Offensive MVP – Honorable Mentions
The offense of the Vikings was a bit questionable in this game. The team was held scoreless in the first quarter and they struggled to move the ball early in the contest against a swarming Jaguars defense.
Minnesota’s struggles led to the team going into the locker room down three points at the half and those problems got even worse when the Vikings surrendered a pick-six on the first drive of the third quarter.
Thankfully, Minnesota stepped up and put enough total points on the board to get a win, which included a total of three touchdowns.
Let’s look at three Vikings players who deserved to be considered for the team’s offensive MVP of Week 13.
Kirk Cousins – QB
Major credit goes out to Kirk Cousins for standing in the pocket and making throws while getting hit on a pretty regular basis. Jacksonville got credit for 14 hits on Cousins in the game, but he still completed over 65 percent of his passes, including three that resulted in trips to the end zone for Minnesota.
He might have been the offensive MVP for Week 13 if not for throwing a pick-six in the third quarter and muffing a handoff to Dalvin Cook.
Brian O’Neill – RT
The Vikings offensive line as a whole struggled against the Jaguars defense on Sunday, but one bright spot in that unit was at right tackle. Brian O’Neill has looked good since entering the team’s starting lineup in 2019 and the 25-year old lineman should be a key part of this team’s blocking unit for many years to come.
Riley Reiff – LT
2020 has been a redemption season for Riley Reiff. When many fans were calling for him to be cut, restructured, or replaced during the offseason, Reiff kept working and he has been one of the best left tackles in the league this year. Let’s be thankful that fans aren’t running the Vikings front office.
Dalvin Cook – RB
After initially leaving Dalvin Cook off the list, he had to be added due to his contributions in the passing game. Sure, he had 120 rushing yards on 32 attempts, but he was also a key target in the passing game as he added 59 yards on six catches. Since Cousins was consistently under pressure, it was nice for him to have a player to drop the ball off to in a hurry.