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Stefon Diggs has been frustrated over his role with the Minnesota Vikings, as the wide receiver has logged just 16 catches for 253 yards and a touchdown over the first five weeks of the 2019 NFL campaign.
The Vikings have gone 3-2 thus far in spite of the club's lack of a consistent aerial attack, but at some point, Minnesota is going to need to get its passing game going on a regular basis to seriously contend.
Part of that means getting Diggs more involved, and that needs to happen this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Diggs caught three passes for 44 yards in last weekend's win over the New York Giants, and two weeks ago, he hauled in seven receptions for 108 yards in a loss to the Chicago Bears.
That's more production than Diggs had over the first three weeks combined, as he snared nine balls for 101 yards in the Vikings' first three games.
Still, outside of the game against the Bears in Week 4, Diggs has essentially been a forgotten man in Minnesota's offense, which is saying something for a guy who finished with 102 receptions a year ago.
The good news is that Kirk Cousins finally awoke from his season-long slumber against the Giants, completing 22 of his 27 passes for 306 yards and a couple of touchdowns.
Most of that went to fellow wide out Adam Thielen, who caught seven passes for 130 yards and a couple of touchdowns in the victory.
Considering Thielen is the Vikings' No. 1 receiver, that is completely understandable, but with Diggs clearly upset and with the Week 8 trade deadline approaching, it's time Minnesota placates Diggs and makes him more a part of what it does offensively.
Not just for Diggs' sake, but for the betterment of the team.
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Believe it or not, the Vikings have one of the most talented receiving corps in the NFL. Thielen and Diggs are a dynamite one-two punch, and tight ends Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. are a terrific tandem.
It's more of a case of Cousins and Minnesota's offensive line not getting the job done, but now that they may have had a bit of a breakthrough, perhaps some consistency will begin to form.
The Eagles are also a good team to going against.
Philadelphia ranks just 27th in the NFL in defending the pass, and with cornerback Ronald Darby out, the Eagles' secondary is very vulnerable.
With the Green Bay Packers at 4-1 and showing no signs of slowing down, the Vikings really need this game to keep pace in the NFC North. The game is in Minnesota, and Cousins will be facing a shoddy pass defense for the second straight week.
Obviously, the main focus for the Vikings should be winning the game regardless of Diggs' involvement and production, but given how good Diggs is, you would think Minnesota's best chance of coming out on top would be if both he and Thielen were a part of the offense.
Look for the Vikings to try and establish Diggs early and often against the Eagles' questionable defensive backfield, and don't be surprised if the 25-year-old ends up having a big outing.
