While Darnold was going 8-for-8 for 97 yards and two touchdowns after two possessions, the Vikings couldn’t contain Nacua first, then Kupp, and finally Demarcus Robinson, who had the last two touchdowns on his only two catches.
Flores didn’t detail this week what his last-minute adjustments for Nacua were. Looking back at the game, it appears B-Flo was hoping Gilmore would have a better game.
He didn’t. He was too loose and sometimes atypically out of position, whether it was man or zone. And Matthew Stafford, the seemingly ageless gunslinger, made the Vikings pay with one of his best games of the season, completing 73.5% with an 11.8-yard average, a 124.5 passer rating and four touchdowns.
Pro Football Focus accurately labeled it Gilmore’s second-worst game of the season in coverage. His 45.0 grade was lower than all but a 41.9 grade in the Week 17 win over the Packers.
Stafford targeted Gilmore eight times — not all against Nacua — completing six for 98 yards and a 155.2 passer rating, according to PFF. The 98 yards allowed is a season-high for Gilmore.