Turns Out One Viking Had the Almighty Breakout Game
One might be hard-pressed to find positives from the Minnesota Vikings’ loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, but beyond the shadow of a doubt, wide receiver Jalen Nailor stood off the page.
One Minnesota Viking finally delivered the almighty breakout game — and this time, the playmaker stole the spotlight despite a loss to the Ravens.
The speedster gashed the Ravens’ defense, so much so that Nailor could be considered the lone bright spot from Week 10’s sorrowful loss.
Vikings WR Jalen Nailor Carves Up Ravens
In the end, it wasn’t enough for a dub.
Nailor Slices Ravens for 124 Receiving Yards
Need a bright spot from Sunday’s loss to Baltimore? His name is Jalen Nailor.
Nailor served as Minnesota’s WR1 on Sunday afternoon per production, tallying 124 receiving yards on 5 catches. He also chipped in a touchdown in the 4th quarter, courtesy of J.J. McCarthy, as the Vikings attempted to mount a comeback.
McCarthy targeted Nailor on 6 occasions, and Nailor delivered 5 times.
Nailor’s previous career-high for receiving yards arrived late in 2022, Nailor’s rookie campaign, in a blowout loss at the Green Bay Packers. He banked 89 yards that January day.
Where Was Everybody Else?
The bad part of Nailor’s outing? No other wide receiver really showed up on the scene of The Jalen Nailor Experience.
Justin Jefferson pitched in 37 yards, an utterly pedestrian statline for the guy who averages nearly 100 receiving yards per game in his career. Jordan Addison posted 35. And Adam Thielen said hello with 2 catches and 16 yards.
Tight end T.J. Hockenson was also nonexistent, with 2 receptions for eight yards.
These roles are supposed to be flipped — Jefferson and Addison should be feasting and leading Minnesota to victories. Instead, the Vikings leaned on Nailor for a career day and lost by eight.
Perfect Timing for Nailor
It’s worth noting that the timing couldn’t be better for Nailor.
Minnesota drafted him in 2022, the only player from that draft class, in retrospect, who looks like a hit. His contract in Minnesota will expire in a few months, and his 124-yard outing from Week 10 will hit pretty wonderfully on his free-agent resume.
Many have assumed that Nailor will embark on the open market and join a different team, but if he continues the Week 10 production, developing rapport with McCarthy along the way, he could return to the Twin Cities and settle in as the long-term WR3.
There’s a path for that at the season’s mid-point; it didn’t feel likely a few weeks ago.
The WR3 with No Questions from Anybody
The Vikings traded for Adam Thielen before the start of the regular season, a deal centered around a 4th-Round pick that now seems like a gaffe.
Thielen was supposed to hold down the WR2 job during the aforementioned Addison’s early-season suspension. That didn’t happen. Minnesota didn’t target Thielen, and he doesn’t quite get open like the old days. Now, Thielen rarely plays.
What does this mean? Well, Nailor is the certified WR3 in Minnesota. There are no longer debates about it. Thielen’s ship has sailed, sadly. Return man Myles Price doesn’t really get in on the fun offensively. Third-round rookie Tai Felton evidently isn’t ready for the targets in the passing game. And Jefferson + Addison are the undisputed WR1 and WR2.
That leaves Nailor at his WR3 post, and he rose to the occasion in Week 10.
McCarthy on Nailor
McCarthy pounded the table for Nailor after the loss to Baltimore, “I’ve said it since Week 1. Speedy was gonna show up one of these days. He’s somebody who always just sticks to his process, does all the little things right, does the dirty work, and doesn’t complain at all.”
Pro Football Network‘s Ellis Williams on Nailor: “It’s fair to say the Minnesota Vikings’ upset of the Detroit Lions was a fluke last week. However, there were still positive takeaways from Sunday’s 27-19 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Despite penalties, turnovers, and inconsistency, Minnesota had the ball late with a chance to tie the game.”
“That didn’t happen, but several takeaways occurred that are worth building upon. When Justin Jefferson struggled to find his game, Jalen Nailor stepped up and gave the Vikings’ offense life. The third-year receiver finished with five catches for 124 yards and a touchdown, including a 62-yard catch-and-run on the opening drive that set up Aaron Jones’ score.”
The Vikings also mind-bogglingly threw the ball 42 times in the game, even though they averaged 6.7 yards per rush.
“On the play, Nailor nearly fought his way into the end zone. His late fourth-quarter touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 10-yard line gave Minnesota one last chance. It was a moment that showed McCarthy’s trust in him and the chemistry they’re starting to build,” Williams concluded.
Nailor might even get some waiver-wire attention in deep fantasy leagues this week.
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