Vikes Views: Thursday Thor Vikings at Rams

It was obviously a terribly disappointing game Thursday Night. Darrisaw going down, the team playing poorly and the most unsatisfying ending. The Minnesota Vikings have a knack for building the fans up and bringing them crashing down. The feelings of 2016 are all around. That being said, there were some good performances on the field last night. It’s not all bad. We’ve had our time to mourn and it’s time to move on.

Justin Jefferson – You can’t give enough flowers to Jefferson. He’s the best receiver in the NFL and it isn’t close. Whoever you think is 2nd, it’s a distant 2nd. Thursday was his 31st game with 100+ yards. That’s the most ever in a player’s first 5 seasons and he still has a lot of games left. It’s a joy to watch him play. 8 catches on 9 targets for 115 yards. Jefferson was the only productive receiver out there.

Aaron Jones – Jones has been everything the team had hoped he would be when they signed him. There wasn’t a ton of running room and his stats don’t look that great, but he was running hard on Thursday. He always finds a way to fall forward for the extra yard or two. He’s been a great receiver out of the backfield as well. The offense isn’t nearly as dynamic when he isn’t out there.

Will The Thrill Reichard – Reichard is perfect for the season. He was 2 for 2 on FGs and 2 for 2 on XPs. The Vikings record would be completely different if it weren’t for his consistency. He’s a weapon and exactly what you need if you spend a draft pick on a kicker.

Byron Murphy Jr – Murphy has had a slower start to the season. No one is throwing at Gilmore so he sees a bit of action. He’s allowed 40 catches on 60 targets for the year. Thursday was different. He gave up 2 receptions on 4 targets for only 7 yards. Add in his interception to start the 3rd and it was quite the night for him. On a night where Gilmore was roasted for 133 yards, Murphy stepped up to keep it close on the other side.

Brian O’Neil – O’Neil is one of the best RT is the league. On a terrible night for the O-Line he was a rock. He’s consistently good week in and week out. With Darrisaw going down, it’s going to be more important the team can rely on O’Neil. He wasn’t perfect and did give up a couple of pressures, but the entire OL was crumbling around him. O’Neil is someone Sam Darnold can rely on, a rarity on the Viking OL.

2024 Winners:

Week 1: Sam Darnold

Week 2: Sam Darnold

Week 3: Brian Flores

Week 4: Sam Darnold

Week 5: Andrew Van Ginkel

Week 6: Bye

Week 7: Andrew Van Ginkel