Low No. 1
Cousins had tunnel vision with Thielen early on
For the record, this is not an incredible detriment. It was encouraging to see Adam Thielen back unmistakably healthy and catching passes with ease. Thielen finished the losing effort with six catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns. In fact, it was the one best games of his career statistically.
However, Kirk Cousins has more weapons abound than Thielen’s steadfast hands. Tight ends Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. were not targeted much by Cousins, neither was rookie receiver Justin Jefferson until the second half.
When the game is trending in your team’s favor, it isn’t too concerning which pass-catchers are targeted. If the matchup is drifting toward the direction of the other team, as it was last weekend, it’s ideal to create some different offensive looks in hopes of flummoxing opposition.
Targeting Thielen to the utmost is probably something the Vikings will utilize throughout the 2020 season, but other talented playmakers will need attention too.
There’s a strong possibility the Thielen-only gameplan early on was not entirely the norm. So expect to see more of Jefferson, Rudolph, Smith, and Bisi Johnson in the very near future.