Jordan Addison Did It in a Big Way
The Minnesota Vikings were dealt a tough blow when Justin Jefferson walked off the field onto injured reserve. The plan was for him to pair with Jordan Addison this season, not observe from the sidelines. Stepping up in his absence, Addison finally had his coming out game.
Jordan Addison Did It in a Big Way
It has been a couple of weeks since the Vikings were dealt the blow of Justin Jefferson’s departure from the active roster. Rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison was expected to step into the lead wideout role and command the bulk of additional targets. That hadn’t really taken place yet, and then Monday Night Football came calling.
With a tough San Francisco 49ers team coming to town, the Vikings would need to be firing on all cylinders. Addison having a pass ripped away from him for an interception on the opening drive wouldn’t be part of that plan. Rather than letting the problem multiply, though, he stepped up and turned it on.
Finishing with 10 targets on the night, Addison got revenge on 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward when he wrestled away a pass to complete a 60-yard touchdown reception before the first half ended. That chunk play was part of his 123 yards on the night, and he wound up with two touchdowns. Had Cousins made a better throw to the left side of the end zone, the rookie could have had a trio by the game’s end.
Although this win was a total team effort, Addison shined in the passing game. With Minnesota not having Jefferson out there to draw coverage, Addison continued to see the focus directed toward him. He handled that pressure and routinely beat the defense all night long. Cousins put on a clinic from the pocket, and he was aided by Addison having his coming out party.
At some point this season, the hope would be that the Vikings can get Jefferson back on the field. His injury is not expected to be season-ending, and Addison’s brief bout of cramps isn’t something that will hold him back either. With the development Addison has shown already, pairing him with Jefferson could give the Vikings arguably the best one-two punch at wideout across the entirety of the league.
Monday night’s victory for Minnesota was a season-saving measure, and now, all of a sudden, they are right back in the thick of things. With a lackluster schedule in front of them, at least until the middle of December, Kevin O’Connell can position his team for an otherwise unexpected run. Making that happen will require more performances like the one against San Francisco, but seeing what Addison is capable of only raises the possibilities.
Minnesota has had the fortune of getting both Jefferson and Addison as first-round wide receivers that other teams passed on. Each has made that look silly, and Addison continuing to ascend new heights in this league will only benefit the Vikings further. While the production against the 49ers was a nice breakout game for the former USC Trojan, it’s a good bet that we will see plenty more of that in the weeks and years to come.
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.
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