HH. T.J. Hockenson didn’t mince words after the Vikings’ loss to the Eagles, delivering a brutally honest post-game reaction that exposed the frustration, fire, and hidden truth inside Minnesota’s locker room.
The Minnesota Vikings fell to 3-3 on the 2025 NFL season after losing 28-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles on October 19 at U.S. Bank Stadium. Nonetheless, a moment in the game could have given the Vikings the victory.
Bill Vinovich’s crew initially awarded T.J. Hockenson a 15-yard touchdown on third-and-2 with 2:58 remaining. Nonetheless, in the NFL, all scoring plays are automatically reviewed, and that’s when the controversy came into the picture.
Early replays showed the ball might have shifted as Hockenson hit the ground, but league rules say the call on the field stands unless video shows clear, undeniable evidence to overturn it. While speaking to the media after the loss, Hockenson was livid over the referee’s decision.
“There was nothing to overturn it,” Hockenson said postgame (h/t Kevin Seifert of ESPN). “I mean, I was out there; I felt it, hands under the ball, snag it and I don’t understand; I don’t basically understand the catch rule at this point. … I don’t understand how New York can call in and just be like, ‘Yeah, that’s not a catch,’ when there was no evidence that it wasn’t; I mean I had it; I think it’s ridiculous.
“It is what it is. Got to move on other plays. … I mean you can’t go one for six [in the red zone] and win a ball game with two turnovers. We had the [opportunity] at the end, obviously. But yeah, tough one.”
Instant Replay Exec Sounds Off on Vikings
Despite the remarks from Hockenson, the vice president of instant replay, Mark Butterworth, said that the decision to overturn the touchdown was the correct call.
“The ruling on the field was a touchdown,” Butterworth said. “So it’s replay’s jurisdiction to stop the game. We used broadcast-enhanced shots to show that as he was going to the ground — he needs control of the ball throughout the process of the catch — he lost control of the ball. The ball hit the ground. Then, he regained control of the ball. So therefore, we overturned it to an incomplete pass.”
Vikings Couldn’t Overcome Controversial Call
If the touchdown had stood and the Vikings made the extra point, they would have trailed 28-26 with all three timeouts still in hand. Earlier in the game, they had several chances to capitalize but came up short, scoring just one touchdown on six trips to the red zone.
The Vikings also turned the ball over twice, including a costly interception that Eagles linebacker Jalyx Hunt returned 42 yards for a touchdown. It was one of two interceptions that veteran Carson Wentz committed in the loss to Philadelphia.
Despite the two picks, Wentz did pass for 313 yards and put the team in position to find the end zone. Nonetheless, that interception that went for a touchdown was a backbreaker for Minnesota.
As a result, it will be interesting to see what the Vikings will do under center for next week, whether they stick with Wentz or hand the job back to J.J. McCarthy, who will have another week of practice to determine whether he’s 100 percent and ready for live NFL action.
Insider can’t believe ‘crazy paragraph’ he wrote about Colts’ historic offense
The Indianapolis Colts added to the win column once again this week, and it was the Los Angeles Chargers who were in their way. The Colts won 38-24, and it was their offense like stuck out again, as they may be playing some of the best football of any team right now. Looking at their offense this week, they have been able to do some historic things, and ESPN’s Stephen Holder couldn’t believe he was writing this.
“The Colts have eclipsed 30 points in five of their seven games and lead the NFL in points per game (33.1) and yards per play (6.4). According to ESPN Research, their 232 points this season are their most through seven games since 1964– two decades before they relocated to Indianapolis from Baltimore,” Holder wrote.
Daniel Jones has resurrected his career in Indianapolis, and he’s getting the ball to everyone on the field. His has an array of options, and it’s almost not surprising that they’re scoring this many points every game. Add on to the fact that Jonathan Taylor is scoring every game (sometimes twice, sometimes three times), and you have the makings of an offense that’s going to be hard to stop.
Some were maybe wondering if this could be a fluke by the Colts, but through seven weeks, they look like the real deal.
Colts continue to dominate on offense
The Colts offense has been special this season, and the players themselves believe that this is sustainable as the year continues. Michael Pittman Jr. has been with the team for some time, and he knew that all they needed was one more player. That player was [Daniel] Jones.
“I always knew that we had really good players here and we were just missing something,” Pittman said. “And that’s something that Dan brought. I’ve always had confidence in our guys. We were just one player away.”
“We go into every game thinking we’re scoring 40,” Mo Alie-Cox said. “I mean, we are on the verge of doing it again. Every time we get the ball, we think we’re going to score.”
The Colts have made it look easy on that side of the ball, but their defense is also making big plays and limiting the opposing teams. If they continue to play like this as a collective unit, there’s no telling where they’ll stand at the end of the season and when the postseason arrives.
