Jordan Addison said he was happy to be there for his Vikings teammates after being benched in the opening quarter for a disciplinary issue in Sunday’s win abroad against the Browns.
LONDON — Jordan Addison began Sunday on the Minnesota Vikings’ sideline, benched for the first quarter as discipline for missing a walk-through practice last week.
He ended it with a catch on each of the Vikings’ final three offensive plays, capped by a 12-yard touchdown with 25 seconds remaining that lifted his team to a 21-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns.
« I never want to let my teammates down », Addison said. « They’re always there for me. So I am going to make sure I’m always there for them. When they needed me, I was there. »
In his three quarters of play, Addison caught five passes for 41 yards. The touchdown allowed the Vikings to salvage a 10-day, two-country road trip with a 1-1 record after a 24-21 loss in Dublin last week to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Coach Kevin O’Connell revealed that Addison missed one of the team’s walk-through practices at Hanbury Manor, the countryside estate located about 90 minutes north of London where the Vikings lived and worked last week. Addison later addressed teammates at a meeting, according to O’Connell.
At that point, Addison wasn’t certain how heavy the discipline would be. Asked if he was worried that he would be benched for the entire game, he said, « Hell, yeah. »
Ultimately, O’Connell lifted the punishment at the start of the second quarter. Addison missed two offensive possessions and a total of 14 offensive plays.
