Offensive MVP – Honorable Mentions
Let’s be honest…the offense stunk. The Minnesota Vikings only gained 40 yards on the ground and 233 through the air, with a majority of those passing yards coming when the game was seemingly out of reach.
There isn’t a lot to celebrate on offense, so several of these honorable mention nods will be moral victories or things to build on. Either way, they are some positives to take away from a game that didn’t feel very positive.
Even though these players weren’t named the MVP this week, here are some honorable mentions for the award:
- Bisi Johnson, wide receiver: The rookie pass catcher had a great game, catching all four of the targets thrown his way for 35 yards. He ended up being tied for second on the team in receiving yards and that is encouraging to see from a young player who flashed in the preseason.
- Irv Smith, Jr, tight end: On paper, Smith had a disappointing day. However, he once again contributed in ways that aren’t always obvious on the stat sheet. He caught one pass for five yards on the day, but was an effective blocker when called upon and even chased down a defender after they recovered a fumble.
- Brian O’Neill, right tackle: The lineman struggled against the strong Chicago pass rush, but playing without Josh Kline made things a little more difficult in both pass protection and paving the way for the run game. Still, O’Neill had a solid effort which also included a heads-up play to recover a Cousins fumble.