One Vikings Playmaker Must Return to Top Form
With injuries and suspensions causing chaos to the Minnesota Vikings’ offensive lineup this season, it feels like the unit hasn’t yet gotten going. With the offense slowly returning to full strength, there is one playmaker the Vikings need to return to top form to give the offense a much-needed spark.
VikingsTerritory looks at the Vikings playmaker that the team needs to return to top form. Starting this Sunday against the Eagles.
That man is tight end T.J. Hockenson. This is not to say Hockenson has had a bad start to the season due to the myriad of injuries on the offensive line, which have seen four of the starters missing at various points, including all at the same time.
Hockenson has been tasked with helping out with the blocking more than the team would like, something the Vikings coaching staff has been keen to point out. With backups on the line, it has been all hands on deck with extra help to try and give JJ McCarthy or Carson Wentz the time they need in the pocket.
Hockenson has put up reasonable numbers so far this season with 19 receptions on 24 targets for 153 yards and a touchdown – plus eight first-down catches. They are decent numbers; the issue is when you give your TE a $66 million contract at $16.5 million a year. You need better than decent numbers to make that outlay worthwhile.
Hockenson is currently the fourth-highest-paid TE in the league, and he was playing at a top-five level before his knee injury in 2023. He hasn’t reached that level since returning and has failed to hit 50 receiving yards in any game this season.
Hockenson had a 114-yard game against Chicago in Week 12 last season, but hasn’t gotten near that mark since. He has managed something he didn’t do last season with a touchdown catch in the Vikings’ Week 3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Generally, over the last year, Hockenson has been getting somewhere between 20-50 receiving yards per game. He’s better than that, so how does Kevin O’Connell get more production from him?
The Issues for Hockenson and the Vikings Offense
The issues that have been facing the offense as a whole this season are the Vikings quarterback situation and a beat-up offensive line, resulting in an offense that hasn’t gotten into its groove yet. JJ McCarthy finally made his debut in Week 1 this season but hasn’t played since Week 2 because of an ankle sprain.
The two games he played saw seven quarters of struggle and one quarter that produced a stunning fourth-quarter comeback to win in Chicago. Wentz has deputized since, and it looks like he could be for another week or two yet.
Wentz has done about as well as you’d hope from a backup QB, especially one that only arrived in late August when it became clear the original plan to go with Sam Howell wasn’t going to cut it.
The OL injuries have been ridiculous, with Christian Darrisaw not ready to start the season because of the knee injury that ended his 2024 season – he also has sat out of drives as part of his recovery. The good news is Darrisaw should be fully fit now, and his ability to take on any edge rusher the league can throw at him one-on-one will allow freedom for Hockenson.
Ryan Kelly missed the Week 3 and 5 games due to a concussion, with the veteran center’s return shrouded in doubt. Backup center Michael Jurgens was then injured for the last game, leaving Blake Brandel to play center for the first time in his career.
Rookie guard Donovan Jackson had an impressive debut in Chicago, then played through an injured wrist that would need surgery before missing the last two games, and right tackle Brian O’Neill sprained his MCL in Dublin, which knocked him out of the Browns game in London. Both are back on the practice field this week, but both remain on the injury report – we wait to see if they can play this week.
How Hockenson Can Be A Big Part of the Solution
The Vikings have an array of offensive weapons, even with Aaron Jones currently on injured reserve. The man under center for Minnesota has Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor, Adam Thielen, Jordan Mason, Zavier Scott, and Josh Oliver at their disposal – as well as Hockenson.
That’s a lot of mouths to feed, with Jefferson top of the pecking order for targets. A balanced offense is a good offense, and the more O’Connell can get Hockenson involved, the more it will benefit the team.
Hockenson thrives on quick passes behind the defensive front, where he can use his momentum to power through a tackle and pick up a first down. Hockenson himself talked about that this week, and Wentz’s ability to find the TE on checkdowns.
There have been examples of this this season, but it’s something I feel the Vikings can do more often. On the flip side, screen passes behind the line of scrimmage, which sees defensive backs or linebackers coming downhill with all momentum, are not where you want the ball in Hockenson’s hands.
He doesn’t have the speed to make that work, especially if the defenders have read the play. There’s already been too many instances of that play being blown up.
Hockenson should be a big factor in the Vikings offense; that’s what he’s being paid for. In his big season of 2023, he fell short of 1000 receiving yards only because of missing the last two games through injury. Hockenson had 127 targets, averaging 8.5 targets per game.
So far this season, the Vikings TE has seen 24 targets through five games, which is an average of 4.8 targets per game, which would equal 81.6 over a 17-game season. That is not enough for a man you are paying big money to play the role of a receiving TE.
The last time the Vikings played the Eagles (in Philadelphia) in 2023, Hockenson caught 7 of 8 targets for 66 yards and 2 touchdowns. Something similar this Sunday would be nice.
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