When the Minnesota Vikings returned to the field against the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday, the focus was on how much Justin Jefferson would matter. His contributions would be a focal point, back from injured reserve and healthy after a brutal hit. Thankfully, rookie Jordan Addison continued to make an impact.
Jordan Addison Still Works
Getting Justin Jefferson back in the starting lineup was necessary for the Minnesota Vikings. Working with less-than-ideal quarterback options, finding a way to give them a full complement of possibilities was paramount. While Jefferson factored into the gameplan and produced at a high level, it was also nice to see Jordan Addison make his mark.
While Jefferson was sidelined for the Vikings, Addison (along with T.J. Hockenson) stepped up to draw additional targets. Over the past few weeks, we had seen Addison emerge as a threat for Minnesota, and his ability to provide openings for a revolving door of quarterbacks was a must.
Some games had produced better stat lines than others, but it was the outing against the Bengals where Addison again found himself as a high-level contributor. Hauling in all six of his targets, Addison racked up a whopping 111 yards and found the end zone twice. He bailed Nick Mullens out on an ugly low throw while being taken down, and he took that catch to the house for a 37-yard score.
Addison has shown an advanced ability as both a route-runner and pass catcher throughout his brief NFL career. Replacing Adam Thielen alongside Jefferson, Addison has emerged as an elite talent who can keep the defense honest when they try to remove the superstar Vikings wide receiver.
We likely won’t see Addison’s full arsenal of abilities for Minnesota until they have a true starting-level quarterback under center. With Kirk Cousins out for the season, that isn’t going to happen this year, but he certainly could help to create one of the best duos in the league when 2024 kicks off.
Kevin O’Connell has known since taking over that Jefferson is the gold standard when it comes to receiving threats in the National Football League. For as much as K.J. Osborn can do as a tertiary option, he simply doesn’t have the ceiling to provide high-level upside. Addison has shown he can be that guy, and it’s beyond exciting for Minnesota to dream of the possibilities going forward.
The hope would be that Addison can parlay his big game alongside Jefferson into a strong final three outings down the stretch. Minnesota must win at least two contests if they want to make the playoffs, and getting the most from their offense will be a must.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.