![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="439" width="780" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison‘s dad felt the same frustration as fans following a pivotal 31-9 loss to the Detroit Lions in the final week of the regular season.
After watching his son catch just 1-of-6 targets and fail to gain a single yard forward, Rolando Addison Sr. sent a heated message on social media afterward, critiquing his Jordan, the defense and even head coach Kevin O’Connell.
“I want pushups the plane ride back nonstop. The defense needs to do them with you for allowing Gibbs to get 4 touchdowns,” Rolando wrote on X (formerly Twitter) in a now-deleted post. “Also KOC can do them with ya because he got out coached.”
The loss was vital to the Vikings’ playoff hopes as a win would have clinched the top seed in the NFC playoffs and a first-round bye. Instead, Minnesota dropped to No. 5 and face the No. 4 Los Angeles Rams on Monday, January 13.
Vikings Pass Catchers Could Not Overcome Handsy Lions Secondary
The Vikings seemingly had an ideal matchup against a Lions defense that was steadfast in playing man coverage against Minnesota’s elite receiving core.
Justin Jefferson, Jalen Nailor and Addison combined for 223 yards receiving in the first meeting with the Lions, catching 14-of-17 targets that came their way.
But on Sunday, Detroit’s cornerbacks played physical with Minnesota, frequently toeing the line of pass interference.
It led to a long night for the Vikings receiver trio, which caught just 7-of-19 targets for a combined 106 yards.
After securing 3-of-9 targets for 54 yards, Jefferson admitted that he felt that some of the calls he’d gotten during the season weren’t made on Sunday. However, he made no excuses for his play.
“I mean we felt like some of the calls that should have been called out there didn’t get called,” Jefferson said, per ESPN. “They held us a lot. A lot of calls that were left out there. But that’s not something we’re looking toward. That’s not something we’re going to put the blame on. We still need to go out and execute the plays that we had.”
Tight end T.J. Hockenson also struggled, catching 2-of-8 targets for just nine yards.
Sam Darnold’s Uncharacteristic Inaccuracy Sunk Vikings Chances
The Vikings pass catchers may have had a bad night, but Sam Darnold also did them no favors. Darnold completed just 18-of-41 pass attempts for a season-low 166 yards and a 43.9% completion rate in the loss.
He was especially erratic with the ball in the first half, sailing several throws well over the reach of his receivers.
According to ESPN, Darnold was credited with eight overthrows in a shaky first half where the Vikings settled for two field goals and failed to convert on fourth down twice in that half.
Darnold would not admit he was rattled by the stakes of the game, but his 34% off-target rate suggested otherwise.
It proved to be one of the most inaccurate performances of his career.
“The only game of his career in which [Darnold] exceeded a 34% off-target rate was when he played for the New York Jets in 2019, in a matchup with the New England Patriots in which NFL Films recorded him saying that he was ‘seeing ghosts’ on the sideline,” ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote.
0 Comments