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The Minnesota Vikings are looking to close the gap between them and the Green Bay Packers with two games left in the 2019 NFL season. It seems the time has come for wide receiver Adam Thielen to provide a reminder of his status as one of the elite players at his position.
Thielen was finally able to make his return from a lingering groin injury in the dominant 39-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15. He did not have to make much of an impact due to the one-sided nature of the game with just three receptions for 27 yards, however, it was evident that he was still shaking off the rust of missing four straight games after logging in just over half of the snaps on offense.
This NFC North showdown has all the makings of yet another crushing defeat on primetime for quarterback Kirk Cousins. There is plenty riding on this game with favorable seeding and potential home-field advantage at stake in the playoffs. Unfortunately, it is no secret that Cousins' track record in these situations leaves much to be desired.
This is all the more reason for Thielen to provide some reassurance for his quarterback by emerging as a safety net in the passing game once again. He had been in the midst of yet another Pro Bowl-caliber year prior to being sidelined with the injury and he will need to pick up where he left off Minnesota is going to rid themselves of this unfavorable reputation.
A matchup with the Packers' defense does not bode particularly well for the Vikings' passing game since they managed to contain their receiving duo of Thielen and Stefon Diggs to six catches for 124 yards and a touchdown during their first showdown in Week 2. Regardless, the bulk of their production came once the offense started clicking through the run game.
Unfortunately, they will be severely shorthanded with running back Dalvin Cook unlikely to play due to a shoulder injury. This means that Cousins will need to take full advantage of any opportunities downfield in order to make Green Bay pay.
There is no question that these targets would be much better off going in Thielen's direction given his playmaking ability in each level of the defense. While he may not have been able to make his third consecutive Pro Bowl due to the injury, he will still have an opportunity to compete for a Super Bowl barring a drastic turn of events over the final two weeks.
