Detroit — When former Detroit Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson got word he had been traded the first day of November, he only had a couple of hours to say his goodbyes to his teammates and coaches before catching a flight to Minnesota to start the next chapter of his career with the Vikings.
So in the time before Sunday’s kickoff between the two teams, Hockenson relished the moment to catch up with the people who had been such a big part of his life the past four years. He talked for a while with center Frank Ragnow and several members of the defense, even stopping by to chat briefly with some members of Detroit’s front office and ownership.
“(It was) super weird,” Hockenson said about his return to Ford Field. “Walking back in here, seeing everybody, really good to talk to them. It was interesting. It definitely was, but it was really great to see all these guys. I have nothing but for love for all these players here. And these fans here, they’re great. I’ve got nothing but love. I’m definitely happy where I’m at, and that’s my focus from here on out, just to be here and play with these guys and love every second of that.
“I had a lot of firsts in Detroit,” he said. “It was great to be here, great to see everybody again, great to be around these fans.”
Hockenson, a first-round pick in the 2019 draft, played in 47 games for the Lions, catching 186 passes for more than 2,000 yards, while scoring 15 touchdowns. But now he’s on the other side of the division rivalry, where he’s quickly fit in and continued to contribute at a high level.
In his first game with the Vikings, he caught nine passes. And he continued to produce Sunday against the Lions, hauling in six of the eight balls thrown his direction for 77 yards. But it wasn’t enough, as the Lions put away the Vikings, 34-23, staving off conceding a division crown on their home turf.
When Hockenson left, the Lions were floundering, having dropped to 1-6 two days earlier. The offense was putting up some quality production, but the defense was struggling to get stops. Two months later, the Lions have won five of their past six, in large part to a defensive turnaround. Including the Minnesota game, Detroit has held opponents to 20.3 points per game during that stretch.
The magnitude of that turnaround hasn’t been lost on Hockenson.
“It’s incredible,” Hockenson said. “The defense has really turned it on. I’ve told y’all, the defense is where my guys are at. (Cornerback) Amani (Oruwariye) is my dog, (linebacker Alex) Anzalone is my dog. I’ve got a lot of guys over there that I’m close to and I love them to death. Just to see them playing well and really turning it around from it was at the beginning of the season is just awesome to see. It’s truly is incredible.
“I wish them nothing but success here,” Hockenson said. “Obviously, not when we play them, that’s just the nature of how it is.”
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And while the Lions have been on a hot streak since the trade, so have the Vikings. Since acquiring Hockenson, they had won four of five coming into Sunday, and despite the loss to the Lions, they still sit a half-game away from clinching the NFC North.
With four games remaining, the division title is a near-certainty, which means Hockenson is on the cusp of going to the playoffs for the first time in his career. As you might imagine, he can’t wait for the experience.
“I’m stoked,” he said. “We want to play beyond 17 (games). That’s really the goal here. We’ve got to clinch this division and we’ve got to clinch this (spot). We just have another week we have to wait and that’s really where our focus is next week.”
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers