keeping him off balance yeah I like I like the observation that you have there because when you give him different looks and give any quarterback different oh he tried to fit it in on the slam and it's intercepted cheetah Bayer with a pick and they have possession and they have it at the 38 yd line well that's a drive killer right there not a really confident throw either this one was kind of up for grabs and it's going to come down the hands of the wrong team the Cardinal offense takes back over and they'll have good field position here following the interception and a chance to build on their lead as they start with a first and 10 so here's a first and 10 at the 38 they'll try and run this one right up the gun and tough sledding you'll get maybe a yard stop short of the 35 second and [Applause] N now Murray a short one here caught by McBride and he'll be upended at the 33 following a gain of three and guess what up third down they had great starting position to begin the drive but now they look up at a third and five Murray going to throw work in the middle of the field and he's got a man complete and he'll be taken down but he does have first down yardage give him six yards and they do convert on third Murray now on first down he's got once again and able to break one tackle but then quickly brought down but a nice little gain options Galore here second and a few [Applause] inches hands it off out of the gun and he'll get him inside the 15 down to the 14 yd line four yds the pick up first down now got his tight end that's complete that's mcdonal touchdown Trey McBride A 14 yd touchdown and the Cardinals lead this now 13 nothing here in the opening quarter of the ball game so they get their tight end away from the line to the outside and he works his way in for six tight ends are not just blockers anymore I don't know how many more times we need examples but here's a great one gets to the outside they give him the ball pretty quickly and they trust him to get those extra yards and boy did he come through bulling his way into the End Zone after the nice catch extra point by Sly is up and good and it's now 14 to nothing Joey Sly now to kick off after the [Applause] touchdown and this will not be returned it's a Touchback and they'll begin at the [Applause] 25 trying to shake off the inter interception from the last Drive he'll look to throw and this will leave him a yard short nice pickup of nine yds on first down 14 nothing to score this is the NFL on EA Sports the Vikings with the football here to begin the second quarter maybe a good spot to take a shot here's second and a yard from the 34 on playaction they'll throw this one brought in by Jefferson and not much happening there he's taken down but a late penalty flag in the back field this looks like a roughing call so Charles this a defense that hasn't made a lot of mistakes like this on the road to this playoff matchup but that a bad one there yeah you definitely want to Rattle and shake up the other quarterback but you know you've got to do it the right way otherwise that cloth's going to be on the ground round two yards on the pickup there it'll be second and eight the playaction fake they'll look to throw nowhere to go here he lost the football much like a running back going through the line quarterbacks have to be aware of protecting the football as well he left it exposed that time wound up having it knocked free but fortunately had an alert teammate who was able to get it so danger averted for the moment but now here's a third and long he'll look to throw a throw out right going to be incomplete the passing game not in Sy here early and now it's fourth down it's going to be another frustrating end to a drive here this offense they've not been able to get anything going in this first half now it's going to be time to gather on the sidelines and try and figure out what's going wrong who has an idea who has a plan time to implement it they call it 38 yds on the punt no return and they will take over first and 10 on First and 10 here's Murray a hit as he throws there in complete partner what we're seeing so far is a defense is certainly coordinated both levels doing their jobs in tandem the back helping the front the front helping the back the pressure got home oh that's into a sea of bodies and it's intercepted and he's going to get this on down to the 13 yd line and they'll take possession already in the red zone and in a great spot to add points to the scoreboard and Brandon how many times have we seen a defense with a lot of field behind them get even more aggressive right they feel they've got them not pinned down but in a favorable spot for them and they took advantage of it there got a nice interception and set up their offense in great shape they'll come out throwing here on first down got a man and he hits him in stride and they'll get him down after a pick up of Eight Second and two from the four it's second and a [Applause] couple up the middle Jones and he will fight his way into the end zone for a touchdown now Aaron Jones taking it in from four yds out and the Vikings are back within a score and they can thank their defense for this one they were set up with a short field following the turnover but they took care of business as well working their way down and finishing with a strong run into the end zone for their first touchdown of the game extra point attempt here still to [Applause] come and that one makes it 14 to seven well that drive started with not a whole lot of real estate in front of them and plus territory excellent field position two plays later p and no effort to bring this one out it's a Touchback Arizona getting ready to go as they take the field and we'll see if they can bounce back from that last Drive in particular if they can bounce back at the quarterback position Charles after throwing their first interception of the ball game yeah and some guys you know they're going to want to try and get big play right away and take control back others they're going look to hit a couple shorter passes get a little momentum back that way but for the defense that goal's not changing a bit they want another pick you're exactly right about that in fact you got to watch them a little bit because in coverage they may cut down their gaps a little bit maybe their splits a little bit in order to try and get to the ball even faster catch number four for him on the afternoon and it'll give him a first down that was good protection there no that was great protection there because it allowed him to lock in on his receiver although I think he was looking for his tight end on the corner route all the way nice connection there for a really nice gain Murray now on first down pressure coming from the Vikings and they get there and bring him down multiple players combined for their team's first sack of the game now following the sack they'll look to make amends on a second down and 17 to throw it's Murray throws right side and that's complete and he'll take this to the other side of Midfield before going out of bounds two catches now in this divisional round matchup that one a first [Applause] down Murray now running right on the option and a good job of finding the open space to run as he's down close to the 30 here another good gain that's now 35 yd combined on those last two plays well he is certainly dangerous when he spots a lane and he keeps it himself there and worked out well and how about the moving Parts on a play like this you know you have to practice it over and over because it's almost like a and he's going to have to eat this one as down he goes a loss of four that time on the sack and it brings up second hindsight is 2020 partner maybe they should have kept it on the ground again well it almost like like the o line was run blocking again I mean they opened up a big hole last time this time they opened up a hole and the quarterback got sack and he'll be a couple yards shy of the Red Zone here at the 22 yd line a good pick up there 13 yds as they get closer for third down Murray to throw on Third and one that is caught and he is going to have a Cardinals first down as they're able to convert on Third and short yardage with a gain of four got to surprised to see him Charles come out in a shotgun on Third and less than a yard yeah but the way the NFL is nowadays we hardly ever see anyone really run for it on short yardage so they're going to throw the football more times than not that was a nice easy withm throw right there and they pick up the first down and the Cardinals are going to have a first and goal as he's inside the 10 down to the seven yd line well partner for a few years there we thought this read option play was going to take over the whole NFL it seemed like everyone was using it but it has been scaled back considerably in the last few seasons mainly because people were worried about their quarterbacks getting hit but when you call it at the right time and you use it properly you see the type of gains you can get a nice chunk of yardage there by the quarterback they'll try again here from the seven on second and goal here's a hand off out of the gun and he's going to press this one forward as they stop it right around the one [Applause] offense a crucial penalty there as the hold backs him up for another second and goal and he will score touchdown Cardinal Kyler Murray from 17 Ys out and the Cardinals have taken a two touchdown lead now touchdowns on their first three possessions and they're a Pat from going up 21 to7 yeah very impressive the way that they' moved the football full command of their playbook full command of the way they wanted to attack extra point by Sly is up and good and it's now 21 to7 this taken in at the goal [Applause] line and good cover there on special teams as they'll get him down shy of the 20 here's Aaron Jones and the offense trotting back out he's just been looking for some space you I'm not going to pin it on him or the offensive line but they need to get this run game going better sometimes you just have to credit the defense they came in with a plan themselves so I think now you try to mix things up a little bit get the ball in the hands of some other people find some other Playmakers but always let the defense believe that he's still a threat going to say don't forget about taken totally out of the game these sacks now they're starting to pile up Charles and that front seven defensively they've had their way with this offensive line and I think at this stage we have to start thinking about different play calls we've got to start helping this quarterback out because the entire game he's been under siege I don't care what the down and distance they've got to get the ball out of his hands a lot quicker the offense on third down not good 0 for four thus far this is going to be third and 13 they'll drop to [Applause] throw he's got his Target that's complete and they nearly get this all the way to Midfield Mark him down at the 49 a big play there as they get the conversion on third and 13 second quarter action two minutes to go on divisional round [Applause] weekend now on first down he'll drop to throw it and he's got this to Jefferson and he's got this to the 30 before being taken down last play went for over 30 yd this one not quite as big but still over 20 so first and 10 now from the Third again he'll drop to throw throwing over the middle and it's incomplete and not a common sight at least on this drive a momentary set back though for this passing game that has been moving well this series good thing for them though still two more Downs to connect and try and pick up another first down and he'll work free from one tackle but that's about all as he's taken down seventh play of the drive up coming here on Third and six they'll stick with a passing game as he looks to throw able find the open man that's complete and they're going to have another first down as the tackle made here at the Cardinals 13 yd line 13 yd down to the 13 well these guys have definitely been outplayed in the first half but I like their countenance I like the way that they're hav't panicked out there the way they're carrying themselves they're starting to move the ball and what you have to do maintain your Poise and start to put together some drives they'll look to throw again now would almost intercepted but it's incomplete not a good throw there and it'll be second [Applause] down back to throw again and he will throw this one out of the back of the end zone it's incom complete this is a half with not just the coverage but the entire defense is setting the tone in this game on third down he'll drop to throw steps away to his left and they'll get him down two yd shy after a pick up of eight fourth and two now a timeout taken perhaps a chance for one more quick play and then another timeout if they hurry we'll see so Drive gets him down inside the five but ultimately they settle for just the field goal and I have to think that if maybe they were a yard closer that would have made their decision tougher and I think they likely would have gone for it but in this situation they just decided to take the three and I think it was a smart [Applause] move so we've come upon halftime here in this NFC divisional round matchup as now we send you out to Orlando and hook back up with Jonathan Coachman for our EA Sports halime report in the first half the Cardinals did what they always do and that's rely on their quarterback Kyler Murray he had a touchdown both in the air and on the ground to help push his guys into the lead at the break and he will not bring it out it's a Touchback so here's the Cardinals offense now as they get set to start this third quarter and they're in the position they expected to be in they've got the lead home crowd behind them and they're looking toward making that next step in these playoffs and I think a key for them is to put together some good long extended drives work to run in a little more with that big offensive line I'm not saying get away from throwing the football that's still working but they run it more effectively they may get even bigger plays in the passing game throwing again on second down but this time it's incomplete well no one likes to see that drop but I'll guarantee he not going to stop his quarterback from going back to him anytime he has open Bas to throw is Murray open man is aou complete and he is going to have a Cardinals first down as he'll be marked down a yard or two past the marker following a gain of six now Murray [Music] again that's to the sideline and it's intercepted inside the and he will take this one home it's a touchdown so that potentially a turning point here this third quarter a two-score lead down to one now following the pick six and that had to be the message at halftime for this defense delivered and accepted we need to go out there and make something happen so the Vikings bringing the offense back onto the field they'll go for two [Applause] here they'll look to throw and he's got it so the try for two successful and with it they're back within a field goal I guess the coach looked at the two-point cheat sheet said go for it get it to a three-point game and they did it yeah and sometimes you just throw out time of game you don't worry about that there's just a feel sometimes in making that call and he felt good about what he had for a two-point conversion and now they're only down three and feeling great about themselves so they throw the pick six they'll get another shot at it now as this one's in the [Applause] air and he'll get it up just past the 20 as his guys will go to work at the 21 yd line here's the Arizona offense now as they get set to take over remember they were just out here a moment ago through the pick six so we'll see if they can and take better care of the football this go around yeah and sometimes partner I think it's almost better that you just throw the pick six and you come right back out on the field you're not over on the sidelines dwelling for it for very long you're not hearing everyone say hey you'll get them next time hey don't worry about it all that stuff just goes right out the window you're right back out on the field with a chance to atone n yds the pickup there and it's a first down I like watching the wide receiver screen cuz it's a real teamor play because guess what guy catching the ball he'll get all the credit but how about the people have to block in front of him either fellow receivers or offensive linemen that and Shing him off that open field and he has a big gain inside the 40 before being dropped 57 yd on the ground for him now on nine carries and that's a great run and this is where you got a running back who feels like he needs to take over this football game you're in the second half you got the lead you're looking at moving on to the conference Championship and he's got to be saying just keep giving me the ball and I'll get us home from Viking territory now they'll come up first and 10 at the 39 yd line they faked the handoff now Murray and the result here a pick up of eight leaves him with two to go on second down no surprise to see him running again here as something he's done throughout this season and that run puts him over 500 yd on the ground for the year he's got to be thinking to himself if I'm already at 500 what's to stop me from going for a [Applause] th000 now they face a second and long following the holding penalty here's a give up the middle and he'll go down here at the 35 yd line so they get half of what they needed it'll be third and six up coming they are in need of six yards here if they hope to move the chains here's Murray that ball caught Brandon a and this is going to turn into another first down as the tackle is made at the Vikings 12 yd line and defensively they were in zone coverage there do you have to be a little careful you're losing playing against a good quarterback like he is to not play too much Zone yeah you have to be careful about how much time you're giving up that's a good point you just brought up so maybe if you still want to play zone you go to a Zone Blitz scheme and you can drop anyone out of your defensive front defensive end defensive tackle it doesn't matter you just exchange someone to bring more pressure towards the quarterback and still try and cover down field nine yds is the pickup there and they'll have a second and one and they'll give him another shot here on the ground and he is in for six touch down Cardinals a great effort there with his second touchdown of the afternoon and the cards are able to extend their lead well he' been the work on this drive and it would have been unfair to bring someone else to finish the job so they go back to him again and he delivers with a touchdown Sly on for the extra point and his guys will take a 10-point lead so that drive takes him down the field in eight plays and it ends with a three yd scoring run and he won't return this one he'll go down to a knee and they'll start at the 25 the Vikings now heading on to the field their Drive last time it's stalled out they were forced to take the short field goal and the key for you nailed it forced to because you know coaches look at these short field goals as a last resort right to them that's not how drives are supposed to end you're supposed to put six on the board that's a consolation prize like going to the county fair you don't get to big stuffed animal on that one do you no you don't go top shelf that's bottom shelf material so now they have to contend with second and 13 after the first down run goes backwards now they'll throw here out of the gun and this this one incomplete too much contact to hold on to that one and it's third down not an easy spot here they'll be in search of 13 yds to try to pick up the first now on Third and long they'll look to throw and this is going to be incomplete looks like another empty possession offensively and you're at that point of the game where you can't afford too many more of these so this going to require some heavy thinking line to figure out what they can do to crack this defense so they're forced to punt on Fourth as this one's away so possession goes over here on the punt and it will be first and 10 as they take over there again is the running back as he trots onto the field we've seen him be good so far he's hoping to continue that Trend here in quarter number three and typically when you see guys running it this well they see the game in slow motion don't they they see the cuts happen they see the happen they feel really good about their vision and then they use their legs to find that open space and he's had some good help up front to boot Murray going to throw and he's got his man in stride complete five yds now it's third and five they'll need five on this play to move the sticks Murray now work in the middle of the field and he's got a man complete and he is going to have a cardinal first down as they're able to get the third down conversion and that's well executed there on third down and I love the confidence that they had to let their tight end try and find some space in the middle of the field right in their quarterback's line of vision and QBs love to make that easy throw and they hooked up there for a first down and they'll let the quarterback keep it here on First and 10 it's a solid footwork there as he'll take this down to about the 38 back to back nice gains that one for 14 yds and another [Applause] first again Murray will keep it and he is going to lose yardage here well now hang on here because he appears to be shaken up well they come out and take a look at him we will step aside for just a moment looking at a second and 11 now after the loss and now the first throw for the backup quarterback this will be caught by his big wide receiver last play they got stoed at the line different story here over 20 yd now we get into the psychology of the whole thing because a lot of teams with a two-score lead in the third quarter they almost become defensive with their offense just playing not to lose I think with this team you got to figure at this point this is a great spot for them to go into a tap mode really try to put the hammer down and finish this one off two y to go second [Applause] down and tune to throw it now a throw here right sideline Falls incomp complet so many times we've seen him try to escape the pocket and do something with his legs but in this case the pressure was too intense and he made the wise choice to just get rid of the football and make sure no one was going to get it they'll try and run the option that is not going to be any help as they dump him behind the line of scrimmage that'll bring up fourth they had the eight- yd gain on first down but unable to do much from there and not a lot of success to be found there oh you got that right partner because if you're trying to make guys miss about 10 yds or so down field that's a pretty good play but if you've got to do it in your own Back Field I consider that a problem that doesn't work too well so after four touchdowns in the game from this offense this time they're forced into taking the three well you did mention four touchdowns right so four out of five not too bad I think that's a pretty good record for [Applause] them and here comes a return from just beyond the and all deep in his own territory caughts up the football and the Cardinal have got it going the other way and they'll be inside the Red Zone with a ball at the 16 yd line so the ball down to the 16 here for first and [Applause] 10 and they'll run on the inside hand off and he'll take this one in for the Arizona touchdown a great play there saving his best for the playoffs with his third touchdown of the game and the Cardinals continue to show why it pays to play at home in the postseason as they add on to their [Applause] lead the Cardinal offense not going anywhere they'll stay out and go for two they'll try and throw for it and this is going to be caught it's good and that extends their lead by two more so they go with a pass there on the two-point try and able to convert it Charles and a good job by the offense figuring out their two-point play and using it well it's interesting how people are using the strategy nowadays though isn't it it really is and I don't know how much that one that particular play factored in but with the pat moving back in 1516 that kind of changed things didn't it it's really a part of everyone's strategy now when I talk with coaches and when we sit with them they always talk about they actually have two-point periods in practice now something they never really did before and not willing to risk another fumble he'll sit on this one it's a Touchback and out now come the Vikings I kind of feel like they've reached a Do or Die point in this game Charles if they're going to try to pull off an impressive comeback it has to start right here right now yeah now they've got a final chance to get out of this situation but they also understand they've got to move the ball and move it fast in addition they need to save as much time so they can get two more possessions at yd one quarter remains for a trip to the NFC title game you're watching the NFL on EA Sports welcome back to the desert we're in Glendale ball on the 30 they'll come up with a second and five lot of happy faces in the crowd at this point as their guys have a big lead here to start quarter number four me now this one knocked down in the back field it's incomplete this offense so far on third down they've struggled to the tune of two for eight so far this will be third and five they're going to look to [Applause] throw he has his Target it's Addison and he'll be taken down but not before they work it across Midfield so into Cardinal territory now it's first first and 10 at the 49 yd line this one swung out here to Jones and a 6yd gain gets him right around the 43 line of scrimmage the 43 on second and four they'll look to throw and he drops it incomplete and their struggles continue here now the trials and tribulations of being a quarterback in this league it's tough it's got to be wearing on him out there there well he has been sacked a number of times he had an interception so I'm going to give him a scoa oh he tries to force it in and it's intercepted and the cards will have solid field position here as they take over at their 45 yd line well just another reason to celebrate there on the defensive side with the interception and this is a game that they clearly have firmly in their grasp yeah a lot of handshakes a lot of hugs a lot of smiles it's been their day and the Cardinals getting set to trot out there now and this one not officially in the bag but it's looking more and more like you and I are going to be in these same seats next week for a game to go to the Super Bowl and it's contrary to our meeting with with the visitors wasn't it remember when we went over their hotel before the game and one of the themes they kept hitting us with was let's put the pressure on the number one seed and see if they can handle it let's let's do that well they're the number one seed for a reason best team all year long they're showing it again in this game and they'll keep leaning on the running game back to the ground and he'll get this into enemy territory but not by much as he's down to the 48 they'll come up now third and three from the gun he'll hand this off and brought down but not before he was able to break the tackle and the extra effort moves the sticks it's a gain of four there and it gives him a new set of downs they run the option here on First and 10 maai Blackman Gets In For The Tackle well if you're going to run the read option typically you've got to keep an eye on the defensive end and what does that mean what are you looking for with a defensive end well you want to play off of what he does if he collapses inside towards the running back then you pull it and take it yourself outside in if he stays outside you go ahead and leave it with the running back in this case pulled it and got good yardage himself third and four throwing T trying for auk but it's intercepted and the Vikings are going to take possession here at their own 33 well that interception at least offers them a glimmer of hope here in the fourth quarter it certainly does if their offense goes out now and makes it pay off by getting into the end zone and does then they get a chance to get back out on the field and try and do it again maybe they can force that offense into more and more mistakes and give them a chance to get back into this one totally they have still a three-score hill to Cline we'll see if they can do it here are the Vikings now to start their next Drive their hopes of advancing past this divisional round hanging by a threat if that as they begin here with a first and 10 on the wrong side of the scoreboard call it a gain of three on the play and and it'll be second down you got the big lead defensively willing to give him that underneath stuff right and this is why you work on your tackling tackle them after the catch inbounds keep the clock running just go ahead and bleed the game out that way now a dump off here complete give him a gain of five on the completion and that's going to bring up third and two looking to throw he's going to get that to his running back out of the back field and he will have a Vikings first down as this defense unable to hold it's a seven yd gain there on Third and two again he'll drop to throw this one brought in by Jefferson they'll wind up getting seven on the play and it's second down they'll stick with the passing game as he looks to throw out to the left there and complete to the tight end hackinson another good completion on the drive as the Vikings have a first down the slot Man in Motion right and now a fake on the Jet Sweep and a give to Jones and inside the 20 before he's brought down and the offense moving quickly to the line now on first down he'll drop to throw it touchdown Vikings TJ hackinson from 17 yds out and the Vikings have got it back to a two-score game here in the fourth well they needed three scores to have any chance there's the first of the three as they get into the end zone yeah Brandon I think that our guys at next gen stats in charge of the win probability are probably saying your chances still aren't great but you still got more than three minutes to go you got to focus on the task at hand which is going to be getting the football back as quickly as possible two scores down three timeouts left still a chance if they can somehow get this one back and the Cardinals hands team able to secure the football well fourth quarter they felt like they needed the football back Unfortunately they couldn't get it and I know we brought analytics into the game and someone said here that the data says that when a team's expecting an onside kick 80% of the time the team expecting it they do actually recover the ball which is what we saw here I just wonder if that number is much more of a anecdotal type of a number kind of like when the coaches tell us well when you score on special teams 93% of the time you win the game I'm still waiting to see that number as empirical trying to shake off the interception he'll look to throw and this one too low okay I'm not quite sure how to judge that one maybe didn't have enough legs Underneath Him mechanics might have been off maybe some fatigue that one came up short yeah fourth quarter maybe you do start to watch as the arm there the leg still there this has been a tough game and he's going to be stopped just short of the first down marker at the Vikings 31 114 yds rushing for him now on the ball game as he is trying to will his guys to the championship round next weekend and he's got the first as they'll bring him down at the 28 yd line give him three yards and a fresh set of downs and they'll try to squeeze in one more play here before the two-minute warning they'll try and run some clock here as they keep it on the ground and he is not going to go anywhere they're going to get to him behind the line and that is going to get us to the two-minute warning and for one of the few times here today this Run's not going to go anywhere and now we'll see a timeout used on defense as they stop it right out of the break with 157 to go in the ball game and he'll be out of bounds as he gets this down to about the 21 or 22 nine yds on the carry but it's going to lead to a fourth down field goal unit and Joey Sly now this to make it a three-score game late Sly able to put this one through and that will extend their lead even further so with that you figure yeah this game's pretty much out of reach at this point yeah it's going to take a heck of a comeback to come from three scores down but don't change that channel don't go away Miracles can happen and you want to be here in case it does you're a company man aren't I though and not willing to risk another fumble he'll sit on this one it's a Touchback and the football going back to the Vikings offense well this game it has had no shortage of offense they've been able to put up a decent amount of points on this side Charles they just have not been able to keep Pace with the other offense they're going against here yeah that's a good way of pointing things out because now it's not a total loss because as you said they've scored some points so there's some plays they can build on moments where the game plan actually worked but overall though they were just out Personnel they were going up against a team that's playing at an elite level and Jefferson's going to have the Vikings first down as he'll get this up past the 35 yd line and this winds up a gain of four to the 41 they're going to need to get up and set in a hurry they'll look to throw [Applause] again completes this to andison out left nine yds the pickup there and it's a first down now the Vikings will use the second of their timeouts as the clock stops here with 46 seconds left to [Applause] play from the Midfield strike they'll look to throw that is into the hands of hackinson downfield touchdown TJ hackinson with now two Corner touchdowns and the Vikings are able to make some inroads here to that deficit for a big tight end he can sure move like a slot receiver when gets ahead of steam going and as a defensive back you've got a big decision to make when he's moving like that now the extra point and the lead is trimmed down to 10 so two scores down time definitely not an ally But Here Comes the onside kick and the Cardinals have got it so that should just about put an end to this one they knew they needed a miracle they had to have that onside kick they didn't get it well as we knew even before they put the the toe to the leather on that one their chances of getting that done slim and none and I do believe we saw slim just leave the door didn't we we did indeed I think we're down to none the Cardinals offense ready to set up shop and this one all over but the shouting you might say now there's one timeout remaining defensively but probably no real need to use it here yeah the only time they would use it strictly for Pride the D can only stop it one more time as they take the knee the Vikings going to use their third and final timeout as the clock will stop with 35 seconds left to go so with that knee they take care of business in the divisional round they'll be back here at home next weekend one more hurdle to get to the Big Show the good feelings they just keep coming they get to ride that W for at least one more week because they have their big prize in their eyes and that's getting into the Super Bowl but they have to win next week after winning this one so they stay alive in the NFL playoffs move on to the conference Championship and do you think that the printing press is starting to get those t-shirts and hats ready my friend they have to Brandon they have to be ready because if you win you've got to hand those out on the field right away and just think about the pressure for the players now family is going to be talking about tickets to the Super Bowl even before you play the conference Championship game so that'll just about do it for Charles Davis I'm Brandon Gard you've been watching the NFL on EA Sports for more log on to EA sports.com it's a win for the Cardinals as we say so long from Glendale