After a wild win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9, which members of the Minnesota Vikings deserve more praise for their hand in the win?
The Minnesota Vikings are 5-4 and currently hold the seventh seed in the NFC playoff race. With the multitude of major injuries that have hit this roster, the fact that this Vikings squad has won four in a row has shocked the entire NFL community, not just the Minnesota faithful.
It has truly been a team effort to get to this point, with players and coaches alike working like a well-oiled machine lately.
While Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs has gotten his much-deserved love for his incredible game in Week 9, we must remember that it took the entire team to secure their win over the Atlanta Falcons.
After such an impressive victory with so much stacked against Minnesota, which members of the Vikings deserve more praise for helping the team get to win No. 5 on the year?
1. Byron Murphy Jr. - CB
Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. had arguably his best game since signing with the team this offseason, playing like the CB1 many expected him to be in Minnesota.
Murphy had the highest grade on the Vikings' defense from PFF, and his play on the field backed up that notion. While Murphy has had an up-and-down season for Minnesota, this past game against Atlanta showed just how good he can be.
Murphy ended the day with a staggering 1.2 passer rating allowed, even getting himself a crucial interception late in the game that helped Minnesota break the 21-21 tie with their next offensive drive.
Murphy only allowed two receptions on the day even though he was targeted seven times, showing just how lockdown he was for Minnesota when they needed him the most.
The Vikings' secondary has looked much improved from last season, and if Murphy can hit the level of play many were expecting from him this year, that unit will take an even bigger leap as the team pushes for the playoffs.
2. T.J. Hockenson - TE
T.J. Hockenson deserves an apology from Vikings fans. After a rough start to the season, many fans were questioning if his contract extension was worth it and constantly bashing him on social media.
Hockenson has done nothing but silence the doubters the past few weeks, and his game against the Falcons was no different.
Hockenson ended the day with seven receptions for 69 yards and played a decent chunk of the day with an obvious rib injury that was ailing him. Hockenson toughed it out for Minnesota and fought through the pain to finish the game and make some big catches, even with his injury, and the Vikings came away with the win.
To say that Hockenson has been a key piece to the Vikings' offense lately is an understatement, and his big game against Atlanta further showed that he is worth the money that he got this offseason.
3. Kevin O'Connell - Head Coach
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell is getting his love after the win against Atlanta, but to be honest, it still isn't enough. What O'Connell was able to do this past weekend was nothing short of legendary, and the young head coach deserves all the praise in the world.
O'Connell was thrown into the fire when quarterback Jaren Hall went out with a concussion, leaving Minnesota with newly acquired Josh Dobbs as their only option as a replacement.
Dobbs had no idea what the Vikings playbook was like; he didn't even know a majority of the names of his teammates that he was about to take the field with.
O'Connell was tasked with translating the plays to Dobbs in the huddle, essentially breaking everything down for the quarterback as fast as he could. O'Connell's incredible translations worked, as the Vikings' offense barely skipped a beat and ended up scoring 31 points on the day.
The Vikings head coach pulled off a win that was nothing short of a miracle, and he did it while missing the team's best offensive players.
O'Connell has stepped up lately, and his coaching against Atlanta was one of the most impressively coached games in recent memory.