The Minnesota Vikings made a statement in Week 1 by cruising to a 32-7 win over their NFC North rivals, the Green Bay Packers. The Vikings put points on the board in all four quarters while the Packers scored their lone touchdown during the third period of play. It was a convincing performance in which the Vikings had more rushing and passing yards than the Packers as well while holding the advantage in time of possession. The Bears also picked up a win which means the Vikings and Bears will hold the early tie for the divisional leader. The strong performance certainly has spirits high as the grind of the NFL season begins to fully set in. With the success of Week 1 now in the books, here are the three Vikings players who played the biggest role.
3. Harrison Smith
Harrison Smith has had an extremely successful NFL career thus far. Since being a first-round pick of the Vikings in 2012, he has continually been a critical part of Minnesota's success. Smith is showing no signs of slowing down and proved this with his Week 1 performance.
The six-time Pro Bowler ended the opening game with seven total tackles including five that were solo. This was second on the team only behind Jordan Jicks who had 14 total tackles in the game. Smith also made an impact in pass coverage as he tallied one pass defended and an interception. The turnover occurred on a deep jump-ball from Aaron Rodgers, which Smith was prepared to capitalize on the opportunity. He also only allowed 26 total yards on five targets. According to PFF's coverage grades, Smith recorded a game-high 90.4 rating for his impressive play in the passing game.
The Vikings' defense made some notable additions this offseason including Za'Darius Smith, Jordan Hicks, and Chandon Sullivan. However, this should not change the fact that Harrison Smith is the leader of the defensive unit. The growth in talent around him has allowed him to play more freely and Smith made his impact felt in Week 1.
2. Kirk Cousins
Kirk Cousins is one of the more controversial quarterbacks in the NFL. He may not have the star power or buzz that many hope for in a quarterback, but this does not change the fact that he produces. His strong arm and the pass-friendly offense of the Vikings have him set up for success, and Cousins has done an overall impressive job during his time in Minnesota.
This was the case in the opening week victory. In total, Kirk Cousins completed 23 of his 32 pass attempts for 277 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He completed passes to seven different pass catchers in the matchup. Cousins also was only sacked one time in the matchup for a loss of eight yards.
While there are a few small areas of improvement moving forward, it was a great start to the 2022 season for Kirk Cousins. He showed no fear letting it fly and averaged 8.7 yards per pass attempt which tied for 4th in the NFL, only behind Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Daniel Jones. The Vikings did a great job scheming to get the wide receivers open and the quarterback did not hesitate to capitalize. It was an effective start to the 2022 season for the Vikings and Kirk Cousins and one they will look to continue to build off moving forward.
1. Justin Jefferson
Since he has come into the NFL, all Justin Jeffereson has done is produce. As a rookie, he had 1400 yards receiving and last year he tallied 1616 yards. Jefferson picked up right where he left off and had a convincing performance in the opening matchup of the 2022 season. He was targeted 11 times in the victory. He caught nine of these targets for 184 yards and a pair of touchdowns. This was the most receiving yards by any wide receiver in Week 1. It also was just the fourth time in his career he has caught more than one touchdown.
While he is still only 23 years old, there is a real argument Jefferson is the best wide receiver in the NFL. His ability to line up in the slot and out wide makes him difficult to match up with. Jefferson nearly had more yards receiving than Aaron Rodgers has throwing the ball in the matchup (195 yards).
It is clear that the LSU product will continue to be the focal point of the Minnesota offense moving forward. His gifted route-running, impressive hands, and willingness to hit the gritty make him can't-miss TV. The Vikings leaned on him heavily in the opening week matchup and are better because of it. Either he begins to demand more coverage which could open up other weapons in the offense, or Jefferson will continue to produce at this high level. Regardless, the Vikings' offense is in a good spot and Justin Jefferson is a major reason why.
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