Kirk Cousins completed his fifth season as the Vikings’ starting quarterback on Sunday. During that time, he completed 20 passes that gained at least 50 yards.
Cousins’ two receivers who have caught the most 50-yard passes come as no big surprise: Justin Jefferson and Stefon Diggs have five each. But the third name on the list – which now has more than 50 catches after scoring the fourth-longest assist in Cousins’ time with the Vikings – might come as a surprise.
It’s KJ Osborn, whose 66-yard catch on the Vikings’ first drive 29-13 victory Sunday in Chicago was the team’s longest regular season finish. He finished the day with five catches for 117 yards, going over 100 yards for the second time in his career and finishing the regular season with 60 catches. Osborn became the fourth Vikings receiver to catch at least 60 passes this year, after TJ Hockenson (who has only been with the team for two months) caught his 60th pass of the season for Minnesota on Sunday.
The 2022 Vikings are the first team in franchise history with four receivers who have caught 60 passes, and the ninth team in NFL history with at least that many.
Osborn’s four deep holds actually exceed 60 yards; he caught a 64-yard rush for a touchdown early in the Vikings’ Week 2 loss to the Cardinals last year, had a 62-yard rush last December against the Steelers and caught a 64-yard rush against the Colts last year. last month. His catch on Sunday came out of a group with Hockenson and Jefferson running to occupy the Bears’ bottom defensemen.
“We called the concept where KJ really runs the high end lane, the deep lane right there,” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We put TJ and Justin under that deep lane, so if it warranted them playing a little more coverage in the lower part of the court, we thought KJ would have a great chance on the court. Kirk saw that in pace. Great protection. I threw an absolute dime.”
For the season, Osborn finished with a career-high 60 catches for 650 yards and five touchdowns, in a role that put him on the field for 873 snaps (the majority of his career) and required him to be part of the race. game, blocking tight splits in all three receivers gives the Vikings the favor.
“One of the things about KJ is he has so many jobs in our offense,” O’Connell said. “His second long completion there on the Bears sideline, he’s bluffing like he’s blocking one of our receiver bubble screens or perimeter screens. Gets behind the defense, and Kirk finds him for another big game His role is an evolving thing snap him He’s incredibly valuable to the coaches but also the 10 guys in caucus who know the different jobs he’s going to do When he’s called up he’s also explosive and reliable than anyone else.”
He also has an affordable contract, which could make him an even bigger piece of the Vikings puzzle for 2023.
Osborn is expected to be just $1.076 million off the cap next season. Although the NFL’s Proven Performance Escalator clause, which rewards late draft picks who played more snaps than expected, could push the 2020 seventh-round salary north of $2.5 million, he would still be a bargain among Cousins’ wide-receiving group. Adam Thielen is expected to count for $19.96 million from the cap, Hockenson has a $9.33 million guaranteed fifth-year option and a megadeal for Jefferson is on the horizon. The Vikings could add another wide receiver in the draft, but they will also rely on Osborn’s continued development.
For any questions the Vikings have about the composition of their 2023 offense, however, the immediate task is a Giants secondary that will have starters Xavier McKinney and Adoree ‘Jackson – both of whom have missed out. the match of December 24 between the two teams – back for the playoffs.
As the Giants focus on reining in Jefferson, who caught 12 passes for 133 yards last time out, the Vikings will need other options. Hockenson had 13 catches for 109 yards and two scores in the previous game; Osborn, who had just three catches for 17 yards in that win over the Giants, could play a bigger role, especially if the Vikings need another option on the field.
He earned Cousins’ trust and established himself as one of the Vikings’ go-to offensive players. On Sunday, Osborn ended his regular season with another reminder that he could be the one to come up with a big play in the playoffs.
“Last year he started to appear more and more, sometimes [by] accident, where he gets the ball and doesn’t expect it and he just makes plays,” Cousins said. “Then this year, [we] give him more, and he took care of it. It shows it in OTAs. He shows it in training camp where you say, “This guy is the real deal.” I have complete confidence in him to do everything so well when it comes to the different things you ask of a receiver.”
TWO PLAYERS WHO STAND OUT
Alexander Mattison: He carried 10 times for 54 yards on his 25 offensive snaps, scoring a pair of 1-yard touchdowns that showed his ability to finish on short runs. The Vikings have struggled this season getting yardage when everyone knows they need yardage, and Mattison might be their best option as a power back right now. Seven of his 10 races have gone to first practice. Overall, his success rate – a metric that measures the effectiveness of a rushing attempt given the down and distance of a particular play – was 90% on Sunday.
Duke Shelley: The former Bears cornerback, who was added to the Vikings roster after Chicago cut him at the end of the preseason, became one of the surprise hits of the 2022 season, pushing Cameron Dantzler off a starting spot and compensating for his 5-foot-8 height with a spirited style of play that led to seven pass breakups in 11 games. His first career interception – a reverse pass from Tim Boyle – came against his former team, allowing him to run into the middle of the Bears logo and slam the ball at the 50-yard line. Teams will likely test Shelley in the playoffs, but he has shown he won’t back down from a challenge. His first big play of the season was a game-saving pass breakup when Josh Allen tried to beat him in the Buffalo end zone.
AN AREA OF CONCERN
Run Game Consistency: While Mattison had nine carries on 10 attempts on Sunday, Dalvin Cook had just two of his 11: his 12-yard rush in the first quarter and his 15-yard rush in the second quarter. His other nine carries totaled 10 yards, and according to NFL Next Gen Stats, he ran 20 yards less than expected, given the paucity of loaded fronts. For the season, Cook’s completion rate is 48%, 33rd best in the league among fullbacks with at least 100 carries, according to Football Outsiders.
The Vikings’ struggles to open up space for Cook has been a constant theme this season: 62 of his 264 carries haven’t gained or lost yardage, and his 842 yards after contact were fourth in the NFL this season. season, according to Pro Focus Football. But considering he’s rarely faced eight-man fronts this season (only 18.94% of the time, according to NFL Next Gen Stats), it would seem reasonable to expect the Vikings to run more regularly when he gets most of their runs.
He averaged 4.57 yards per carry in the Vikings’ Dec. 24 win over the Giants; he could have an important role to play in the Vikings’ efforts to manage a tough front in New York in the playoffs.