The Easy-to-Fix Vikings Problem from Week 7
Kevin O’Connell may love the TE3, but Johnny Mundt leaves a little something to be desired when it comes to explosiveness.
Clearly, part of the game plan against Detroit was to lean on the veteran Mundt as an escape plan for Sam Darnold when the pressure was intensifying. Dump the ball off to the tight end in moments of uncertainty and live to fight another down. There’s wisdom in the approach and yet the end result was far from satisfying.
The Vikings Problem That’s Nearing a Fix
By the time the final whistle was blown, Mundt had been targeted the second-most times for the Vikings (tied with Jalen Nailor).
The tight end turned 5 targets into 4 catches for … 8 yards. In other words, every catch went for an average of just 2 yards. Now, in fairness, there was a long catch — 30 yards — that was negated by a penalty to Ty Chandler, so the stats could have looked considerably more impressive if the flags weren’t flying with such regularity.
The issue was simply that the TE3 wasn’t able to shake loose from Detroit’s talented linebackers with any regularity.
The expectation far and wide is that Mundt is going to get pushed down the depth chart before too long, though.
Indeed, T.J. Hockenson is nearing a return, meaning some of those safe completions could turn into larger gains before too long. Last season, Hockenson’s 10.1 yards-per-reception average wasn’t setting the world on fire, but it’s a clear step ahead of what Mr. Mundt provides. So far in 2024, Mundt is averaging just 6.4 yards per reception.
For whatever it’s worth, Johnny Mundt wasn’t given a flattering assessment from PFF for his Week 7 effort. His grade was 3rd-worst on offense, coming in at just 50.8. Josh Oliver, meanwhile, was sitting at a healthy 66.7, largely due to some tidy work as a blocker (Oliver had a single catch go for 5 yards).
The thing to keep in mind is simply that re-adding Hockenson into the lineup is going to have a domino effect.
Johnny Mundt can slide back into a TE3 job, something he’s better suited for at this stage. Oliver can keep thriving as a great blocker who catches the occasional pass. Hockenson can slide into the TE1 job, a role where he can win against linebackers with some regularity.
The Vikings’ next game takes place on Thursday Night Football. Minnesota will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Rams. Pulling off the win will mean climbing up to a mighty fine 6-1 record.
To that end, Hockenson can help.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and PFF helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.