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Published January
15, 2023 at 8:11 PM EST
The
Minnesota Vikings have been an explosive
offensive team all season, and they have gotten a huge boost from tight end T.J. Hockenson since acquiring
him in a midseason trade with the Detroit Lions.
He
continued his impressive string of performances in the Wild Card game against
the New York Giants.
— ESPN Stats & Info
(@ESPNStatsInfo) January 16, 2023
Hockenson caught 10 passes
for 129 yards in the Giants 31-24 victory over the Vikings. Hockenson is the
first Viking receiver to exceed the 100-yard receiving mark in his playoff
debut. No Vikings player had even reached the 80-yard mark in his first playoff
game — including Hall of Famer Randy Moss.
The record has
to be cold comfort for Hockenson, as the Vikings saw their season come to an
end on their home field. Prior to the defeat, the Vikings has been 11-0 in
one-score games.
The Vikings
got the ball back with 2:56 remaining in the 4th quarter at their own 12-yard
line but they did not have a time out as they trailed by 7 points. After
advancing to their own 48-yard line, the Vikings needed to convert a 4th-and-8
play with 1:44 remaining to keep the drive alive.
Minnesota
quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball to Hockenson, but the pass was just
a 3-yard toss, and New York’s Xavier McKinney was able to tackle him and
stop the drive.
The Giants were able to run out the clock and
they will face the division rival Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional
playoffs.
While New York struggled to a degree
on defense and could not contain T.J. Hockenson, the Giants made big
plays on offense. Quarterback Daniel Jones threw for 301 yards and 2
touchdowns, and he also ran for 78 yards.
