2 Vikings Listed on ESPN “Top 102” List
The Minnesota Vikings are cruising through the 2024 regular season, possessing a 10-2 record inside a season when the purple team was only supposed to win six or seven games per oddsmakers’ estimation.
2 Vikings Listed on ESPN “Top 102” List
The franchise also has a magic number of three this weekend, needing a win over the Atlanta Falcons, a Los Angeles Rams’ loss to the Buffalo Bills, and a Seattle Seahawks dub over the Arizona Cardinals to clinch a playoff spot by Week 14.
Of course, 53 players on the active roster have enabled the Vikings to achieve the unforeseen prosperity, and ESPN went out of its way to call out two men this week — on its “Top 102 Player Traits in the NFL” list.
Running back Aaron Jones and wide receiver Justin Jefferson made the cut. You can read the full publication here.
Foremost, ESPN’s Matt Bowen called Jones the league’s best pass-protecting tailback in the business and explained, “Jones has a pass block win rate of 97.0%, and he has been credited with only one pass block loss on the season. He’s a willing pass protector who can identify and challenge second-level pass rushers.”
Jones joined the Vikings as a free agent in March and is on pace for 1,574 yards from scrimmage this season and 10 touchdowns. He’s experienced some rough patches as of late with fumbles, but because of the pass-blocking, as mentioned by Bowen, he’ll remain a mainstay at RB1 for the 2024 Vikings.
After Jones, Bowen called out Jefferson — for two otherworldly traits: route-running and 50-50 receptions. Bowen noted on Jefferson’s route-running: “An elite route runner, Jefferson can manipulate man coverage off the release and throughout the route stem, creating separation to the ball. Jefferson leads the NFL with 20 receptions of 20 yards or more, and his 1,038 receiving yards rank second (Ja’Marr Chase).”
And on the 50-50 balls, he wrote, “Jefferson is the league’s best in contested catch situations. It’s the late hands, focus and catch radius that separates him when he gets a one-on-one throw, and he has eight catches in tight coverage this season, per NFL Next Gen Stats.”
Both talents of Jefferson checkout. His route-running is utterly elite, and 50-50 balls are just a part of the Sunday experience for the 25-year-old.
Bowen also praised former Vikings pass rusher Danielle Hunter for having the best spin move in the NFL, another sensible accolade.
Jones, Jefferson, and the Vikings are favored by 5.5 points to take down the Falcons this Sunday.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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