1. Avoided big plays

After allowing seven plays of 20 yards or more against the Rams and six vs. the Eagles, the Vikings' defense allowed only three such plays on Sunday. Josh Rosen hit Ricky Seals-Jones for 40 yards on an underthrown ball, allowing the tight end to adjust while Harrison Smith had his back to the ball, and hit Christian Kirk for 35 yards on a crossing route that appeared to target a space in the Vikings' zones. But Rosen had little success throwing downfield later in the game.

2. Cousins leans on Thielen

As wide receiver Adam Thielen continues to set NFL records for catches and 100-yard games through the first six weeks of the season, quarterback Kirk Cousins continues to look for him more than anyone else on the roster. Thielen was targeted on 15 of Cousins' 33 pass attempts Sunday, while no other Vikings player had more than four targets. The fact that Patrick Peterson spent part of the day shadowing Stefon Diggs might have led Cousins to look for Thielen more often, but the receiver continues to be Cousins' favorite target.

3. Barr makes big plays

The Vikings are better when Anthony Barr is a disruptive force in the middle of their defense, and they got more big plays from the former first-round pick on Sunday than they have all season. He batted down a Rosen pass after racing untouched to the quarterback off a blitz, and on the Cardinals' next offensive play, he stripped David Johnson, forcing his first fumble of the season. The question with Barr has always been whether he can make those plays on a regular basis, but he provided a tantalizing reminder Sunday of how high his ceiling can be.

BEN GOESSLING