The Minnesota Vikings moved to 3-4 on the season with their 22-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night, a victory that was keyed by the breakout play of their rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison.
The night got off to a dubious start for the 21-year-old receiver when it appeared he had a catch on his first target of the game, but San Francisco cornerback Charvarius Ward wrestled the ball out of Addison’s hands for an interception. The rookie quickly rebounded.
Following a fumble recovery by Minnesota, Addison made catches of 4, 11, and 20 yards during the subsequent drive. The final catch resulted in a touchdown, giving them an early lead.
As the first half drew to a close, Addison avenged an earlier play by Ward, snatching the ball from the cornerback’s hands as he landed. Instead of another interception for the 49ers, this turned into a touchdown for the Vikings. Addison then dashed the remaining distance to the end zone, scoring a 60-yard touchdown just before halftime.
“Head coach Kevin O’Connell expressed his gratitude after the game saying, “We demand a lot from him, and he significantly contributed to our game tonight. His play on that ball, right where it was, was a game-changer.”
Addison’s stellar all-around performance was highlighted by a 60-yard score. He posted season highs with seven catches, 10 targets, and 123 yards, in addition to two touchdowns.
After scoring two touchdowns, Addison propelled the Vikings into a 16-7 lead at halftime. These two scores also made Addison only the second Viking to achieve six TDs in the first seven games of their rookie season, an accolade shared with Hall of Famer Randy Moss.
“Clearly, the way Jordan responded, he had a couple tough catches in traffic … you can tell he made a decision that that’s not happening again, and it reflected in the way he played,” quarterback Kirk Cousins said.
Vikings fans collectively held their breath in the third quarter when Addison exited the game due to a perceived injury, having fallen hard while attempting a diving catch and subsequently heading to the locker room. Fortunately, it turned out to be just cramping and after receiving treatment, Addison was able to rejoin the game in the fourth quarter.
He concluded his night by making a crucial catch on the Vikings’ final drive during a third-down conversion. This helped to drain the clock towards the end of the game, enabling Minnesota to secure the win and hand the 49ers their second consecutive loss.
“From his college days, Jordan has lived up to all my expectations and even surpassed them,” said O’Connell. “He has really embraced his role in our team and particularly in our offense. He has gained an immense amount of trust from Kirk and the rest of our team. Jordan was phenomenal tonight, and this is undoubtedly a performance that will serve as a foundation for his future.”
Addison, having been the No. 23 pick in this year’s draft, had a promising start to his rookie year in the NFL. Prior to Monday’s game, he had already recorded 277 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
But with a hamstring injury landing star wideout Justin Jefferson on injured reserve, Addison has been tabbed to fill his teammate’s big shoes, and fill them he did, putting together a dominant performance in Minnesota’s second game without Jefferson and doing so against one of the best defenses in the league.
“You’ve got to step up when it’s your time, and our first-round receiver, he has to step it up, and he showed up tonight,” safety Camryn Bynum said after the game in an interview with NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero. “We know he’s capable of all that, and always a baller. We expect that out of him, and really he’s a dawg. We expect that, and he’s going to keep ballin’.”
Addison aims to continue improving his performance in the upcoming Vikings’ game against the division rival Packers, with Minnesota striving to achieve a .500 record for the first time this season.
