Getty Laquon Treadwell #11 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates after the NFC Divisional Playoff game against the New Orleans Saints on January 14, 2018 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Saints 29-24.
Laquon Treadwell was evidently feeling confident after the Minnesota Vikings’ 38-20 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon. So much so that the young receiver didn’t mind dissing their NFC North rivals.
Speaking to his players in the locker room after the game, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer talked about the team preparing for Week 7’s road game against the Detroit Lions, calling it a “big division game.” While the coach spoke, Treadwell repeated the word “easy” in a clip of the postgame talk that aired on the national TV broadcast.
Needless to say, Lions fans weren’t too happy about the disrespect.
Many of them called out Treadwell for what has been a lackluster career in Minnesota, which most recently featured his one-catch performance in Sunday’s home win over the Eagles.
The fourth-year pro caught his only target for 15 yards but was otherwise mostly irrelevant in the Vikings offense, which cut him in early September only to resign him before facing the Chicago Bears in Week 4. Stefon Diggs was the clear star Sunday with his seven catches for 167 yards and three touchdowns, while Adam Thielen caught another six passes for 57 yards and a touchdown.
Me trying to find highlights of a single catch that Laquon Treadwell has made in 2019
The Lions, meanwhile, are more concerned with the Green Bay Packers and their prime-time matchup at Lambeau Field for Monday Night Football. The bye week gave them time to recover from their first loss of the season, a narrow 34-30 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs at home.
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Treadwell’s Career Has Been Quiet
Little has come from the former first-round pick since the Vikings took him No. 23 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. After leaving Ole Miss as the all-time receptions leader with 202, he finished his rookie season for the Vikings with just a single 15-yard catch.
His second and third seasons saw a touch more life, passing 200 yards in Year 2 and reaching a career-high 302 yards with his first touchdown during the 2018 season, but he developed a bad habit of dropping passes that made him difficult to rely on.
The Vikings tried finding a trade partner for Treadwell but were unsuccessful, deciding instead to cut him loose. While he eventually reunited with Minnesota, the wideout reportedly had a number of fruitless visits with teams, including a workout with the same Lions he was so quick Sunday to deem an “easy” win.
Monday Night Matchup Could Decide NFC North Lead
The Packers and Lions both come into Monday night as one-loss teams with the intention of outdueling the other for control of the division. The Packers are coming off a big road win against the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday, while the Lions should be refreshed after their bye.
Eyes will be on the running backs, as Kerryon Johnson and Aaron Jones are both coming off season-high performances. Jones gutted the Cowboys for four touchdowns and more than 180 scrimmage yards to win NFC Offensive Player of the Week, while Kerryon Johnson rushed for a season-best 125 yards against the Chiefs in Week 4.
The Packers’ backfield also is back to full strength for Monday night with Jamaal Williams (concussion) cleared to play for the first time since getting knocked out on the first offensive series in Week 4 against the Eagles. Williams and Jones were an effective one-two punch before his injury and will challenge the Lions’ defensive front.
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