Get to Know the Vikings Opponent: Week 13 vs. New York Jets
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings defeated the New England Patriots on Thanksgiving Night, and now their sights are set on the 7-4 New York Jets. Before the two teams square off on Sunday, get to know the Vikings opponent a little better and see what the Jets have done so far this season as well as some of the big storylines heading into Week 13.
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Recent Schedule
- Week 8 vs. New England Patriots: Loss, 17-22
- Week 9 vs. Buffalo Bills: Win, 20-17
- Week 10 Bye
- Week 11 @ New England Patriots: Loss, 3-10
- Week 12 vs. Chicago Bears: Win, 31-10
Stat Leaders
Passing
- Completions: Zach Wilson (105)
- Pass Attempts: Zach Wilson (189)
- Passing Yards: Zach Wilson (1279)
- Passing Touchdowns: Joe Flacco (5)
- Interceptions Thrown: Zach Wilson (5)
Rushing
- Rushes: Michael Carter (99)
- Rushing Yards: Breece Hall (463)
- Rushing Touchdowns: Breece Hall (4)
Receiving
- Receptions: Garrett Wilson (49)
- Receiving Yards: Garrett Wilson (628 yards)
- Receiving Touchdowns: Garrett Wilson (4)
Defense
- Tackles: C.J. Mosley (107)
- Solo Tackles: C.J. Mosley (65)
- Tackles for Loss: Quinnen Williams (7)
- Sacks: Quinnen Williams (8.0)
- Interceptions: Lamarcus Joyner (3)
- Pass Defenses: Sauce Gardner (14)
Kicking
- Field Goals Made: Greg Zuerlein (18)
- Field Goal Attempts: Greg Zuerlein (22)
- Longest Field Goal: Greg Zuerlein (57 yards)
- XPs Made: Greg Zuerlein (24)
- XP Attempts: Greg Zuerlein (25)
Punting
- Total Punts: Braden Mann (55)
- Punt Yards: Braden Mann (2625)
- Yards per Punt: Braden Mann (47.7)
- Net Yards per Punt: Braden Mann (41.5)
- Longest Punt: Braden Mann (72 yards)
Storylines to Watch
Sauce Gardner vs. Justin Jefferson
Through the first 12 weeks of the NFL season, rookie CB Sauce Gardner is PFF‘s highest graded cornerback in the NFL. He enters Week 13 with an outstanding 86.7 grade and is already proving to be well worth the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
This week brings his toughest test of the season as the Jets face off against the Vikings and star wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Jefferson currently ranks second in the NFL in receiving yards at 1232 yards, trailing Tyreek Hill by a single yard for the league lead.
The hype for this matchup has been surprisingly quiet over the past few days, but it’s certainly one to keep an eye on this Sunday.
QB Controversy
Last week, Mike White made his first start of the season after Zach Wilson’s struggles against the Patriots in Week 11. Despite only leading the offense to three points in New York’s 10-3 loss, Wilson seemed to take very little, if any, responsibility for the poor outing.
This led to White replacing him, and he showed out against the Chicago Bears in the Jets 31-10 victory. He completed 22-of-28 passes for 315 yards and 3 TDs. Granted, this was still against the 3-9 Bears, who had a fire sale on the defensive side of the ball at the trade deadline.
That being said, if White continues to play well against the 9-2 Minnesota Vikings, that could be the pathway for him maintaining the starting QB spot through the rest of the season.
Tyler Conklin Reunion
Tyler Conklin emerged as the starting tight end for the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 after Irv Smith Jr. went down with his knee injury. The season went swimmingly for him as he had career highs in receptions (61) receiving yards (593) and receiving touchdowns (3).
After that productive year, Conklin got a lucrative contract with the Jets and has continued to produce at a high level. His splits so far this season are 38-381-3, putting him on track to set career highs once again.
He heads back to Minnesota for the first time since signing that deal, and he is joined by three other former Vikings associated with this Jets team. Those other players are OL Mike Remmers, LB Chazz Surratt, and OL Dru Samia.
Kickoff between the Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets is scheduled for Sunday, December 4th at 12 PM CST.
The Vikings Game This Week
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.