Minnesota Vikings: Week 11 stock risers
By Luke Sims
Nov 22, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph (82) breaks a tackle from Green Bay Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (21) during the third quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. The Packers defeated the Vikings 30-15. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
2) Kyle Rudolph, tight end, Minnesota Vikings
Taking one to the house early for the Minnesota Vikings, tight end Kyle Rudolph did his best to set the tone for the game.
His 47-yard reception put the Vikings up 6-3 in the first quarter, but it was the missed extra point by Blair Walsh that seemed to better describe the tenor of the game than Rudolph’s big reception and stepping out of the arms of a defender to get the score.
Rudolph finished the day as the team’s best offensive weapon with six receptions off nine targets for 106 yards and the score.
It was a tough day for the quarterback, but Rudolph put in the work to be a go-to player as plays broke down again and again around Teddy Bridgewater. While this won’t be a game everyone looks to as one that the tight end really “led” the team, his performance shouldn’t be overlooked.
This was Rudolph’s best day of his career and his first 100 yard game. It’s a shame that it came in a loss.
With his big day, Rudolph is now third on the team in receiving yards (288), second in receptions (29), and first in touchdowns (four). Not bad for a pass catching tight end with players like Stefon Diggs and Mike Wallace on the outside.
Next: Linval Joseph deserves to be a household name