5 Bold Predictions: Minnesota Vikings vs. Arizona Cardinals – Week 8
By Chris Schad
Adam Thielen will have his best game of the season
Adam Thielen comes out of the bye in an interesting situation. His 284 receiving yards are his lowest total over the first six games of a season since he was a special teams player in 2015. The Vikings are rumored to be exploring wide receivers at the deadline, and it appears that he’s become an afterthought in Kevin O’Connell’s offense.
That means it’s time for the hometown hero to have a breakout game.
Thielen may have gone without targets for so long, you might have forgotten he was from Minnesota, but the Vikings will need him to beat the Cardinals. Arizona’s defense is fast and is sixth in the league in rushing yards allowed per game (101.1), meaning that if the Vikings want to win, they’ll have to throw the ball.
Justin Jefferson will still be able to get his as his matchup ranks fourth on PFF’s WR/CB matchup chart this week, but that should mean he sees extra attention from the Cardinals secondary. That should open things up for Thielen and give him a chance to do some damage.