3 Vikings Need Bounce Back Games in Week 2
The Minnesota Vikings pulled off a thrilling Week 1 victory at Soldier Field, taming the Chicago Bears by three points after quarterback J.J. McCarthy authored a 4th Quarter comeback in his first-ever start.
A few Vikings fell short in Week 1, and they’ll need to respond sooner rather than later. Here are three players who need bounceback games in Week 2.
McCarthy and his offense struggled through three quarters, but once crunchtime hit, he woke up, and so did his pals.
Along the way, a few players orchestrated forgettable outings, and they’ll need bounceback performances on Sunday Night Football against the Atlanta Falcons.
Vikings Players Needing Redemption Performances on SNF
Keep an eye on these three men during Sunday Night Football.
1. T.J. Hockenson (TE)
Hockenson caught 3 passes for 15 yards on Monday Night Football. That’s not going to cut it at his price point. It’s especially disadvantageous because Jordan Addison is suspended, and Minnesota needs all the able-bodied, efficient pass-catchers it can find. In a normal week, that’s Hockenson.
There’s also the J.J. McCarthy element. First-year quarterbacks tend to rely on the tight end more than most. So, McCarthy needs Hockenson to step up in Week 2.
Hockenson didn’t have bad drops like Justin Jefferson or Adam Thielen on Monday, but he simply must put his thumbprint on the offense in a more decisive manner. It’s why he earns $16.5 million per season. He’s not an ornamental piece in the offense.
FantasyPro‘s Leo Sells noted on Hockenson this week for fantasy football purposes: “The Vikings weren’t able to get much going in the passing game on Monday. It was J.J. McCarthy’s first regular-season game as a pro, so he went through some growing pains, which Hockenson felt the effects of.”
“He should bounce back and produce better than this moving forward, but with Jordan Addison set to return from his suspension in just a few weeks, it remains to be seen how big of a role the veteran tight end will actually secure for himself on this offense.”
2. Ivan Pace Jr. (ILB)
30.0.
That was Pace Jr.’s Pro Football Focus grade in Week 1 at the Chicago Bears, and that score is not good. Thankfully, the rest of Minnesota’s defense played mostly well that evening, and Caleb Williams is not very accurate, especially in the clutch.
Generally speaking, Pace Jr. is unlikely to fire up back-to-back stinkers, so calling for his bounceback performance may be unnecessary.
Still, with no Blake Cashman on Sunday — he’s out for at least a month — Pace Jr. must rebound and play well so that Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts doesn’t erupt.
SI.com‘s Joe Nelson mentioned Cashman’s impending absence on Thursday: ‘Without Cashman, the Vikings turned up the pressure on Williams and the Bears and kept them scoreless until Chicago’s penultimate drive. By then, the Vikings had rallied from a 17-6 deficit and built a 27-17 lead.”
“O’Connell gave backup linebacker Eric Wilson a game ball for his performance replacing Cashman. Wilson finished with five tackles and blocked a punt, while also wearing the green dot on his helmet, meaning he relayed the defensive play calls to his teammates on the field.”
The Vikings also signed linebacker Sione Takitaki to the practice squad this week.
“According to Pro Football Focus, Wilson played 25 snaps and was in coverage for 13 of them — and Williams was 0-for-2 when throwing into Wilson’s coverage. The veteran linebacker also led Minnesota with a 90.9 run defense grade,” Nelson added.
3. Adam Thielen (WR)
Indeed, Adam Thielen caught an impactful two-point conversion at the Bears — but that was about it.
In his first game back with the Vikings since 2023, folks envisioned Thielen filling a WR2 role next to Justin Jefferson. But he only saw one target in his direction from McCarthy, and Thielen dropped that would-be first down catch.
The man might just need more targets; he might need to get open more on Sunday night. In any event, Minnesota needs a non-Jefferson wideout to step up in the next two games before Jordan Addison’s return, and Thielen is simply the best candidate.
It’s worth noting that U.S. Bank Stadium will explode when Thielen is introduced during pre-game festivities.
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