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Vikings pick off Aaron Rodgers late to beat Jets in London and improve to 5-0
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Vikings pick off Aaron Rodgers late to beat Jets in London and improve to 5-0

On Sunday, London became a football town, with Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets in with a chance of a winning drive against the Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

But Stephon Gilmore intercepted Rodgers with the Jets in the red zone and the Vikings held on for a 23-17 victory and moved to 5-0.

It was a mixed performance for the Vikings, who started the game strong but couldn’t keep things moving in the second quarter. Rodgers, meanwhile, got off to a rough start but picked up steam as the game went on, pulling the Jets to within one score in the fourth quarter before throwing the late pick.

The Vikings offense struck first with a field goal in the first quarter, and Minnesota’s defense was able to shut down the Jets from the jump. Rodgers threw two costly interceptions in the first quarter, starting with a pick-six of Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel.

On the next drive, Rodgers threw another interception, with his throw picked off by Minnesota safety Cam Bynum. The Jets offense didn’t produce a first down until five minutes into the second quarter.

The Vikings, meanwhile, were able to keep driving on offense and gained great field position with the help of some Jets penalties. Minnesota scored another touchdown with four minutes left in the half, with C.J. Ham rushing two yards for the score.

With less than two minutes before halftime, Jets wide receiver Xavier Gipson had a great 30-yard punt return, giving New York good field position for one final possession. Rodgers was almost sacked, but was able to get off the throw to Allen Lazard for a touchdown, cutting the lead to 17-7.

The third quarter was slow offensively, as the Jets defense managed to get some big stops on Minnesota. The Jets struck again with a field goal in the final minutes of the third quarter, with Rodgers continuing the drive despite his leg being awkwardly bent beneath him.

The Vikings kicked another field goal in the fourth quarter to make it 20-10. But Sam Darnold threw an interception to give the Jets a chance for a momentum change.

The Jets were able to convert that into another touchdown, with Rodgers throwing to Garrett Wilson to get New York within three points.

On the next drive, Minnesota had to settle for a field goal after the Jets’ defense kept them out of the end zone, extending the lead to 23-17.

It came down to one final drive for the Jets, who had more than two minutes to tie the game with a touchdown. But Gilmore had a different idea: He handed Rodgers his third interception with a huge, decisive pick.

The Vikings will return from Europe in triumph, improve to 5-0 and start the season extremely strong. But there are still some questions that need to be answered about the offense. Darnold, who was Minnesota’s unexpected savior after JJ McCarthy’s season-ending surgery, went 14-for-31, throwing for 179 yards and no touchdowns.

The Minnesota offense as a whole struggled with first downs in the second half and was fortunate that the defense was able to salvage the win. The Vikings will need to improve their offensive production if they hope to remain undefeated.

New York, meanwhile, falls to 2-3, with the team having to answer questions of its own as the season progresses.