Offensive MVP – Honorable Mentions
To call the offense of the Minnesota Vikings one-dimensional in Week 17 is a bit of an understatement. Without Kirk Cousins at the helm, the team couldn’t pass the ball at all. Sean Mannion was responsible for three turnovers in his place, and only 126 yards is far from an encouraging performance when the ball is thrown 21 times.
Thank goodness that the purple and gold could run the ball. Even with backup starting offensive tackles in the game, there were still running lanes available for Minnesota to dash or pound their way through.
Here are the offensive standouts from this game who weren’t quite the MVP from Week 17 against the Bears:
- Alexander Hollins, wide receiver – Strangely, Hollins was the team’s leader in receiving yards. He hauled in two passes on the day, one for 11 yards and the other for 35. It’s nice to see a player who was elevated from the practice squad this season have some success.
- Bisi Johnson, wide receiver – The next best receiver on the Vikings, Johnson caught three passes for 34 yards in the game. He was targeted four times by Mannion in the game but wasn’t as big of a part of the game as he should have been.
- Ameer Abdullah, running back – Abdullah did it all this game, but only a little of each. He had six carries for 22 yards, caught three passes for 14 yards, and added 28 yards on kick returns. That accounts for 64 all-purpose yards, putting him among the top contributors of the game.