EAGAN, Minn. — Minnesota Vikings receiver Jordan Addison sprinted 40 yards downfield before looking up to find the ball.
The second-year receiver fought through contact by Chicago cornerback Terell Smith, leaped, and pulled down the 45-yard heave from Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold. Addison scored on the very next play to help set the tone for what turned out to be his most productive game since December of last season.
“Just felt like he had that kind of look in his eye all week long,” said Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell following Sunday's 30-27 overtime win over the Bears.
Addison finished with a game-high eight catches for 162 yards and that 2-yard touchdown reception to start the second quarter.
"When they call my number, just make a play," said Addison, who has touchdowns in three of the last four games.
Rather than celebrate the big plays, Addison was more focused on the ones where he could have done more, including a 69-yard reception where he was pulled down at Chicago's 8-yard line. Darnold floated a perfect pass to Addison, who then broke a tackle and burst up the sideline for a big gain. He was eventually taken down by Bears safety Kevin Byard III at the 8, and the Vikings went on to settle for a field goal.
"I need to do some wind sprints or something," Addison joked after the game.
His big day came as Chicago shifted its focus to containing star receiver Justin Jefferson. The former Offensive Player of the Year had just two catches for 27 yards, but did draw three pass-interference calls to help move the chains. Perhaps his biggest impact came by simply being on the field. The Jefferson-focused coverages helped open up the field for Addison, T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones. All three finished with more than 100 yards from scrimmage as the offense racked up 452 total yards — the most this season.
"He's never met any of these coverages and plans for him that we've played against," said O'Connell of Jefferson. "The outcome of him not having a major impact on the game is, really, not a possibility in his mind. I know he was very excited for Jordan, and T.J. [Hockenson], and obviously for us to be able to get Aaron [Jones] over that 100-yard threshold and Sam [Darnold] to play really well."
"Ultimately, as many times as I tell him, 'Hey, you had 60, 70 yards in penalties that they had to hold and grab and do all the things to try to limit your impact, even within their coverage plan. He still wants to have an impact."
The Vikings (9-2) will return to Minneapolis on Sunday to host an Arizona Cardinals (6-5) team that is allowing 218.6 passing yards per game this season. The Cardinals are coming off a loss to the Seattle Seahawks, but were one of the hottest teams in the league before the setback. Arizona had a four-game winning streak heading into Seattle, including three straight games where they scored at least 28 points.
Here's what you need to know ahead of Sunday's showdown at U.S. Bank Stadium:
Darnold delivers down the stretch
It wasn't easy, and Minnesota's offense was partly to blame, but quarterback Darnold delivered exactly when the Vikings needed him most — in overtime.
After getting sacked on their first possession of the extra session, the former first-round pick found tight end Hockenson for seven yards on second down, and then hit receiver Addison for 13 and a first down.
He did it again after a false start set them back 5 yards, and once more after a holding penalty made it first-and-20. Darnold passed every test thrown at him in overtime, and ultimately marched Minnesota into field goal range for the game-winning field goal.
"One play at a time," said Darnold, who finished 22 of 34 for 330 yards and a pair of touchdowns. "I think I tell the guys that every single time in the huddle, but that's my mindset every single time I'm out there out there on the field, especially in that situation."
Stumbling out of the gates
When running back Jones had the ball ripped from him at the goal line on the Vikings' opening drive Sunday, it marked the second consecutive game Minnesota lost a fumble to start the game.
Jones failed to handle a toss on the team's third play from scrimmage against the Jaguars, and just like the Bears did on Sunday, Tennessee was able to turn the takeaway into points. In both instances, the Vikings defense was able to hold their opponent to a field goal, but it resulted in Minnesota playing from behind.
The Vikings have turned the ball over eight times over the past four games and 18 times total this season. They've benefited from having a defense that's forced the second-most turnovers this season, but the miscues have made things more difficult for the team on both sides of the ball.
Midweek roster moves
The Vikings signed former No. 6 overall pick Daniel Jones to serve as a backup to starter Darnold. The move comes after the Giants parted ways with the 2019 first-round selection late last week after replacing him with Tommy DeVito.
The signing of Jones is more a precautionary move this season, but it could have greater implications down the road. Should the Vikings want to roll with a veteran quarterback instead of throwing in J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings' No. 10 overall selection in 2024, they could sign Jones to a one-year deal and ease the 21-year-old quarterback into a starting role, much like they intended to do with Darnold this season.
Another move made this week, which will have a more immediate impact, was placing starting inside linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. on Injured Reserve. The second-year linebacker has played a vital role for the Vikings this season, recording the third-most tackles (59) despite missing two games with an ankle injury.
The team signed linebacker Jamin Davis off of the Green Bay Packers practice squad to, perhaps, take over that role at some point this season, but Kamu Grugier-Hill, who replaced Pace earlier this season, seems like the more obvious fit until Davis gets up to speed with the defensive scheme.
Cardinals' defensive turnaround
After allowing 34 points to the Green Bay Packers back on Oct. 13, the Cardinals defense appeared to be in disarray. The team was 2-4, and opponents scored an average of 27.2 points per game. Facing a crucial moment in the schedule, Arizona's defense held the Los Angeles Chargers to just 15 and the Cardinals were able to stabilize their defense as they revived their season with a four-game winning streak.
The Cardinals have held opponents to just 14.6 points over the last five games, and while the 16 points surrendered to Seattle on Sunday wasn't enough to result in a win, it was still a promising sign that the defense is finding its groove.
The Vikings have the ninth-best scoring offense in the league (24.9) but have struggled at times to find consistency, partly because of turnovers.
Conner is key to Cardinals' success
Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray can certainly take over a game with his legs, but the Cardinals will need to get running back James Conner in the mix if they're going to build off of their midseason turnaround. Conner, the team's leading rusher, was held to just eight yards on seven carries against the Seahawks as the offense struggled to maintain any sort of momentum.
“I thought there was plays there, but again, where you get down in that game, you’re not really playing normal ball there for a good chunk of the game,” said Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon. “So we’ve got to do a better job earlier in the game to make sure we’re not playing left-handed.”
This season, the Cardinals are 5-1 when Conner has at least 100 total yards and are 3-1 when he eclipses the 100-yard mark in the rushing game.
Playing with a heavy heart
Vikings fullback C.J. Ham suited up Sunday after his grandfather had passed away earlier that morning. Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell ended his press conference on Sunday talking about Ham, who was able to spend Saturday night with his grandfather — a Chicago resident.
"He, by the grace of God, basically got to spend a bunch of time with him [Saturday] night in his final moments, and then C.J. shows up [Sunday] and plays a lot of snaps," O'Connell said. "He's one of our captains and he knows he's got a locker room full of brothers that will have his back right now."
Ham was targeted on one pass on Sunday and played a major role in the run game.
"This is one our family will never forget ... Rest in paradise Grandad," Ham posted on social media. "Appreciate everyone who reached out, our family felt the love."