7 biggest takeaways from the Vikings win over the Lions in Week 3

Thielen can still help the offense

In Minnesota’s first two games of the 2022 season, wide receiver Adam Thielen didn’t do a whole lot, and some wondered if he could still make a significant impact for the team this year.

On Sunday, Thielen proved just that as he came up with multiple catches at crucial times during the Vikings’ win over the Lions, finishing with six receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown.

With Detroit choosing to use about half of their defense to cover Justin Jefferson this weekend, Minnesota needed their other receivers to step up. Guys like Thielen and K.J. Osborn turned out to be up for the challenge, and they were great for the Vikings in making up for the production lost from Jefferson’s underwhelming afternoon.

During the last few years, Thielen has been a bit of a safety blanket for Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins, and it felt like that again on Sunday. Cousins consistently turned to the veteran receiver when he couldn’t find Jefferson open and it resulted in Thielen finishing tied for first in targets with eight against the Lions.

He also proved to be a reliable target in the red zone on Sunday, which is something that has developed into a strength of his during the last few seasons.

During the Vikings’ win over Detroit, Thielen proved that Cousins can still rely on him when needed. Hopefully, the veteran receiver’s involvement in the offense against the Lions doesn’t turn out to be just a one-time occurrence this year.