Can Adam Thielen cope with extra responsibility for the Vikings in 2020?
By Dean Jones
The Thielen/Diggs tandem
There is little doubt that the Minnesota Vikings were at their best when Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs were on the field together.
They formed an almost instant bond and became one of the most devastating wide receiver tandems in the NFL. Their ability to make plays consistently and give each other the best possible chance to succeed was a real asset for the Vikings.
You could see just how much affection the duo have for one another with a series of parting messages on social media following Diggs’ trade to the Buffalo Bills. Their relationship went a long way to their production on the field and whether Tajae Sharp or another player can replicate this remains to be seen.
During their time together in Minnesota, Thielen and Diggs amassed 8,801 receiving yards, 680 receptions and 54 touchdowns in the regular season. This was crucial to the Vikings’ success offensively in recent years and is a testament to how both made the transition from unfancied prospects to elite NFL players.
Diggs might have had his troubles off the field during his time in Minnesota. But things would have been far worse had it not been for the presence of Thielen.
He was a calming influence on Diggs and kept his emotions relatively in check when things looked set to boil over at certain points in 2019. The tandem’s production is going to be sorely missed and it is going to be up to Thielen and other receivers to fill the void.