Adam Thielen – WR
Adam Thielen is not having his best season statistically, but he’s still having a very good one. He has caught 27 balls for 391 yards and an impressive six touchdowns.
Sometimes though, the measure of how valuable a player is to a team is most noticeable when that player is gone. This was certainly the case for Thielen as his absence against the Redskins in Week 8 spoke volumes about how important he is to the Vikings’ offense and to the team in general.
Without Thielen in the lineup, Minnesota’s passing attack wasn’t as good as it normally is. They still were able to move the ball down the field throwing to Stefon Diggs and dumping the ball off to Dalvin Cook on screens, but they were only able to muster 19 points all game long.
In the red zone is where not having No. 19 in the lineup hurt Minnesota the most. Thielen is and has been Kirk Cousins’ go-to target in the red zone. With his savvy route running and his ability to run the corner fade route like no one else, he’s a dangerous weapon for the Vikings to have when they are near the goal line.
Thielen’s presence was sorely missed in Week 8 when Minnesota had to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns. It was enough to beat an inferior opponent like Washington, but if the Vikings are going to win against better quality opponents, they will need Thielen in the lineup to help in scoring six instead of settling for three.