Who were the MVPs of the Minnesota Vikings from their Week 13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars?
The Minnesota Vikings survived a nail-biter of a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 13 of the 2020 NFL season to move to a .500 record on the season and slide into the seventh spot in the NFC playoff picture.
Now, the Vikings control their own destiny when it comes to a playoff spot. If they can continue to get wins throughout the rest of their schedule, they will take part in the postseason despite a disappointing 1-5 start to the year.
Minnesota won’t get to the playoffs if they play the way they did on Sunday though. Even though they got the win, there were several mistakes and miscues that easily could have cost them the victory inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
In Week 13, there were some Vikings players who had great performances. Let’s take a look at who ended up as the offensive and defensive MVPs from Minnesota’s win over the Jaguars and also highlight others that played well in the matchup.
(Note: All stats from ESPN)
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.
Offensive MVP
Justin Jefferson – WR
How can Vikings fans not love this kid? The dynamic receiver was the target of nearly 28 percent of Kirk Cousins’ throws on Sunday and there is no doubting the return on investment the quarterback gets for those decisions.
Justin Jefferson hauled in nine of his 12 targets for 121 yards and a touchdown during the game against the Jaguars, averaging 13.4 yards per catch in the Vikings’ victory. His most notable plays were a 40-yard catch and run and a 20-yard scoring grab that not only showed his great hands, but it displayed his excellent route-running that allowed him to gain separation as well.
With his stats against Jacksonville, Jefferson moved past 1,000 receiving yards on the season and he will continue to build on that number with the four games remaining on Minnesota’s schedule. Keep in mind that Vikings legend Randy Moss had 1,313 receiving yards during his rookie campaign, a number that is within reach for Jefferson.
Sure, Adam Thielen is the guy Cousins looks to in the red zone, but it is Jefferson who has been doing an amazing job outside of the red zone and creating a deep threat to open things up underneath. The rookie is exactly what this offense needs every week.
Defensive MVP – Honorable Mentions
It’s weird to say, but the Vikings defense did their job against the Jaguars. Minnesota held their own by limiting Jacksonville’s offense to two touchdowns in Week 13, with one of those scoring plays being a fluke pass that was batted into the air and directly into the arms of a Jaguars receiver.
Jacksonville running back James Robinson was having some success on the ground against Minnesota, but thankfully the Jaguars focused more on running plays through Mike Glennon and the passing game. When it came down to it, it was the two interceptions thrown by Glennon that were instrumental in the Vikings getting the win.
Who were some of the Minnesota players that should have been considered for defensive MVP after Week 13?
Ifeadi Odenigbo – DE
Whenever the defense can put points on the scoreboard, it is a great thing. Ifeadi Odenigbo was key in getting a safety on Glennon that took the ball away from Jacksonville and helped to make up for some of the Vikings special teams miscues. Odenigbo had three of the seven hits on Glennon in the matchup, which also showed how much the other pass rushers in purple and gold struggled.
Anthony Harris – S
Losing Eric Kendricks right before the game was heartbreaking for this defense, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any playmakers available for Minnesota. Anthony Harris has been quiet for a lot of the season but he had five tackles (two solo), a pass breakup, and a tackle for a loss on the day.
Harrison Smith – S
The veteran safety looked like he knew exactly what was going on throughout the contest on Sunday. Harrison Smith was quick to get to developing plays, notching six tackles (four solo) and getting in for a split on a sack. Plus, he also had a great diving interception at a key moment in overtime to give Minnesota the ball back on offense.
Defensive MVP
Cameron Dantzler – CB
With so much turnaround at the cornerback spots this year for the Vikings, it is great to see a rookie corner stepping up in a huge way when his back is against the wall and the team needs some plays.
Coming into this game, no Minnesota cornerback had intercepted a pass all season. That horrendous stat no longer exists after Cameron Dantzler got his first NFL interception against Mike Glennon on Sunday.
It wasn’t just the interception though. The rookie corner recovered a fumble forced out of the hands of Jaguars receiver Chris Conley with a little over five minutes left in the game. He also added four total tackles in the matchup (three solo).
This is the kind of play the Vikings need from their young corners. Dantzler’s big day shouldn’t be too much of a major surprise considering he’s been playing well since the bye. But now, the question has to start being asked if he can be a key part of the future for this secondary.
Minnesota Vikings Best and Worst: Week 13 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
What were the best and worst things to come from the Minnesota Vikings during their Week 13 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars?
Which players do you think deserve to be Minnesota’s offensive and defensive MVPs from the Week 13 game against the Jaguars? And who else deserves recognition for their play? Let us know your opinion in the comments.