Minnesota’s One Bright Spot in Week 1
A loss in Week 1 was not expected, especially because the Minnesota Vikings had a home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team that was 8-9 last year and lost Tom Brady in the offseason. Still, they played a clean game and the Vikings did not, so they won the game, deservedly so. One new guy gave the fans some hope.
Minnesota’s One Bright Spot in Week 1
A lot went wrong in the season opener. Penalties and turnovers cost the Vikings the game and they couldn’t overcome those self-inflicted wounds. First-round rookie Jordan Addison was the bright spot in an otherwise bad performance.
The top draft pick shined and made four catches for 64 yards and a wonderful deep touchdown, where he was streaking down the field wide-open on a third-and-eleven.
Addison was asked about his score: “That was all I was thinking about before the game. Getting in that endzone, I didn’t get in all preseason so when I finally got my opportunity, I just made the most of it and I cherish it. Once I got behind the defense, I looked up, the ball was right there. Beautiful pass.”
He has a nose for getting open and he showed his abilities on Sunday, giving the Vikings fans hope, forming a new scary wideout duo in the NFL with his partner-in-crime Justin Jefferson. That is why he was brought in.
If the defenses focus on Jefferson and try to take him out of the game by throwing double and triple teams at him, the Vikes need someone else to step up and Addison did that on Sunday, looking like a fantastic second wideout, who will only get better in the future.
He missed some time in training camp and most of the offseason workouts — the OTAs and mandatory minicamp. Still, Addison shows why he was a first-round pick every time he steps on the field, producing a highlight play in his only preseason contest, and making many more plays in training camp.
Addison was a superstar in college, earning the Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s best receiver in 2021 before transferring to USC to play with QB Caleb Williams and head coach Lincoln Riley. Now that he got his feet wet and showed that he belongs, Kevin O’Connell can draw some more plays up for him and increase the target rate.
The rookie has also formed a sweet connection with his quarterback Kirk Cousins who was asked about his new weapon and said “He did a great job. I think Jordan is a phenomenal player.”
In a game of many negative storylines, it is also important to focus on the few good ones, and the rookie first-round receiver looking like a great draft pick certainly qualifies as one of those. None of his potential weaknesses like size and speed showed up in his first professional football game.
The 21-year-old will be tested on Thursday in Philadelphia. Nick Sirianni’s defense focused fully on Jefferson in 2022 and was able to shut him down with Darius Slay and a safety over the top all game. Addison was drafted to help in these scenarios.
The Same Old Vikings Showed Up in Week 1
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
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