Getty Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen
Adam Thielen will miss the first game of his NFL career. The Minnesota Vikings wide receiver was ruled out for Thursday night’s matchup against the Washington Redskins due to a hamstring injury that occurred in last week’s win over the Detroit Lions.
On Tuesday, Thielen told reporters he was feeling “quite a bit better” and was “hopeful” to play this week. However, on Wednesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Thielen will in fact miss the game, breaking a string of 87 consecutive starts by the wide receiver.
Vikings’ WR Adam Thielen will not play Thursday night vs *Washington.
It’s a big loss for the Vikings, as Thielen has emerged into one of the best and most reliable wide receivers in the NFL over the past few seasons.
The injury is believed to be a mild hamstring strain and not expected to keep Thielen sidelined for multiple weeks. The Vikings have 10 days off before their Week 9 road matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
In Thielen’s absence the Vikings will turn to Laquon Treadwell and Bisi Johnson, who are both backups on the depth chart. Stefon Diggs and Kyle Rudolph will likely see the biggest bump in targets.
Follow the Heavy on Fantasy & Gambling for all the latest sports gambling & player news, odds and picks!
Thielen’s Spectacular Catch Leads to Injury
With just over five minutes remaining in the first quarter on Sunday against the Lions and trailing 7-0, Vikings QB Kirk Cousins eluded pressure and rolled out of the pocket, connecting with Thielen on an acrobatic play in the back of the end zone that resulted in a 25-yard touchdown. It was one of the best catches of the season for Thielen, unfortunately, it also forced him to miss the rest of the game.
The Vikings went on to win 42-30 in Thielen’s absence as Cousins didn’t miss a beat, throwing for 337 yards and four touchdowns. Stefon Diggs also had a monster game as the top pass-catching target, hauling in seven receptions for 142 yards.
Cousins has been one of the hottest quarterbacks in the league over the past few weeks, in fact he leads in the NFL with a 114.3 passer rating.
#Vikings QB Kirk Cousins
* Leads NFL in yards per pass attempt (9.1)
* Leads NFL in passer rating (114.3)
* Ranks 5th in TD passes (13)
* Ranks 4th in completion rate (69.8%)
* Has completed passes at 7% above expectation, 3rd best in NFL (Next Gen Stats)
Kirk Cousins Revenge Game
The current Vikings quarterback was originally drafted in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Redskins. Thursday will be the first game against his former team, but Cousins is not focused on the reunion.
“That’s not something I need to get into,” Cousins told the Star Tribune. “It’s been well-documented, and it’s about trying to win a football game.”
And that is what you say
Class act Kirk Cousins
Cousins also shared some fond memories about his time in DC.
“I’m just so grateful,” Cousins told reporters earlier this week. “I could list the names and if I did I would probably leave somebody out but there are some special coaches and teammates in that organization that all relate to the rest of my life. When football is long over I’ll still be calling them and texting them and that’s just the simple truth.”
Cousins played six seasons with the Skins, taking the team to the playoffs twice and being named once to the Pro Bowl. He also had a viral moment, shouting “you like that” into the camera following a dramatic comeback win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015.
Thursday’s matchup between the Redskins and Vikings will also be a revenge game of sorts for Washington QB Case Keenum, who played one season with Minnesota and took the team all the way to the NFC Championship Game in 2017.
READ NEXT: Raiders Trade Former 1st-Round Pick to Texans
Follow Jared Smith on Twitter: @jaredleesmith