Minnesota Vikings: Studs and duds from Week 1 vs. Packers

Stud: Adam Thielen

Going into the 2020 NFL season, the Vikings have high hopes for veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen on the outside of the field to lead the receiving group. Without Stefon Diggs, Thielen is officially the top dog in the wide receiver room this year and he stepped up to the occasion on Sunday afternoon in the season opener when not much else was working for Minnesota.

Part of the reason Thielen finished with large numbers on the day was because the Vikings were trying to play catch-up for most of the game and therefore aired the ball out perhaps more than normal, but it was still a good sign for Vikings fans.

Thielen managed to haul in six catches on eight targets, finishing with 110 yards and two touchdowns. His longest reception was a 37-yard connection from Kirk Cousins.

Thielen will continue to be a key piece to this Minnesota offense, and he got the new year off to a nice start on Sunday afternoon.

Dud: Pass Defense

In a game where the defense did not look very good on the side of the Vikings, the pass defense and the cornerback play was even worse for Mike Zimmer and company.

Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay offense had their way nearly the entire game, taking advantage of some holes and youth that is apparent on the Vikings defense. The veteran quarterback finished with 32 completions and 364 yards through the air, finishing with four touchdowns.

Minnesota’s pass defense could not keep the Packers’ wide receivers in check during the four quarters, with Green Bay led by Davante Adams with 14 catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns. Three Packers players recorded 60 or more receiving yards in the game.

We all knew this Vikings defense would look different in 2020, but it wasn’t a pretty season-opening performance specifically for the Minnesota pass defense.