Against the Giants, T.J. Hockenson is 'that guy' for the Vikings offense

If the Vikings hold onto the second seed in the NFC playoffs, they can thank T.J. Hockenson and the trade that brought him to Minnesota.

If the Lions miss the playoffs, they can blame that deal.

Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's intradivisional theft — downgrading a couple of draft picks for a premier tight end — is one of the most obvious reasons the Vikings are 12-3 and continuing to win close games.

On Saturday, Hockenson set a career high and a franchise record for tight ends with 13 catches, producing 109 yards and two touchdowns.

The Vikings wouldn't have beaten the Giants 27-24 on Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium without him. They wouldn't have won at Washington, where he had nine catches for 70 yards after two days of practices in Minnesota, without him. And they might not have beaten the Patriots without him.

What's even more remarkable is that Hockenson has rapidly passed a pair of fine receivers, Adam Thielen and K.J. Osborn, to become Kirk Cousins' second-favorite target.

In seven games with the Vikings, Hockenson has 52 catches for 444 yards and three touchdowns. In Thielen's past seven games, he has 29 catches for 274 yards and three scores. Osborn, in that stretch, has 27 catches for 289 yards and two scores.

"Just wait until we get Irv back," Jefferson said.

The Vikings are hoping that tight end Irv Smith Jr., their second-round pick in 2019, will return from an ankle injury before the playoffs. A healthy Smith would give Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell myriad options and possible formations in what is already a diverse offense.

"I don't think you ever know when you go into that huddle — or go into a game — who's going to be that guy, because we have so many great guys," Hockenson said. "That's truly a winning offense and an offense that can be scary. That's why I'm super appreciative to be here."

His teammates still express amazement that he learned the playbook in a couple of days. Saturday, he scored on two quite different plays. On the first, he bent a route to the back of the end zone and into open space, where Cousins found him.

The second catch was more difficult. Hockenson beat two defenders down the left sideline and snatched the ball off the helmet of Giants safety Julian Love, managing to hold the ball and keep his feet in bounds as the players rolled over him.

Osborn reached him first and mimed applying CPR. Considering that the Vikings are now 11-0 in one-score games, they might want to consider going into the stands and doing the same for their fans.

"It really has been a whirlwind," Hockenson said. "I mean, truly, it's been pretty crazy and I don't think I'm going to really realize where I'm at and what I'm doing and what this team is doing until after the season. You can't step back — you just have to live in it, keep rolling, and continue building bonds with these guys.

"Every week I'm here, I'm starting to build friendships with some guys. This locker room is truly incredible."

Hockenson has drawn raves for his talent and intelligence. Saturday, he had little choice but to display toughness. In the fourth quarter, he went up for a pass and got flipped, landing hard on his shoulder. He didn't miss a series.

"That didn't feel great, by any means," he said. "But I'm good. I mean, they put me through the protocol or whatever, but it wasn't my head."

The NFL tries to enforce parity with its reverse-order draft, meaning the worst teams get the highest picks. The Vikings haven't made a pick in the top 17 in the draft since 2015.

They acquired Hockenson, the eighth pick in the 2019 draft, by trading second- and third-round selections for the tight end and two fourth-round picks.

That looked like a deft piece of pickpocketing at the time of the deal. After his performance against the Giants, it looks like grand, felonious larceny.