Jordan Addison Can Follow in Percy Harvin’s Footsteps on Sunday
If Jordan Addison scores another touchdown on Sunday versus the Los Angeles Chargers, he’ll join some elite company from Minnesota Vikings history.
Addison has snatched two passes out of the sky in each of his first two NFL games after Minnesota selected the young playmaker in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Jordan Addison Can Follow in Percy Harvin’s Footsteps on Sunday
And if Addison makes it a trifecta, scoring this Sunday, he’ll become the second Vikings player ever to hit paydirt in each of his first three games. The other guy was Percy Harvin in 2009.
On the whole, 31 NFLers have scored touchdowns in each of their first three games since 1970. The most recent are Ja’Marr Chase (2021), Terry McLaurin (2019), Leonard Fournette (2017), and Kareem Hunt (2017). But Addison would become only the second Viking to achieve the feat.
What’s more, based on the Vikings opponent on Sunday, the Chargers, there’s a reasonable expectation for Addison to find the endzone. He’s already done so against two wonderful NFL defenses, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles brands, and Los Angeles doesn’t quite employ a defense akin to those two teams. In fact, through two games, in matchups against the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans, the Chargers rank 32nd in the league per pass defense DVOA — also known as the worst in the sport.
Addison — or somebody — should feast through the air in Week 3.
If Addison does connect with three touchdowns in three games, he’ll also increase Offensive Rookie of the Year momentum. As of September 20th, Addison has +1500 odds to win OROY, trailing Bijan Robinson (+175), Anthony Richardson (+225), Puka Nacua (+700), and C.J. Stroud (+1200) in the quest for an offensive rookie’s most illustrious award.
On Harvin, he won the Offensive Rookie of the Year honor 14 years ago, nabbing 60 receptions for 790 yards and 6 touchdowns while taking 2 kick return touchdowns to the house during his maiden voyage. He’d remain with the Vikings for four years before joining the Seattle Seahawks in 2013. Harvin won a Super Bowl with Russell Wilson and Co. in 2013, demolishing the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, 43-8.
Harvin last played for the Buffalo Bills in 2016.
The Vikings hope to avoid an 0-3 hole to start the season against an 0-2 opponent in the Chargers, as only 2.5% of teams since the NFL’s expansion to 12 playoff teams in 1990 have later reached the postseason after an 0-3 start.
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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