The Minnesota Vikings didn’t have Justin Jefferson in Week 4, so they needed a pass catcher to step up and elevate their game against the Miami Dolphins. T.J. Hockenson answered the call as the go-to guy for Kyler Murray in the 15-10 win over the Miami Dolphins on Oct. 4.
Hockenson caught 13 passes on 13 targets for 119 yards, with his longest reception for 22 yards and an average of 9.2 yards per catch. After the win over the Dolphins, Murray spoke to the media and shared candid remarks when talking about Hockenson’s performance.
“I know how great he wants to be and how confident he is in his ability and who he is, and it’s been frustrating for everybody as far as how we’ve been playing offensively the past couple of weeks,” Murray told reporters postgame.
“We feel like we’re much better than what we’ve been putting out there on the film. So today happened to be his day, and I expect many more days for him because he’s a great player. I expect many more days for T.J.”
Last week, Jordan Addison stepped up after Jefferson’s injury, and now it was Hockenson’s turn to emerge as the Vikings’ wideout replacement.
Kyler Murray Remains Positive About Vikings’ Offense
Despite Hockenson’s performance, the Vikings couldn’t find the end zone against a struggling Dolphins team, now 0-4 after their loss in Minnesota. With the Vikings offense still showing concerns after a second full game from Murray, he sees the positives, with room for improvement heading into Week 5.
“Looking back at the first game, I feel like everything happens for a reason, and that was supposed to happen,” Murray added. “Today, I definitely felt like the game was moving slower.
“I was a little more in control, not perfect by any means, but to be able to get that many reps like I did today, play four quarters again, see defenses, see coverages, see guys move around and get to field zones and man coverage, all that is priceless at this position. Like I said, I think we’re only going to get better.”
Murray has the weapons to get the Vikings’ offense going and avoid these ugly games. It will be interesting to see if the group can finally start clicking on the road against the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 11, or if chatter about Carson Wentz or exploring QB options at the deadline emerges.
T.J. Hockenson Gets Blunt on His Week 4 Performance
Hockenson also spoke to the media about his performance. The Vikings tight end will look to be a big-body target for Murray in the middle of the field, even when Jefferson returns.
“Just getting my ops, man,” Hockenson told FOX Sports’ Allison Williams after the Vikings’ win. “Kyler did a great job sticking with the offense. It was a slow start a little bit, but then just sticking with it.
“This whole group, as a collective, we just kept going to the line of scrimmage, kept trying to figure it out. We got ourselves behind the sticks a few times, but there was never any doubt in this team, and we just kept rolling.”
Kyler Murray Has Candid Words on T.J. Hockenson After Vikings Win