It was a Week 1 to forget for Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings.
In a loss to the Baker Mayfield-led Buccaneers, Cousins turned the ball over three times.
While some may be rushing to press the panic button, there’s reason for hope that Minnesota’s season won’t spiral out of control.
For starters, the Vikings actually outgained and outplayed the Bucs.
Two drives ended inside the Tampa 30 without points, and one fumble handed the ball to the Bucs in immediate field-goal position.
The Vikings’ chance at redemption starts on Thursday night as they head to Philadelphia for a prime-time bout with the Eagles.
It doesn’t take a genius to see how high the ceiling is for this Vikings offense.
They not only have one of the best wide receivers in football in Justin Jefferson but rookie Jordan Addison — 61 yards and a touchdown in his NFL debut — provides another layer and weapon for Cousins.
Alexander Mattison also gets his chance to shine as the workhorse in the backfield.
Yes, it’s normal to be encapsulated by Jefferson and Addison.
And yes, it’s normal to want to bet the overs on their props because of their athleticism and big-play ability.
This is a high-octane offense even with Cousins under center.
But when I look at this matchup, it’s not the wide receivers that I am looking to target. It’s tight end T.J. Hockenson.
Hockenson hauled in eight receptions for 35 yards in Week 1.
He’s the model of consistency and is heavily leaned on as a safety valve for Cousins.
Dating back to last season when acquired by the Vikings, Hockenson was targeted 6+ times all but once — Week 18, when starters didn’t play a full game — and he’s made 5+ receptions in nine of those 12 games.
The tight end position is scarce of able-bodied receivers but Hockenson is the cream of the crop alongside Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews, among others.
Last year, Hockenson was second in receiving yards of all tight ends.
While he doesn’t dominate the touchdown market, he’s incredibly efficient in the middle of the field.
That’s why I’m drawn to his yardage prop of 49.5 yards on Thursday night.
Hockenson has a great matchup against Philadelphia, too.
While the Eagles were able to escape Foxborough with a win over the Patriots, it came at a cost.
Linebacker Nakobe Dean (foot) was placed on the IR and James Bradberry entered concussion protocol.
Safety Reed Blankenship has yet to practice this week, too, though I would expect him to play.
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These injuries coupled with Darius Slay likely focusing on Jefferson for the majority of the game — he could see double coverage, too — should leave plenty of room underneath for Hockenson to take advantage of.
We saw the Eagles’ struggles against tight ends in Week 1.
Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki combined for eight receptions and 92 total yards.
Even last year, Philly let opposing tight ends average 47 yards per game.
Hockenson is one of the best tight ends in the game.
We’ve seen how explosive he can be and he’s as reliable as it comes.
While he didn’t eclipse the 50-yard mark in the season opener, I expect him to soar by it in Week 2.