The Minnesota Vikings offense has been potent and productive so far in this 2024 NFL season. Along with the receiving core that includes the best wide receiver in football Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, the Vikings also have had a solid run game, with offseason signing Aaron Jones, and the returning Cam Akers. Another position the Vikings have excelled at getting the ball to is the tight end position.
The room got back its top passing target a couple weeks ago when TJ Hockenson returned to the team after a knee injury, but two other tight ends stepped up in his place while he was dealing with the injury. Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt, have been solid in both the passing game and the run game, helping the Minnesota Vikings head into week 12 of the NFL season with an 8-2 record.
The Vikings could be short one of those playmakers this Sunday when Minnesota travels to Chicago to take on the Bears. Josh Oliver will be listed as questionable after he left Minnesota’s Week 11 game against the Tennessee Titans with an ankle injury, and the Vikings may just be missing a very reliable targe to the offense.
Opposed to Oliver’s original plan at the start of the season becoming a more “run blocking” focused tight end, Oliver has evolved into quite a pass target for Sam Darnold. After last week, Oliver has accounted for 19 catches, for 216 yards and 3 touchdowns. 12 of those catches have been for first downs during the 2024 season. Nothing helps an offense like a reliable tight end who can catch first downs and keep drives going.
On the plus side the Vikings shouldn’t have a problem with replacing Oliver’s production since they have the before mentioned TJ Hockenson running routes again, and also emerging Johnny Mundt, Nike Muse, Robert Tonyan, and Sammi Reyes on the roster as well.
The 8-2 Vikings take on the 4-6 Bears this weekend, who held Green Bay’s own reliable tight end Tucker Kraft to 0 catches last week in their heartbreaking loss to Green Bay when the Game Winning Field Goal was blocked as time expired.
Photo Credit: The Minnesota Vikings, NFL
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