T.J. Hockenson was sure he reeled in a potentially game-changing touchdown catch on third-and-two with the Philadelphia Eagles up 28-19.
“I just think it’s ridiculous, especially when every ref came up to me after and said we had a catch,” Hockenson said. “I don’t understand it.”
Hockenson later clarified that he had only spoken to two referees about his catch. Still, he didn’t understand why the league’s replay center overturned the call when the officials on the field ruled it a touchdown.
“New York can’t call in and say that it’s not a catch when every other ref out there says it is,” he said. “I mean, that’s all it is to it.”
Regardless of whether the officials rule that a catch, the Minnesota Vikings still had to pull off another miracle comeback to beat the Eagles on Sunday. They are 3-3 due to their late charges against the Chicago Bears in Week 1 and the Cleveland Browns in London before the bye week. Still, they would have needed a field goal had Hockenson caught it to escape with a win in a game they lost 28-22.
The Vikings were one of six in the red zone and lost the turnover battle 0-2. Still, they let a winnable game slip through their fingers. Philadelphia only led 14-6 at halftime despite Jalyx Hunt’s pick-six and only had 117 total yards.
“That guy kind of surprised me where he ended up. Obviously, don’t throw it right to his chest,” said Wentz. “ I saw the guy at the last second as I was releasing the ball, and I was looking up at the scoreboard, seeing him run. Not a good feeling.”
Minnesota could have taken the lead early in the fourth quarter of a game where Carson Wentz threw two early interceptions and Justin Jefferson had fewer than 100 receiving yards. Instead, the Vikings never accepted Philadelphia’s invitation to win a sloppy game.
“Obviously, the two turnovers,” Wentz said when a reporter asked what he’d like back after the game. “The second one, that was just dumb, trying to make a play. And instead of setting up and throwing, I threw it off my back. Not a wise decision there.”
Jake Elliott missed a 42-yard field goal with the Eagles up 21-16 early in the fourth quarter, allowing Minnesota to take a late lead. However, Wentz took a sack on third-and-five from Philadelphia’s 10-yard line, and the Vikings had to settle for a field goal.
Philadelphia responded with a seven-play, 70-yard drive, capped by Jalen Hurts’ 21-yard completion to DeVonta Smith and a 26-yard touchdown to A.J. Brown to go up 28-19.
That sequence was emblematic of Minnesota’s day. They had held Hurts to 91 yards passing before his 79-yard bomb to Smith to go up 21-9 midway through the third quarter. They held Saquon Barkley to 44 yards on the ground but allowed Brown and Smith to combine for 304 yards through the air.
Minnesota scored on fewer than 20% of its red-zone opportunities. However, the Vikings were also 7 of 15 on third down and converted their lone fourth-down opportunity after Hockenson’s controversial drop.
“We can’t allow [a situation where] third down execution one week isn’t up to the standard, and then it trickles down to the red zone when you do have a good day on third down,” said Kevin O’Connell. “[The Vikings can’t] possess the football quite a bit in the game and try to stick with the run game as much as possible, to then allow [the opponent] to be explosive throwing the football.”
Players typically say they want to play a game as soon as possible after a tough loss. However, Wentz said he’s not a huge fan of the Thursday games. He’s 32, and his body doesn’t recover like it did when he was a young player.
“Recovery starts immediately,” said Wentz, adding that game-planning is more difficult on a short week. “I’ve never been a huge fan of the Thursday night games for that reason, but it kind of just is what it is. It’s part of the business.”
Wentz presumably will start Minnesota’s road game against the Los Angeles Chargers. It’s a primetime game on a short week, and McCarthy appears to be still recovering.
The Vikings lost a winnable game against Philadelphia, and they don’t seem to have a solution for what ails them. They may lament Hockenson’s touchdown catch that the league overruled, or a ticky-tack holding call on Blake Brandel in the red zone. Still, they’re giving up explosive plays, and Wentz played his worst game in purple.
