Getty Tight end T.J. Hockenson of the Minnesota Vikings listens to a play during a game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on November 13, 2022 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)
Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson spent a lot of time losing during his first three and a half NFL seasons with the Detroit Lions.
Somewhat ironically, he is projected to lose again on his first trip back with the NFC North Division-leading Vikings, who stand at 10-2 with losses only to a couple of elite teams in the conference — the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys.
Granted, both of Minnesota’s defeats in 2022 have been substantial — losing by 17 points on the road in Philly in Week 2 and by a whopping 37 points at home to Dallas in Week 11. Those margins against a couple of the NFC’s best are cause for consternation, and maybe even a bit of legitimate doubt, but the disrespect the Vikings have been forced to abide this week is taking it all a bit too far.
Minnesota opened as 2.5-point favorites on the road against Detroit in Week 14, a number that has flipped to 2.5-point underdogs as of Wednesday, with a flood of money coming in on the home team. The Lions are a trendy pick, having won four of their last five, though three of those victories have come against teams with sub-.500 records.
Even at 5-7 on the season, the turnaround in Detroit is stark after several years of haplessness. Hockenson spoke to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Tuesday, December 6, about his 56 games of experience there, in which the Lions were able to muster a record of just 12-42-2.
“Everybody in that city wants to win,” Hockenson told Tomasson. “When you lose as many games as I did, it definitely isn’t a fun situation because you look at yourself and you look at what you’re doing and really want to fix everything. I would say losing in general is not a fun thing, but when you do get a win, you got it for that city.”
Hockenson Contributing Mightily to Vikings’ Winning Ways Since Trade
GettyTight end T.J. Hockenson of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the New England Patriots during the second quarter of a game at U.S. Bank Stadium on November 24, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
The Vikings are 4-1 since adding Hockenson to the fold, and he began contributing immediately.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins has connected with his new tight end 30 times already, to the tune of 225 yards and one touchdown. While the Vikings have yet to use Hockenson to stretch the field in ways Detroit did — his per catch average slotting in at just 7.5 yards, the lowest of his career to this point — Minnesota has called his number more frequently than it ever was before.
Extrapolated out over a full 17-game season, Hockenson’s averages through five contests with the Vikings would equate to his most productive year in both overall catches and yards by wide margins. Considering that, Minnesota is certain to feature him heavily against a shaky Lions defense that surrenders a league-worst 27 points per game to opposing offenses.
NFL Analyst, Former Pro QB Says Vikings Getting Disrespected
GettyHead coach Kevin O’Connell (right) of the Minnesota Vikings talks to quarterback Kirk Cousins (left) before a game against the Arizona Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 30, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
The five-point odds flip in just a couple of days leading to the Lions now being favored over the Vikings, whom they trail by five games in the standings, is hard to read as anything but disrespect.
While Hockenson didn’t mention that to Tomasson on Tuesday, former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst and commentator Robert Griffin III had plenty to say on the matter.
The @Vikings are 10-2.
WAKE UP PEOPLE!
They are 9-0 in 1 score games.
When adversity hits, they come together as a team and find ways to WIN. The blowout losses to the Cowboys and Eagles were bad, but at some point winning 10 out of 12 games has to matter. Time to stop ignoring.
“The Vikings are 10-2. WAKE UP PEOPLE,” Griffin tweeted Tuesday. “They are 9-0 in one-score games. When adversity hits, they come together as a team and find ways to WIN. The blowout losses to the Cowboys and the Eagles were bad, but at some point winning 10 out of 12 games has to matter. Time to stop ignoring.”
The Vikings will take on the Lions at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Sunday, December 11, in Detroit.