Vikings Wide Receiver Guarantees Victory in Week 14
Typically, ahead of a game, professional athletes will say something along the lines of “we’re going to do everything we can to win”. This exudes confidence, but it doesn’t provide bulletin board material for the opponent. Well, that doesn’t appear to be Jalen Reagor’s style. The Vikings wide receiver gave the Detroit Lions all the bulletin board material they’ll ever need by guaranteeing victory in Week 14 for the Vikings.
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The third-year receiver and punt returner went on record with Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press and when asked about the possibility of clinching the NFC North, Reagor simply said “we’re going to win”. When asked if a victory was guaranteed, he simply told Tomasson “yes”.
No doubt, this type of confidence appears in every locker room in professional sports, but it isn’t the sort of quote that comes out in the days leading up to a game. Oftentimes, it has much more negative effects than positive. The team from which the quote comes instantly is put under more pressure to win, and their opponent can find extra motivation from this sort of quote.
That being said, the Vikings need to set the tone against a scorching hot Detroit Lions squad on the road that has won four of their last five games. Toss in that this is essentially an elimination game for them as well, and you can bet they are going to fight for this victory with every ounce of being that they have.
Reagor has had a limited role in the Vikings offense to this point in the season, being targeted eight times over the first 12 games. He was acquired via trade with the Philadelphia Eagles prior to the season’s start after training camp did not see a clear victor emerge in the punt returner battle.
The wide receiver has caught passes for 20+ yards in each of the past two games for the Vikings, though, so he seems to be cutting out a niche for himself as a deep ball threat. In all, Reagor has caught six passes for 87 yards and a touchdown this season. He also has a pair of rushes for 25 yards along with 19 punt returns that have averaged 7.1 yards per return.
Overall, this quote will certainly be one that media pundits, especially those covering other teams in the NFC North, will point to if the Vikings lose on Sunday. On the other hand, the Vikings are 10-2 for a reason. If they weren’t oozing with confidence that they could win on a weekly basis, they wouldn’t be in this position to clinch their division.
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.