Vikings Fans Ignite Over One Preseason Play
One can easily discern it’s the preseason when sheer enjoyment is found in an incompletion.
That occurred Thursday night, as the Minnesota Vikings lost to the Seattle Seahawks, 24-13, at Lumen Field to kick off the preseason.
Vikings Fans Ignite over One Preseason Play
Fans settled in to watch the debut of quarterback Jaren Hall — that was forgettable — study roster battles, and get a first flavor of 2023 Vikings football.
Along the way, newcomer 1st-Round rookie Jordan Addison hauled in a pass from QB2 Nick Mullens, which was immediately ruled incomplete. Upon television replay, however, the reception appeared legal, and Vikings fans ignited with enthusiasm.
Here’s the incompletion, complete with delectable toe-tapping, that would’ve been challenged and reversed in the regular season:
Although the catch should’ve been deemed legitimate, head coach Kevin O’Connell opted not to challenge the play merely because it was preseason — and who cares? Addison later hauled in another catch for 22 yards, his sole contribution to the box score.
Vikings-themed social media gushed over the grab, taking Addison’s athleticism as gospel for the future. VikingsTerritory’s Mohamed Salad tweeted on the X app, “No need to pay a running back so much when defenses will not be able to stack the box and account for the run game. When you have this guy, Jefferson and Hock catching passes almost NFL backs can make use of the space. We can legit be a top 3 offense in the league in 2023.”
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tweeted the Addison and highlight and opined, “Appreciate Jordan Addison doing this last night to back up everything we’ve been saying about him this summer. Footwork on the sideline and in the back of end zone has been great. In a regular season game, Kevin O’Connell challenges this. It’s a catch.”
Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson tweeted, “They didn’t give Jordan Addison this catch because they just didn’t believe there was any chance he actually did this.”
The Athletic’s Alec Lewis weighed in, “Yeah, by the way, Jordan Addison 1000% caught that ball on the sideline. Some weird reffing. Probably won’t happen again this year, no chance!”
@TheCalhounGoon wrote on X, “All we need to see from him, gonna be a stud.”
The reception — or lack thereof — channeled memories of Hall of Famer Cris Carter, who built a career on ballerina-like toe-tap expertise. The Vikings have a vibrant history at wide receiver, so watching Addison perform mightily under the lights is nothing new. It’s more like fruition.
Addison will continue to battle for Minnesota’s WR2 job behind Justin Jefferson, in a summer competition with incumbent wideout K.J. Osborn. The USC alumnus has looked the part at training camp, mentioned above by Seifert, and has put controversy behind him. A few weeks ago, Addison was charged with reckless driving but has since apologized and appears headed on the right track.
The Vikings next preseason game occurs in eight days at U.S. Bank Stadium versus the Tennessee Titans.
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.