EAGAN, Minn. – Lights, camera … and a whole lot of action in the latest episode of "The Voyage."
An original series by Vikings Entertainment Network, "The Voyage" is the story of the 2022 Minnesota Vikings as told by the 2022 Minnesota Vikings.
Episode 3 takes you behind the scenes of T.J. Hockenson's first days as a Viking, immediately following Minnesota's trade with Detroit to acquire the talented tight end.
While Week 9 was Hockenson's first game as a Viking, the contest at Washington was a "welcome back" for quarterback Kirk Cousins, who started his NFL career with the organization, and tackle Christian Darrisaw, whose youth football team practiced a stone's throw from FedExField.
Cousins and Darrisaw helped the Vikings secure another fascinating win, despite an official colliding with Camryn Bynum and preventing a would-be interception – a play that Darrisaw, along with Vikings fans everywhere, couldn't quite wrap his mind around.
After watching Minnesota improve to 7-1, get an up-close look at the Vikings Week 10 road trip to Buffalo. Re-live the absolute craziness of the back-and-forth battle against the Josh Allen-led Bills, which includes the following:
- Not one but two interceptions by Patrick Peterson
- 81-yard touchdown by Dalvin Cook
- C.J. Ham's first rushing touchdown since 2017
- A miraculous, one-handed catch by Justin Jefferson on fourth-and-18
- A fumble recovery by Eric Kendricks in the end zone for a touchdown
- An incredible pass breakup by Duke Shelley
You know the ending, a Vikings nail-biting win in overtime, but it doesn't make the recap any less exhilarating.
Recall the numbing home loss to the Cowboys, followed by a quick bounce-back by Minnesota on Thanksgiving Night. Featured in the prime-time win are Hockenson's first touchdown as a Viking, and a kickoff return touchdown by Kene Nwangwu in Minnesota's first opportunity to host a game on the holiday.
Buckle up, because this episode has it all.
Standout Quotes:
"It kind of hit me hard, walking into the stadium. I stood there for a moment and just took it all in and just realized that I'm really living a dream."
— Darrisaw
"In the spring when the schedule comes out and you see when you're going there, you're at first focused more on just finding a way to get a win, and certainly that is always a priority, but I think as it got closer and as we got to that week, you start to maybe feel a little more emotion — so many touchpoints that brought back memories and warm feelings and a lot of nostalgia, and some things start to flow back to you."
— Cousins
Stars of the Episode:
Head Coach Kevin O'Connell
QB Kirk Cousins
LT Christian Darrisaw
FB C.J. Ham
TE T.J. Hockenson
DT Harrison Phillips
CB Duke Shelley
S Harrison Smith
'Producer's Take' by VEN's Avneet Gill:
– It was really cool to be trusted to revisit and build out the second half of the Buffalo game and see all the different plays and emotions that happened – and had to happen – in order for the Vikings to be the winners of that intense game. Being able to put the game into a story that encapsulated what it meant for the team and the players in the moments during the game was an awesome feat that I am very excited for fans and viewers to experience, as well.
– This episode, with the four featured games, is heavy with the rise and fall of emotions. I really wanted to make sure they shined through in the moments that we filmed.
– I loved being able to showcase why Buffalo was one of the best "games of the year" this season in a more personal perspective, especially with the aid of player interviews.
– One of my favorite parts was putting together the sequence where Eric Kendricks and Harrison Smith recount E.K.'s fumble recovery touchdown to put us in a position to win the game.
– This allowed us to showcase the way the #Primetime Purple game came together to showcase the team's ability to move past the loss with Dallas in the previous week.
– The unfolding of Christian Darrisaw and Kirk Cousins debuting as Vikings playing in Washington was very special. Players in the leagues move around so often, […] but just being able to showcase how different places mean something special and elicit certain emotions from players comes across well in the Washington section.
A four-part miniseries, "The Voyage" is produced by VEN Senior Producer of Original Content Nate Vaughn, Producer Alex Miller, Producer Ryan O'Neill and Gill.
The full slate of air dates is below:
