Young Viking Accepts Some Blame for MNF Loss
The Minnesota Vikings became the first team in the 2023 season to lose a game while not surrendering a touchdown.
The situation was that grim on Monday Night Football, as the Chicago Bears chipped off the Vikings 12-10, mandating that Minnesota finish the final five games with a 3-2 record to guarantee a playoff spot.
Young Viking Accepts Some Blame for MNF Loss
The loss to Chicago assuredly had some villains, mainly turnovers from the quarterback position, as aeronautical quarterback Joshua Dobbs reentered the stratosphere with four turnovers and failed execution when it was needed the most.
Meanwhile, another Viking accepted some blame this week — rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison.
Addison produced a forgettable game, chiefly because of a couple of gaffes that swung momentum in Chicago’s favor. First, a Dobbs’ straight-line missile bounced off Addison’s paws and into the unfriendly arms of a Bears defender.
There was a lot of hot sauce on Dobbs’ throw, but few wide receivers will ever complain about passing velocity on a Sunday afternoon or Monday night. Addison should’ve hauled in the catch, negated the interception, and the Vikings would’ve extended the 2nd Quarter drive. No cigar.
And Addison acknowledged the tipped-ball blunder, plus another after the game. Still wearing his equipment a half hour after the loss, Addison told The Star Tribune about his thoughts, “The one I tipped. And I’d say the deep one where I was wide open, and it was incomplete. I feel like I gotta stay in bounds, get my feet down.”
Addison banked 6 receptions for 39 yards versus the Bears and hasn’t scored a touchdown since Kirk Cousins was quarterback one month ago.
Perhaps a graver sin on Monday night, Addison also failed to find his footing and snag this catch out of the sky. The throw was imperfect, but if Addison had dragged his toes a la Cris Carter, the Vikings might’ve escaped the Bears’ advances with a victory and 7-5 record.
Thankfully, Addison is a rookie, and few first-year players exit their maiden-voyage seasons without correctable errors. The USC alumnus displayed a couple against Chicago and will hope to rectify his transgression in 11 days at the Las Vegas Raiders.
Addison, along with Tank Dell (Houston Texans) and De’Von Achane (Miami Dolphins), leads the NFL in touchdowns by a rookie with 7. He ranks third per receiving yards (686) behind Puka Nacua (Los Angeles Rams, 924) and Dell (709).
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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