The Minnesota Vikings face their most critical moment of the 2023 season. For the Vikings, it’s simply win out and hope the dominoes fall to where they’ll head to the playoffs for the second straight year under Kevin O’Connell.
But will Minnesota be with top tight end T.J. Hockenson? Or will the Vikings have to roll without him during this final push for the postseason?
Status of T.J. Hockenson Before Packers Game
The Vikings have been hit with a run of injuries, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. That, unfortunately, includes Hockenson, who as of Dec. 27, has been placed on injured reserve.
That officially rules him out for the Sunday Night Football showdown against the Green Bay Packers and the season finale against the NFC North champion Detroit Lions.
Hockenson landed on IR by injuring both his ACL and MCL against the Lions on Christmas Eve. His setback comes with the team also losing pass rusher D.J. Wonnum for the rest of the year with a torn quad.
“Crushed for both of those guys. Two of our most impactful players. Leaders on our team,” O’Connell told reporters on Wednesday. “Kind of set the standard of what we want as Minnesota Vikings in every aspect of who they are as men and teammates and players on the grass.
“Two guys that will be difficult to overcome their loss, but we’re gonna have to have guys step up, and hopefully still have those guys involved and around or team, because they are, like I said, leaders, and very, very important to our locker room.”
So who is stepping in the place of the past Pro Bowl tight end?
Who Steps Up for Hockenson?
Hockenson caught four passes for 58 yards before going down with his knee ailment at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Stepping in his place last week was the duo of Johnny Mundt and Josh Oliver. Both tight ends each caught just one pass, albeit for considerable gains. Mundt’s receptions stretched for 23 yards while Oliver earned a 33-yarder.
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Both are veteran guys, but Mundt is considered most familiar with O’Connell and his offense. The two previously collaborated together with the Los Angeles Rams, which includes winning the Super Bowl in 2021 alongside Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp, and company.
Mundt was strictly utilized as an extra blocking tight end for running plays. He also has experience stepping in for the starting TE before — as the Rams lost Tyler Higbee toward the end of their Super Bowl run.
Oliver, though, is an athletic 6’5″, 259-pound option who emerged as a third-round selection out of San Jose State. In 2023, he’s caught 19 passes for 165 yards and scored two touchdowns in his first season with Minnesota. Oliver is second behind Hockenson in all receiving categories amongst Vikings tight ends.
At 7-8 overall, the Vikings cannot afford to lose one of their remaining games, as it would severely damage their playoff hopes. Minnesota is one of four teams sitting at seven victories ahead of the New Year’s Eve slate of games. Their Week 17 opponent, the Packers, is among the four in the same boat as Minnesota.
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