5 things to know about the Vikings and Lions for Week 9
By Dustin Baker
Barring injury, Minnesota will have two 1,000+ yard WRs this season
Remember when everybody flipped out that Stefon Diggs was traded to Buffalo? “Rebuild SZN,” “We have no deep threat,” and “Cousins needs Diggs” were a few of the narratives surrounding the Diggs trade.
No trade can be fully evaluated until years later. However, Justin Jefferson’s ascension to stardom shows that trade was worthwhile, if only from a one-year perspective. Most rookie wideouts experience growing pains. Jefferson has encountered no such hiccups.
If both Jefferson and Adam Thielen continue at the same pace, the Vikings will again have two 1,000-yard wide receivers on their roster. It will be a return to the feat accomplished by Thielen and Diggs in 2018.
What’s more, if the Vikings seek to fundamentally turn around this wayward season, Thielen and Jefferson’s contribution will be mandatory. The Vikings do prefer to “run first,” but some games are won by rearing back and throwing the football. When that time comes, Thielen and Jefferson have shown they’re up for the task.