Minnesota Vikings: Studs and duds from Week 5 vs. Seahawks

Stud: Adam Thielen

The final stud that took place and helped lead the way for the Vikings passing game was the play of Minnesota’s top receiving target Adam Thielen.

Int he contest, Thielen had a solid performance and was a reliable target in big situations for Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins and the rest of the offense. With two touchdown receptions, Thielen finished with nine catches on 13 targets, tallying a total of 80 yards and a catch average of 8.9 yards.

Outside of Thielen, a few other players stepped up and helped the passing game, which only continues to open things up for the veteran receiver at the head of that attack. In Week 5 against Seattle, he stepped up and was that key contributor for Minnesota in what was a back-and-forth contest.

Dud: Falling to 1-4 overall

The biggest negative that the Vikings and their fans will take out of this game was the fact that they ended up losing a very win-able game and arguably a game they should have won to drop to 1-4 overall on the season.

Rather than moving to 2-3 overall and going into Week 6 against a struggling Atlanta Falcons (0-5) squad — who is now going through a head coach and general manager search going into next season — while putting yourself in a good spot to improve to 3-3 going into a bye week, Minnesota now goes from having a shot in the season to now sitting at a crossroads.

The Vikings will have their work cut out for them in trying to get out of a 1-4 hole in the season and facing the likes of the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and Detroit Lions within the NFC North division won’t be that easy of a task for the rest of the year.

The Week 5 game on Sunday Night Football was a game Minnesota arguably should have won, although it wasn’t a favorite going into the contest. But Seattle ended up pulling out the win, dropping the Vikings to a disappointing record of 1-4.