At Least Vikings Rookie Did the Thing
Moral victories were sparse for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1, but that’s what happens when a team loses to a franchise led by Baker Mayfield.
The Vikings lost 20-17 to Mayfield’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, an error-filled three hours for Minnesota, who lost the turnover battle by three.
At Least Vikings Rookie Did the Thing
Next up for the Vikings is the Philadelphia Eagles, a club that outlasted the New England Patriots on the road for a win to kick off 2023.
On the Vikings side of operations, intermixed with the Buccaneers somewhat stunning 20-17 triumph, rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison stood out in his first career game, weaving through Tampa Bay’s defense for 4 receptions, 61 yards, and a touchdown.
Addison resembled an NFL WR2 more so than his counterpart, K.J. Osborn, if only for a week. In his first game, Addison grabbed this pass out of the sky for Minnesota’s first paydirt of the season.
A thing of sheer beauty, indeed.
Addison said about his theatrics after the game, “So how I saw it was, I’m running at the corner, I know my route, I got a post, and there wasn’t a safety back there, so once I stuck, I turned around, everything slowed down, the ball was in the air, and then I just made the play.”
And Minnesota would score just one more time, an equally as nifty touchdown catch-and-go from running back Alexander Mattison when the game still felt winnable.
Addison’s touchdown and three other catches are supremely noteworthy because they indicate a snazzy long-term projection for the USC alumnus. Of course, the Vikings are no strangers to WR glory — ask Randy Moss, Cris Carter, Justin Jefferson, Anthony Carter, Stefon Diggs, John Gilliam, Sammy White, Adam Thielen, and Percy Harvin about it — but they’ve had swings and misses, too.
In the last two decades, Minnesota has drafted Troy Williamson and Laquon Treadwell in the 1st Rounds of drafts, only to learn that those players didn’t quite live up to expectations.
For a week, Addison does not feel like a Williamson or Treadwell — at all.
Addison also had a confounding start to his Vikings career this summer, popped by police for driving 140 MPH in a 55 MPH zone. He insisted he was handling a dog emergency, pleaded the offence to a misdemeanor, and apologized.
Now, with the performance on the field during his NFL debut, the reckless driving kerfuffle feels like a million years ago.
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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