Pro Football Focus named the players of the Week 1 Team of the Week and 3 members of the Minnesota Vikings were included for their work against the Saints.
The New Orleans Saints came to U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 1 of the 2017 NFL season to take on the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football and were met by a team that was more than ready to compete.
Minnesota defeated the Saints 29-19 during the contest, but the performances of three players from the Vikings caught the eye of Pro Football Focus, who placed them on their Team of the Week on the official PFF website.
Here are the three members of the Minnesota Vikings who made the Team of the Week in Week 1 from Pro Football Focus, all of which were on the offensive side of the ball:
Quarterback – Sam Bradford
"Elite Stat: Bradford’s passer rating under pressure was 158.3, otherwise known as perfect.“Bradford had one of those games that reminds people why he was a No. 1 overall draft pick, and one of the most exciting prospects for years when he was drafted. He is capable of incredible accuracy and poise under pressure, and delivered some of the passes of the season on Monday night against the Saints. With the Vikings offensive line looking much more capable than last year, we could see the best of Bradford in 2017.” PFF Grade: 90.1"
Sam Bradford made things look easy against the New Orleans Saints. His patience in the pocket and accuracy on passes of all distances made him look like a top-tier quarterback. His offensive line, which struggled last year, gave him plenty of time to execute, and it showed with his 84.4% completion percentage, 346 passing yards, and three touchdowns.
Wide receiver – Stefon Diggs
"Elite Stat: Sam Bradford’s passer rating when throwing to Stefon Diggs was 154.7, second-best in the league in Week 1."
"“With Randy Moss in the house being inducted into the Vikings Ring of Honor, it was fitting that Diggs took his game to another level against a weak New Orleans secondary. Diggs found himself wide open on occasion, but also won contested catches and held on through a huge hit from S Kenny Vaccaro at one point to put his full skillset on display.” PFF Grade: 89.0"
Diggs put on an absolute show on Monday night, catching 7 passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns. Along the way, he showed his toughness on multiple occasions and even won a jump ball on a well-placed pass for a touchdown.
Flex O – Adam Thielen
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"Elite Stat: Thielen gained 4.76 yards for every route he ran against the Saints, the second-best mark in the league in week 1.“Thielen spent the majority of his time inside in the slot against the Saints, catching multiple deep crossing targets and bringing in nine of the ten passes thrown his way, trailing only Antonio Brown in receiving yards after week one.” PFF Grade: 88.7"
Describing Thielen’s performance as monstrous is the best way to explain it. Any time a player can catch 90% of the passes thrown their way, pick up yards after the catch, and accumulate 157 receiving yards, you know you have a reliable, capable, and explosive part of a high-powered offense.
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Congratulations to Sam Bradford, Stefon Diggs, and Adam Thielen for being named to the Pro Football Focus Week 1 Team of the Week. Hopefully, there will be just as many if not more players from the Minnesota Vikings included for the team’s Week 2 game against Pittsburgh.