Minnesota Vikings: 3 Players that must shine vs. Chargers in Week 15

2. Kyle Rudolph

After getting off to somewhat of a slow start to the 2019 campaign in the first handful of weeks in the year, veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph has picked things up within Minnesota offense while being a nice red zone target nearly every week.

Some of the reason behind that has been Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins being forced to look elsewhere within the offense while awaiting the return of wide receiver Adam Thielen as he recovers from a hamstring injury, and another reason behind Rudolph’s recent success has just been his ability to be a large body that is the perfect option when the team enters the red zone.

Rudolph did take somewhat of a step back in the Week 14 victory at home against the Detroit Lions a week ago, managing to haul in just two catches for a total of 11 yards, while being held without a touchdown catch in the contest.

Leading up to that game, Rudolph did manage to record at least one touchdown reception in the previous four games and in five of his last six contests.

On Sunday in Week 15, Rudolph will need to return to being that dominant target within the offense and if Thielen is also able to return to the passing game for Minnesota, that should be a recipe for success for the Vikings in Los Angeles.