WR Adam Thielen - Minnesota Vikings

6-3, 200

Born: 8-22-1990

College: Minnesota State

Drafted: ---

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Photo: Gary McCullough, US Presswire

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Recent Stats and Projections

WEEK	OPP		oSNAP	RSH	YD	TD	TARG	REC	YD	TD	FumL	Pts
17	vs CHI		53	1	-1	0	4	3	38	0	0	3.7

Weekly Performance vs WR 1, WR 12, WR 24, WR 36

Percentile ranks

Adam Thielen's percentile rank in each category, among WR with more than 50 fantasy points.

Recent Game Summaries

2018 Week 17 vs CHI (4 / 3 / 38 / 0 rec, 1 / -1 / 0 rush)

The blazing start to the season for Thielen seems to be only a distant memory at this point. The change at offensive coordinator did not do anything to help his usage and Cousins proved ineffective down the stretch. Thielen was succeeding due to the volume he was getting underneath earlier in the season, and that just has not been there in recent weeks. He had 4 targets this week while Diggs had 10. Thielen made a living on third down earlier in the year, yet they did not seem to draw up any of the same type of plays that were getting him open before. It has looked like a totally different offense in recent weeks and not for the better. Thielen's longest play was an 18-yard reception where he did most of the work running with the ball. This lone reception accounted for almost half of his yards. It is a disappointing end to a season where Thielen finished with 113 receptions for 1,373 yards and 9 touchdowns. Thielen and Cousins have since tried to downplay their argument on the sideline, but there has been a lot of frustration in Minnesota this week and there are some relationships that are going to need to be mended in the offseason.

2018 Week 16 vs DET (6 / 5 / 80 / 0 rec, 1 / 3 / 0 rush)

The breakout season in the first 8 weeks of the season seems to be a distant past for Thielen. He has not served the same role in the offense in recent weeks and has seen a lot of production go to Diggs and this week to Rudolph. Defenses have schemed to take him away and it has worked. Thielen caught 5 of his 6 targets and had half of his yards come on a single play. Thielen cut to the inside and was sprung by a Diggs block. He sprinted right down the middle of the field. Thielen still had 80 yards through the air and that would be above average for just about anyone else in the league. However, Thielen dominated so much at the beginning of the season that anything less than 100 yards and a touchdown is a disappointment. The Vikings are going to need Thielen to step up next week against the Bears if they want to clinch their playoff spot.

2018 Week 15 vs MIA (2 / 2 / 19 / 0 rec)

After the spat with Belichick and then calling out the play calling in recent weeks, Thielen needed to have a big game to show that he was not all talk. Unfortunately, that did not happen this week and Thielen continues to struggle. He only saw 2 targets this week and caught both of them for less than 20 yards. This week, no receiver really stepped up and had a big game. Diggs and Robinson both had touchdown catches but did not reel off big yardage totals. The run game was working so well this week that Thielen was just not needed. Teams should not forget about what he did earlier in the year or they are going to get burned. Thielen is still a dangerous weapon in this offense and a lot is going to come down to the game plan put in by the new coordinator. The flow did not play to the strengths of Thielen, but that can easily change in the coming weeks. Look for a better showing and a more balanced attack next week against the Lions.

2018 Week 14 vs SEA (7 / 5 / 70 / 0 rec, 1 / 8 / 0 rush)

It has been a tough stretch for Thielen since his magical 8 week run to start the season. Teams have found ways to take away his routes underneath and are disrupting his timing with Cousins. After the blowup on the sideline against the Patriots last week, Thielen was heard cussing about the play calling of the Vikings this week. He caught 5 of his 7 targets, but most of it came late in the game when the Seahawks had secured the lead. He had 1 big gain of 35 yards, which accounted for half of his total in the game. Thielen was targeted in goal to go situations twice but the errant pass from Cousins fell to the ground both times. It is going to take a lot more from both Thielen and Cousins to help turn the Vikings season around with 3 games to go. They need to find their rhythm from the first several weeks to ignite that offense.

2018 Week 13 vs NE (10 / 5 / 28 / 1 rec)

It was not a great showing for Thielen this week. He dropped balls he would normally catch, he took exception with the referees and the lack of pass interference calls, and then got into a shouting match with Bill Belichick on the sideline after a spot challenge. It was a very heated exchange and was caught on camera. The game was not great either as he only caught half of his 10 targets. Thielen and Cousins did not look to be on the same page this week after lighting up the NFL all season long. His longest catch was 9 yards. He dropped a much deeper pass down the middle of the field after a diving attempt, and then had a clear pass interference call not be made in the end zone that would have been a 20-yard touchdown. It was a misstep on what has been an amazing season for Thielen. He still had a touchdown catch this week. It was a 5-yard drag route where he outran his defender to the back corner of the end zone. It was an easy pitch and catch with Cousins for the score. Unfortunately, the rest of the game is going to overshadow the score and will be one to forget for Thielen.

2018 Week 12 vs GB (9 / 8 / 125 / 1 rec)

It was a slow start for Thielen, but everything eventually went his way by the end of the game. He had already burned the Packers for 130+ yards and a touchdown when they played earlier this season and ended the game with a very similar line this week. Thielen kicked things off with a 33-yard catch in traffic as he was falling to the ground. This was the longest play through the air for the Vikings and a great way to get things started. It was not a graceful start after Thielen collided with Diggs on the first drive and caused a massive loss on a short play, but he just kept running his routes and chipping away. Thielen ran quick outs and shallow crosses to do most of his damage and then scored his touchdown on a scramble play. Cousins was flushed from the pocket and took off towards the line like he was going to run for the first down. He then found Thielen who had settled into the void behind the linebackers for an easy first down. However, Thielen would not be denied and dove across the goal line for the third Viking touchdown of the game. It was just the cherry atop another dominant game for Thielen.

2018 Week 11 vs CHI (12 / 7 / 66 / 0 rec)

After finally losing the streak of consecutive games with 100 yards receiving, Thielen looked to get back on track this week. He had a healthy Diggs across from him and was able to slide back into the slot position. This is the recipe that has worked for the Vikings all season, but teams seemed to have figured that out. The Bears keyed in on Thielen this week, and that left Diggs to do the damage on the outside. Thielen caught 7 of his 12 targets, but was held under 100 yards and out of the end zone this week. His longest play of the game was a 13-yard catch and run across the middle. It has been near impossible for teams to take away both Thielen and Diggs, and this week it was just Diggs turn to get the ball and success on the outside. Thielen will face a Packers defense that he torched for 12 catches, 131 yards, and a touchdown in week 2 next week. Look for him to get back on track next week.

2018 Week 9 vs DET (7 / 4 / 22 / 1 rec, 1 / 5 / 0 rush)

All good things must come to an end and this week it was Thielen's consecutive 100-yard receiving games. The Lions did a great job doubling Thielen and taking him away as an outlet for Cousins. Thielen had the most targets on the team but could not do anything with them. He was the target of the pass that was intercepted, and it came on a play that has worked for the Vikings all season long. The deep out route was read perfectly and Darius Slay got one of the easiest interceptions of his career. Thielen did add a touchdown for the 6th straight game this week from 2 yards out. The bunch formation confused the defense and Thielen snuck up the seam for the easy touchdown. Cousins hit him in stride in the back of the end zone. Thiele will face another tough test against the Bears top ranked defense but should benefit from the return of Stefon Diggs. Thielen has made his living from the slot this year and has struggled playing on the outside.

2018 Week 8 vs NO (7 / 7 / 103 / 1 rec, 1 / 15 / 0 rush)

It has been a whirlwind season for Thielen so far. The 100-yard game tracker has been going since early in the year and he registered his 8th straight game this week. This ties him with Calvin Johnson for the most in any season, after he broke the record for most such games to open a season. A lot of the success can be contributed to Thielen and Diggs switching positions this season. Diggs is getting his chance outside as the number 1 receiver, and Thielen is getting a chance to run underneath and create plays out of the slot. The only bad thing Thielen did this week was fumble and kill a drive deep in Saints territory. He was sandwiched between 2 defenders and the ball popped loose and was returned for a big gain by the Saints. Aside from that, it was another solid game for Thielen. He also got his first carry of the season and took the jet sweep 15 yards off the right tackle. His touchdown was an easy 1-yard pitch and catch with Cousins. Thielen took a hard step to the outside and then beat his man back to the inside. The linebackers had cleared out trying to stop the run and Thielen was all alone in the end zone. The fumble proved costly this week, but Thielen has dominated in every other aspect of the game.

2018 Week 7 vs NYJ (10 / 9 / 110 / 1 rec)

The records continue to fall with each passing week for Thielen. He is the first player in the Super Bowl era to start a season with 7 straight 100 yards receiving. He also set a personal best 3 straight games with a touchdown reception. He has now tied his entire total of touchdowns from last season and it is only week 7. Thielen kicked things off with a 34-yard reception deep down the right side line. The play was very similar to his touchdown from last week and was replicated by Aldrick Robinson later in the game. Thielen hauled in 9 of his 10 targets and was well on his way to over 100 yards, even before half time. Thielen is still finding success on deep out routes and slow drags across the middle. He has built a rapport with Cousins and works his way back to the ball when his quarterback is in trouble. The matchup with the Saints next week should provide ample opportunity for an 8th straight 100-yard receiving game.

2018 Week 6 vs ARI (15 / 11 / 123 / 1 rec)

After setting a record with 5 straight games of 100 or more receiving yards to open a season last week, Thielen extended it this week against the Cardinals. The talk all week long was about who Patrick Peterson was going to cover and if the opposite receiver would be able to step up and make plays. Peterson shadowed Diggs for the majority of the game and that left Thielen to run free underneath. He used the Cardinals own defenders to set picks for him on crossing routes and made hard cuts towards the sidelines on out routes. His longest play of the day was only 17 yards, but he managed to snare 11 of his team high 15 targets. He never really broke free on any long catch and run plays like he has in the past, but he did find the end zone for the third straight week. Cousins found Thielen across the middle for 13 yards and a touchdown in the third quarter. The Vikings lined up in an empty set on 3rd and 1 and Thielen squeezed his way up the seam for the touchdown. He ended up with a linebacker in coverage and that is a battle he will almost always win. It has been a great run thus far for Thielen and he will look to continue it next week against the Jets.

2018 Week 5 vs PHI (10 / 7 / 116 / 1 rec)

Everything seems to be going right for Thielen this season. He is now the first receiver to ever open a season with 5 straight 100-yard games, moving past Randy Moss and Issac Bruce. More than half of his yards came on a single play where he somehow found himself all alone down the sideline and took the ball 68 yards before running out of gas and getting tackled. He cut back inside to run past the corner but in doing so allowed the safety to catch up and tackle him. He also had a 3-yard touchdown reception with the corner draped all over him. It was a beautiful fade route into the corner of the end zone where Cousins got the ball just over the defender and into the arms of Thielen. Defensive holding was called on the play and declined. There were a few misfires in the game that could have given Thielen an even better game. There was one crossing route in the second half that Cousins over threw Thielen with no defender in front of him. It would have gone for 20+ yards but was simply over thrown. Thielen caught 7 of his 10 targets and led the team in receiving again this week.

2018 Week 4 vs LAR (12 / 8 / 135 / 1 rec)

It was a game of big plays and Thielen was the main Viking making them. He led the team in receiving and hauled in a long touchdown to get the score within 3. Thielen came down with 8 of his 12 targets and was the top option on third down. He helped to complete 3 long 3rd down plays and missed an opportunity for a 4th when he was pulled from the field under concussion protocol. He briefly went to the tent and then was seen on the sideline the next play. Thielen's biggest play came on a 45-yard touchdown pass right up the seam. Cousins looked off the safety by starring down Rudolph on the right side of the field. Meanwhile, Thielen snuck up the seam and Cousins hit him in stride for the long touchdown. This was another night full of quick outs and deep comeback routes down the sideline for Thielen. With no run game in sight, Thielen is going to continue to see 10+ targets a game.

2018 Week 3 vs BUF (19 / 14 / 105 / 0 rec)

The Bills defense did a great job shutting down Diggs and were happy to leave Thielen open underneath all game long. They were not worried about him breaking a big play for a touchdown and allowed him to run free at the linebacker level. Thielen pulled in 14 of his 19 targets and only had a single play over 15 yards. He broke one deep out route for 19 yards but was pushed out of bounds before he could do any extra damage. The defense was content doubling Diggs on the outside and would give Thielen the short underneath routes. He managed over 100-yards receiving, but that was mostly due to the volume of targets and not big plays. Thielen has lived up to the hype of last season but still cannot seem to find the end zone. If he can ever start to capitalize on teams giving help over the top to Diggs, then he will be really dangerous the rest of the season.

2018 Week 2 vs GB (13 / 12 / 131 / 1 rec)

The breakout season from a year ago continues as Thielen racks up the catches. He snared 12 of his 13 targets and the most important touchdown of the day. His 131 yards lead the team this week despite the slow start to the game. Almost all of his damage continues to come across the middle or on out routes towards the sideline in the zone void left by the corner and safety. Thielen's hands are only second to Diggs on the team and Cousins has found a very reliable third down option. His biggest play came on his 22-yard touchdown catch. Thielen had worked his way down the sideline and had a step on his corner in coverage. Cousins floated the ball just above the corner but still put enough on it that the diving safety could not make a play. The ball went right between the two defenders and Thielen was able to pin the ball against his chest as he fell backwards into the end zone right at the pylon. This would have never happened had it not been for a questionable roughing the passer call that overturned a game sealing interception, but the Vikings made the best of what they were given.

2018 Week 1 vs SF (12 / 6 / 102 / 0 rec)

Thielen looked to continue his breakout season from a year ago, just like Diggs, and benefitted from the 49ers paying more attention to Diggs. Cousins targeted Thielen a team high 12 times, but he only managed to bring in half of those targets. Thielen, normally a sure handed receiver, did drop two of the balls and could have had an even bigger day. He was targeted out of the slot again and ran his normal short crossing routes to try and get open. His big gainer came on a 34-yard busted coverage play. Kirk Cousins stared him down the entire play, yet Thielen managed to be standing all alone down the left side line. There was no defender within 10-yards of him and he sprinted down the sideline before being pushed out of bounds by the safety. The only real knock against Thielen is the lack of touchdowns, but if he continues to get 12 targets a game there is a much higher chance of him finding the end zone more this season.