The Minnesota Vikings have lofty expectations for their offense, and a big part of it is due to a talented stable of wide receivers. But while Justin Jefferson has done his part, the rest of the Vikings' receivers haven’t lived up to their billing, catching a combined two passes for 27 yards, with both coming from No. 2 wideout Jordan Addison.
Minnesota's secondary receivers have a few excuses in their favor. Kyler Murray was injured in the season-opening win over the Green Bay Packers, turning the keys over to backup Carson Wentz.
The Vikings' second game was played in weather that Kirk Cousins would use to describe his former center. But no matter how you stack it, the Vikings need more from their secondary receivers, and that could begin when the Vikings visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3.
Vikings’ secondary targets must pick up their production soon
Minnesota has had questions at the quarterback position since Cousins left after the 2023 season, but they have been answered thanks to their strong play at receiver. Having the best player at his position in the NFL helps, but so does having secondary weapons that can help draw attention away.
The most obvious player in that regard is Addison, who was the Vikings’ first-round pick in the 2023 draft.
Addison looked like a future star, catching 70 passes for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns in his rookie season, but his numbers have declined in each season since, catching just 42 passes for 610 yards and three touchdowns last year.
In his defense, Addison has found other ways to contribute and has kept a good attitude despite his stats this season.
But if the Vikings follow through on the budgeted money for an extension that ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reported this offseason, they’re going to need more than the 0.41 yards per route run he’s put up in the first two games.
The Vikings have also run into some bad luck with Jauan Jennings, who missed last week’s game due to a personal matter. But they’re still not getting production behind him from Tai Felton or Myles Price.
Price and Felton stood out during training camp and had an increased role in last week’s win over the Bears. But despite the opportunity, Price failed to haul in his lone target, and Felton wasn’t targeted at all.
Preseason star Dillon Bell was also elevated from the practice squad to play against the Bears. But like most rookies on the roster, he was limited to special teams, which begs the question of what the Vikings can do to get their receivers going moving forward.
Vikings WRs could have the perfect opportunity to pick up their slack
The easiest way to do this is with better quarterback play. While Wentz led the Vikings to back-to-back victories, his accuracy and tendency for turnovers do not make him a sustainable option.
It’s also understandable that a quarterback forced into action would target Jefferson early and often, perhaps at the expense of secondary receivers like Addison, Felton, or Price.
It would also be nice if the Vikings got Jennings back this week. While it’s not fair to speculate on his personal matters, his absence is definitely noticeable, as he isn't too far removed from catching 77 passes for 975 yards and six touchdowns for the San Francisco 49ers during the 2024 season.
The final thing could be the schedule. The Packers used an aggressive approach to knock Murray out of the opener and make life difficult for Wentz.
The Bears also have a beleaguered secondary but also some familiarity with O’Connell’s scheme, which made for a chess match that was the undercard for Ben Johnson against Brian Flores last week.
By comparison, the Vikings will face a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that ranks 11th in net yards per attempt (6.9) allowed over the first two weeks on Sunday.
The following week, they’ll return to face a Miami Dolphins defense that is enduring a real-life "Madden" rebuild and allowing the NFL’s second-most net yards per attempt at 8.6 yards per game.
Whatever the answer is, the Vikings need more from their secondary weapons, and it could be something that keeps their momentum going after two straight wins to open the season.
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