Adam Thielen Makes Strong Statement on NFL Disrespecting Vikings

Adam Thielen

Getty Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen addressed the possibility of his departure from the Vikings in the 2023 offseason.

With four weeks left in the season, NFL powerbrokers are still doubting the Minnesota Vikings.

Owning the second-best record in the league, the Vikings (10-2) have bucked the analytics and are simply winning games. Sure, Minnesota has rarely put itself in a comfortable position in a game this season, but the Vikings have continued to land kill shots with their backs against the wall.

Entering a Week 14 matchup with the Detroit Lions (5-7), the Vikings can clinch the division title with either a tie or a win — thanks to a commanding five-game lead over second-place Detroit. However, the national audience is not convinced. Minnesota is considered the underdog with the Lions favored to win in most sportsbooks.

Veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen addressed the disrespect that his team continues to see despite their success this season.


Vikings, Adam Thielen Unconcerned With Outside Critics

Appearing on KFAN’s The Power Trip morning show on December 5, Thielen addressed disrespect his team has seen with many sports shows glossing over the team’s contender status.

While there’s plenty of bulletin board material to go around, Thielen backed away from fully embracing the outside noise — instead urging his team to focus internally.

“I think your try to use that and put a little chip on your shoulder, but at the same time, it’s one of those things you can’t focus on,” Thielen said. “That stuff, you can’t let it get you too high or too low. You have to continue to focus each week. This league is hard to win. The margin of error is so slim you have to continue to focus each week on what you can do to help your team win.”

Thielen’s words ring true with every victory feeling like a true team win. Kirk Cousins has led an NFL-leading six game-winning drives this season with the help of his supporting cast. The defense has made four game-winning stops to backstop Cousins and the offense — with new faces emerging as the deciding factor every week.


Vikings Have a Bevy of Game-Winners, Situational Masters

The Vikings have embraced what head coach Kevin O’Connell calls “winning in the margins” by becoming “situational masters” when the game is on the line.

Despite a cozy season-opening romping of the Green Bay Packers, every other victory has been a dogfight. Minnesota didn’t know what kind of team they had after the Philadelphia Eagles brought the Vikings back down to earth in Week 2, but since then, the Vikings have proved they’re the team no one wants to face in the fourth quarter.

Point differential has been the biggest scrutiny of the Vikings who are just +10 against their competition. The defense has been largely to blame, but their ability to make stops late in the game has overshadowed the unit’s porousness, allowing the second-most yards in the league.

Here’s a look back at all of the clutch victories so far, with every phase of the team coming through with the deciding play:

  • Week 3 vs. Detroit: Backup safety Josh Metellus intercepted a pass by Lions quarterback Jared Goff to clinch a 28-24 victory following a touchdown by K.J. Osborn with 45 seconds left in regulation.
  • Week 4: vs. Saints: Greg Joseph kicked a 47-yard field goal with 29 seconds remaining to clinch a 28-25 win over the New Orleans Saints, who had a 61-yard tying field-goal attempt bounced off the post as time expired.
  • Week 5 vs. Bears: Cam Dantzler strips the ball from Chicago Bears wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette with a minute left in regulation to steal a 29-22 win.
  • Week 6 at Dolphins: Defense forces three turnovers to help the Vikings secure a 24-16 victory despite the Miami Dolphins outgaining Minnesota by over 220 yards.
  • Week 8 vs. Cardinals: Defense halts three different fourth-quarter drives in their own territory for no points, capped by game-ending sacks by Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter in a 34-26 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
  • Week 9 at Commanders: Joseph converts a 28-yard field goal with 16 seconds remaining to clinch a 20-17 win over the Washington Commanders.
  • Week 10 at Bills: A statement win with too many plays to kept the Vikings alive, capped by a Patrick Peterson interception in a 33-30 overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills.
  • Week 12 vs. Patriots: Arguably Cousins’ best game of the season, he found Thielen for his third touchdown of the game, and with some help from the defense, secured a 33-26 win over the New England Patriots.
  • Week 13 vs. Jets: Cam Bynum makes a game-winning interception as paydirt for the defense allowing just one touchdown in six trips in the red zone by the New York Jets.

An embarrassing loss to the Dallas Cowboys has tempered expectations in Minnesota, however, as the team is coming back from a string of injuries and continuing its first-year install of O’Connell’s culture, they’re showing they’re built to compete in close games.

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