Punished in the first half, hero in the second. Jordan Addison delivered a redemption story in London as the Minnesota Vikings wide receiver overcame his benching to score a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds at Tottenham.

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell revealed after the game that Addison had been benched in the first quarter as a consequence for missing a team walkthrough during the week.

His 12-yard catch with 25 seconds remaining would later see Minnesota clinch a 21-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns to end their road trip on a high after last Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin.

“Whenever my number was called I was ready to contribute,” Addison told Sky Sports NFL in the locker room.

Addison had made his first appearance of the season in Ireland last week after serving a three-game suspension due to a violation of the league’s substances of abuse policy.

He did not play a single snap in the first quarter of what marked the NFL’s 40th ever regular-season game in London, O’Connell explaining his absence afterwards and noting that Addison had spoken to his team-mates.

“Those things don’t align with our standards, and I wanted to make sure he was held accountable for that. He knows that,” said O’Connell.

“He handled it professionally, he spoke to the team to let them know that whenever I gave him the opportunity to win the game they could count on him – and he makes the game-winning catch.

“I love Jordan Addison, he’s a guy I care about tremendously. He knows every guy in the locker room has his back, he knows my confidence and belief will never waver with him, but at the same time, we’ve got standards. Personal responsibility and accountability are huge when it comes to talking about culture.”

Addison’s game-winning touchdown arrived after he had converted a crucial third-and-four to keep the decisive drive alive in the closing exchanges.

But the key moment had arguably arrived moments earlier when Justin Jefferson snagged a stunning 21-yard catch at the sideline on his way to finishing the game with seven catches for 123 yards.

The Vikings talisman vowed after the game to take his team-mate “under my wing”.

“It’s a difficult situation,” said Jefferson. “I definitely have my words with J, but it’s growing up and being a part of the team and knowing the stakes and knowing that he’s a valuable part of this team.

“It’s about the team and more about just us as a whole, not, you know, focusing individually on J, but for him to come out with that going on and still being able to make plays out there and finishing the game with the touchdown to get us up, it was like, it was meant to happen, you know?

“So he’s a great player. He’s a tremendous talent. You know, I just got to do better into, you know, keeping him under my wing and making sure that he has his head on straight.”

Addison asserted himself as one of the league’s best No 2 wide receivers over his first two seasons in the league with 133 catches for 1,786 yards.

His value was underlined in Dublin as O’Connell reintroduced him after his suspension with a snap count upwards of 96 per cent. Jefferson is happier than anybody to get his right-hand man back.

“I don’t get those double teams as much as, much as normal, but I mean, he’s a tremendous player,” said Jefferson.

“He’s a great, great player, and for him to be out there, we just need him out there as much as possible and in the mix as much as possible.

“The attention that he brings, but just his route running and his ability to get in and out of the breaks, and his catch point and being able just to make plays and being a baller. That’s what I love to see.

“And being a leader of the group, being the main person everybody looks at in that group, I’m just proud to say that, you know, he’s one of us.”

While Addison claimed the headlines, it would serve as the latest glistening reflection of Jefferson’s value as both a weapon and leader on O’Connell’s team.

He had dazzled with a leaping 38-yard catch in bracket coverage over the middle of the field earlier in the game to give Minnesota a potential route back, only to see the drive end a missed field goal.

“Justin is as good as it gets,” said Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz. “I’ve been watching him for years from afar, so it’s pretty fun to get a front-row seat. We missed a couple today; I missed a couple.

“Gave him some chances, but he’s so good I’m going to keep giving him those chances. We talk about things on the sideline and made sure we were on the same page.

“I cannot say enough good things about him, not only as a receiver for this team but the way he goes about his business, his work-ethic, the way he broke tackles a couple of weeks ago. All of those things, so many, are at a high, high level.

“He’s different. I’m still finding out every week, I’m not going to lie. A couple of high balls down the field today were just to give him a chance, and his ability to go up over guys or up in traffic gives the quarterback the utmost confidence to just let it rip. He’s different, he’s run to play with.”

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