Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson missed eight weeks dealing with a hamstring injury and had another week cut short due to a chest injury.
That time away left a void and, in Jefferson’s absence, rookie Jordan Addison stepped up.
“He grew tremendously,” Jefferson said via the team on December 21. “He had to step into a role that we wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to take or not. But I feel like he did a tremendous job by just being that No. 1 role, making plays for us that we didn’t think that he would be able to make.”
Addison crossed the century mark for the second time this season in Week 15, logging six grabs for 111 yards – his second-highest mark of the season – and a pair of touchdowns in the Vikings’ loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Addison hauled in 37 passes for 464 yards and four touchdowns on 56 targets with Jefferson (mostly) sidelined for those eight games.
The No. 23 overall pick in this year’s draft, Addison has a 25/360/5 line with Jefferson active.
“That just goes to show you the amount of talent that he has,” Jefferson said. “And he’s growing every single day. He’s getting better and better every day, listening to what the coaches, what I, and the rest of the players have to say. So I’m definitely looking forward to him in this last stretch of the season.”
Nick Mullens Had ‘Mental Practice’ Behind Kirk Cousins
GettyKirk Cousins #8 and Nick Mullens #12 of the Minnesota Vikings.
Addison will now team with Jefferson to give quarterback Nick Mullens a pair of threats down the stretch, something that no other Vikings quarterback has enjoyed for an extended period outside of Kirk Cousins in the first five weeks of the season.
Jefferson believes Mullens has benefitted from working with and behind Cousins for the last two seasons.
“He learned from Kirk, from being behind him and going over the plays, walking through the plays even when he’s not taking those reps,” Jefferson said. “So it’s like he’s he’s having … a mental practice. Just in the back of the huddle and going over the walkthroughs, going over the steps of everything.”
“When he’s out there on that field, it’s like he’s not missing a step, he’s not missing a beat. He knows exactly what to do, knows the cues, and everything. So it feels all confident and comfortable when he’s out there on the field.”
Mullens’ best friend in Week 16 could be a strong ground attack, though.
The Vikings still have a shot at the division. But it has to start with getting a pair of wins against the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions, and their first opportunity comes this week.
Ty Chandler was ‘Phenomenal’ in Place of Alexander Mattison
GettyNick Mullens #12 and Ty Chandler #32 of the Minnesota Vikings.
Detroit ranks 18th against the pass and eighth against the run. Still, playing keep-away from the league’s No. 5 scoring offense could be a sound strategy, especially with a backup quarterback under center. That could mean another heavy dose of Ty Chandler.
“Phenomenal. I mean he did exactly what we expected him to do. Of course, replacing [Alexander Mattison], a big role in this offense. And we’ve been saying all week how we needed to be dominant on the run game to open up the pass game. So I feel like he did a phenomenal job for his first game as a starter, and I’m definitely looking forward to him these last stretches too.”
Chandler ran for a career-high 132 yards in Week 15, the most by a Vikings rusher since Dalvin Cook in Week 10 of the 2022 season.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell was non-committal to Chandler as the featured back. But Mattison has yet to practice this week with just one more chance on Friday. Mattison’s season high for rushing yards was 95 yards on 17 totes in Week 4 versus the Carolina Panthers.
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Justin Jefferson Admits Doubting Vikings Teammate: He’s ‘Making Plays for Us’