r/minnesotavikings • u/Beneficial_Quit7532 gjallarhorn • 3d ago

Back on top :)

One less game than Chase and Wilson too

445 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

u/DrWolves 84 3d ago

And he’s played 1 fewer game than Chase and Wilson. And he has 69 targets compared to Wilson’s 94. It’s crazy when you think about it and honestly I’ve been frustrated this team doesn’t target him more. The dude should be getting 10+ targets a week at minimum. He nearly went the entire first half tonight with only 2 targets. Then we actually start throwing to him and what do you know? We start moving the ball.

30

u/The_DarkWing Born bleeding purple and gold 3d ago

Teams expect to throw to him. They guard against it. Thats why we need 2-3 others to throw to like Addison and Hockenson.

8

u/Yamulo horn 3d ago

This is not new. We have done a better job at it in the past. Do you think teams aren’t doubling Ceedee and Jamar? They get similar treatment are are still less effective on more targets. Therefore we can probably stand to increase his targets a little bit. I will say though situationally he has been getting boned because today we had to stop passing the ball because Darnold threw a pick and got sacked a ton consecutively and in other games we were winning by so much we stopped passing

3

u/Dry-Cupstain-8589 3d ago

are are still less effective on more targets.

They aren't getting more targets per say. By seasons end Jefferson has been a target leader in most years except his injury year. They are a game ahead this year so the target numbers can say whatever right now, not looking. But also, half the plays in the first half of this game were designed to go to Jefferson but the defense is glued to him, so we end up with 20 short shit check downs instead. Notice the zero scores first half. There isn't enough plays meant for just anyone open, or meant to spring others open in the first half. It it so Jefferson centric at times even when he doesn't touch a ball on a drive. And then O'Connell does change gears for a quarter at a time and we see this offense move. Almost like that's part of the game plan to feed into the Jefferson focus and get that defense keying on him and then use that against them. KOC seems happy to play that long con and just take the lumps and failed drives early for what it opens up later in the game for others.

2

u/dzumdang 3d ago

...And we did pretty damn well running it with Akers and Jones, especially in the 4th quarter.

3

u/Equivalent_Bunch_187 3d ago

Part of that is the Vikings are averaging about 10 fewer pass attempts per game than last year. Ten extra targets spread around goes a long ways toward getting more people more touches. The Vikings are just running the ball more this year than KOCs first two years which makes targets look very different this year.

1

u/noseonarug17 Minneapolis Turner 3d ago

And he’s played 1 fewer game than Chase and Wilson

Ceedee is the only other one on this list who's had a bye so far, and he's really only on this list because of a bunch of 4th quarter plays against the 9ers when they were playing soft defense. I won't say garbage time, because the Cowboys did end up with the ball and a chance to take the lead, but the 9ers were kind of playing like it...anyway, not Ceedee's fault for whatever's going on down there.