Defense makes its mark

Vikings defenders such as cornerback Jayron Kearse (who celebrated one of the team's three sacks) put on a show Sunday in New Jersey, forcing four Jets turnovers (three interceptions, including Harrison Smith's pick off a Xavier Rhodes tip of a pass intended for Robby Anderson, and a fumble recovery). The Jets matched the Vikings' defensive intensity for a half, stopping the Vikings on their first eight third-down attempts while holding Kirk Cousins to two completions in 12 attempts for zero yards during one long first-half stretch. Darryl Roberts got under the skin and between the arms of Stefon Diggs to break up one pass, but the Jets couldn't carry that effort into the second half as the Vikings scored 27 points and turned a tight game into a 37-17 victory.