The Minnesota Vikings lost to the Atlanta Falcons 22-6 on Sunday, and it was a discouraging outing for the offense. Minnesota only had 198 total yards, 10 first downs, and four turnovers, and only scored on two field goals. Nights like that seem inevitable with a young quarterback still adjusting to the NFL, but the Vikings have far more than J.J. McCarthy to worry about.
Someone else Minnesota should be concerned about is Adam Thielen. The veteran receiver was targeted three times on Sunday, bringing in just two passes for 26 yards. The underwhelming performance comes after Thielen didn’t post any stats in Week 1, when he was targeted just once (two-point conversion doesn't count as an official stat).
While it’s still extremely early in the season, the move to bring Thielen back hasn’t resulted in much production yet.
Adam Thielen hasn’t contributed much to the Minnesota Vikings since his return
Thielen, now in year 12 at 35 years old, was never expected to produce in his return like the version of himself that made back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2017 and 2018. However, the hope was that he’d be a solid contributor as a wide receiver who took some hits before the start of the season.
In 10 games with the Carolina Panthers last season, Thielen caught 48 passes for 615 yards and five touchdowns, and was a big weapon for Bryce Young.
Minnesota was hoping Thielen could be that, in some capacity, for McCarthy — especially while Jordan Addison is sidelined. Of course, Justin Jefferson is still the No. 1 for the Vikings, but having some additional help was necessary. Unfortunately, Thielen hasn’t provided much help through two games.
Again, it is early in the year, and Minnesota is 1-1 after two games. While Sunday’s game was bad offensively, the Vikings don’t need to panic; they just need to get back on track. That includes Adam Thielen.