Episode Description
Minnesota Tim discusses the current state of the Minnesota Vikings, focusing on their recent struggles and the upcoming matchup against Joe Flacco. A significant highlight returns for the Vikings who is expected to enhance the Vikings' offense. However, Tim cautions that while this players presence should theoretically improve the team's performance, past experiences suggest that expectations may not always align with reality. The conversation emphasizes the importance of managing player health and the unpredictability of team dynamics in the NFL.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Even though the Minnesota Vikings have the unfortunate matchup. Who
would have thought I would be saying that right now
against Joe Flacco instead of Anthony Richardson. The Minnesota Vikings
also get a massive boost on their roster Sunday. This
(00:27):
take is presented by Hokland Farm. Contact Hokland Farm and
get the best rotationalink grazed when one percent grass fed beef.
This beef is sold in quarters and halves and they
have custom Sambi packs so you can try before you buy.
Hokland Farm Beef has ground beef, sirloin steaks, t bone steaks,
chuck ROAs and more. Contact Oakland Farm and get twenty
(00:52):
percent off your order by mentioning the Minnesota tim podcast
two four, one five one. This makes the most sense financially, physically,
mentally all the above four dollars and fifteen cents a pound.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Get that from Hoakland Farm Beef, plus.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Get an additional twenty percent off by mentioning the Minnesota
ten podcast nine five two four one five four one. Okay,
So this big boost that the Minnesota Vikings are getting
on Sunday is important because recently the Minnesota Vikings offense
(01:33):
has been struggling Jets game. They struggled Lions game. It
wasn't that big of a struggle. However, fourteen points was
just given to the Minnesota Vikings. Aaron Jones rattles off
a thirty four yard run after the Detroit Lions fake
(01:56):
punt which failed, beautiful scoring position right away score second
play in the next time the defense made a play,
So fourteen of the twenty nine points the Minnesota Vikings
scored in that game weren't necessarily because the offense led
a long drive, long sustained drive that they just tore
(02:21):
a part the Lions defense. And then the following the
short week against the Rams, the Vikings put up twenty points.
Naylor had a drop Donald held onto the ball too long.
Donald zeroed in on Justin Jefferson. And now after another
somewhat semi bye week, the Minnesota Vikings get tight end
(02:43):
one back on the field.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
TJ.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Hogginson is returning to the Minnesota Vikings starting lineup, and
he had this to say at Minnesota Vikings practice the
other day. Did you feel, Tj you can get that
instant connection with him?
Speaker 3 (02:58):
I think took all of like a minute fifteen seconds
for you and Kirk to convert a third town.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Do you feel that same you know that you can
have that same connection.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Yeah, I mean, you know, we're we're having fun out
here on the practice field. You know, That's really all
I can say. I mean, we haven't played a game together,
but I'm assuming that's gonna carry over. And so, you know,
he's got a good connection with all these guys, and
you know, me just being a piece of the puzzle.
We have so many guys on this offense that can
make plays, you know, Jordan jj you know, Aaron Jones,
(03:30):
we got we got so many guys, and so for
me just to be out there and just be a
piece of the puzzle, you know, I think he's gonna
he's gonna like having me out there, and you know
we're gonna we're gonna have some fun together for sure.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
So there's a few things that we need to be
aware of. Number One, TJ. Hockinson is a massive target,
tight end one. We traded top picks for him for
a reason and think, what do we give the Lions
like a second rounder, and then we gave him a
big contract extend for a reason. The guy can play. However,
TJ Hockinson. As good as he is, as important as
(04:05):
he is to the Minnesota Vikings offensive success, he doesn't
stay healthy very much. You look at his career tyrookie season,
twelve games started as seven of those, his second season
sixteen out of sixteen. Third season only played twelve. Fourth
season played seventeen games, started fourteen of them, and then
(04:28):
downhill from there. Well, I guess twenty twenty two. Nevermind,
forget what I'm saying. Twenty twenty two, he played seven
for the Lions and ten for the Vikings. That threw
me off. I saw seven and I saw ten. I'm like,
he only played seven games. They played ten games. But
you look a little closer, and said Detroit Minnesota the
year the trade happened. So, okay, forget exactly what I
(04:49):
just said. He has played and been healthy for several seasons. However,
he still got the twenty twenty one season and the
twenty nineteen seeds. Seems like maybe he wasn't fully healthy
during those runs. And of course he tours ACL and
MCL following a hit by the Detroit Lions safety. But
(05:13):
let's take a look further at TJ. Hockinson's statistics for
the Vikings and in his career ninety five catches last
year in a shortened season for him combined sixty plus
twenty six catches the year prior between the Detroit Lions
and the Minnesota Vikings, which adds up to eighty six
(05:35):
The year before that. In twenty twenty one, he had
sixty one catches. Twenty twenty he had sixty seven catches.
In twenty nineteen, his rookie season, he had thirty two catches.
There's no doubt that TJ. Hawkinson is a big target
and quarterbacks love him because he's a big target and
he's got good hands, so he will add value to
(05:59):
the Minnesota Vikings offense.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
However, the one thing we need to.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Be conscious, conscious, conscious, conscious, conscious, I think I got it.
One thing we need to be conscious about is that
earlier on in the year, when things were looking so
bright for the Vikings, Donald was throwing three touchdowns a game,
two touchdowns a game at a game, way through four touchdowns,
(06:25):
and the immediate reaction is.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Just wait till we get TJ. Hockinson back.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
This offense will be unstoppable. This Sam Donald's gonna be
empty peep because just wait till we get TJ.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Hockinson back, and we haven't really.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Seen that, well, we haven't seen that yet because he
hasn't played yet. But we need to be aware of
the fact that the Minnesota Vikings offense might not go
to new heights just because TJ.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Hockinson is back. It should be better.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
On paper, it seems like the Vikings offense should improve,
it should be even more dynamic. They should put up
way more points. And it's a very friendly matchup because
the Indianapolis Colts defense isn't lights out. But long term,
don't necessarily think that just because t J. Hockinson is back,
(07:21):
that the Minnesota Vikings offense is going to take their
team to a new dynamic superstar where super Bowl contenders level.
On paper, it seems like that should happen, but it
never really works that way. So just something to be
aware of is that even though TJ. Howkinson's back, even
(07:45):
though he's tight end one, you know, even though he
got Jefferson Addison and Hockinson on the field at the
same time, it doesn't necessarily mean that the Minnesota Vikings
are going to put up more points. I don't know
why it doesn't work that way. You would think logically
that it should work that way, but it never really
seems to work that way for whatever reason. Another point
(08:09):
to make about t J. Hockinson is that and it's
a very good thing. My reaction a few weeks ago
when he was activated to the roster in the twenty
one day window was that this is a good thing. However,
when he comes back, and the speculation was for the
(08:32):
Rams game or for the Lions game, my reaction was,
don't expect him to be a guy that plays every
single down on the field, because when you return from
a torn aclamc the last thing that you want to
do is rush this guy back on into the field
sooner than he needs to be. And that still might
be the case, but what is being spoken from Minnesota
(08:54):
Vikings practice from the facility is that TJ. Howkinson is
one hundreds percent ready to play and that he is
going to play practically every single down for the Vikings.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
We'll see it. I'll believe it when I see it.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
But that is the spoken word coming from the Vikings
practice field facility, and that is a good thing. Typically,
when people come back from these injuries, you don't want
to rush them back. You got to get them back
to the speed of the game. You gotta get them
comfortable again. But he's a tight end. It's not like
he's running four threes down the field anyways. He's out
(09:31):
there to be a big target, to box guys out
and to find spots in the soft zone. So it's
probably a little easier for a guy like Hockinson to
come back from an ACL MCL than it is a
wide receiver that's got to make these dynamic cutbacks and
quick cutbacks. That puts a lot of pressure on those
(09:53):
injured ACL MCL joints. So it's a very good thing
that it appears that Howkinson will play practically every down,
or at least that's what they're saying coming out of
the Minnesota Vikings facility. So Howkinson's back ovens should be better.
We'll see if it actually is, and either way, the
(10:15):
team is better, So that's a good thing.