Getty Adam Thielen addressed Stefon Diggs' departure entering a marquee matchup between the Vikings and Bills.
Entering Week 10, the Minnesota Vikings are underdogs for the first time in over a month.
The Buffalo Bills, boasting the NFL’s most productive offense halfway through the 2022 season, open the week as 7.5-point favorites over the Vikings, and former Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs is at the heart of Buffalo’s success — scoring a league-high seven receiving touchdowns so far this season.
Adam Thielen addressed the marquee matchup between two of the league’s top teams and reunion with Diggs for the first time since the superstar receiver was traded in the 2020 offseason.
Adam Thielen Says Isn’t Treating Reunion Like Super Bowl
In a November 7 interview ahead of Sunday’s game at Buffalo, Thielen admitted it is a big game but it will be treated no differently than past weeks.
“I didn’t want it to happen because I had a great relationship with Diggs — still do to this day. I have a ton of respect for the person he is and the teammate he was to me,” Thielen said. “I was bummed out at first but at the same time I was happy for him.”
Thielen added that Justin Jefferson, who was drafted with the 22nd overall pick received in the Vikings’ trade with the Bills, helped ease any of the offense’s worries after losing Diggs.
“For us to get Justin in turn for that, and for him to come in right away and play at such a high level, it really made the transition a lot easier than I could have expected,” Thielen said. “And now to see the way that Justin not only plays the game but what type of teammate he is, his character in the building, outside the building is impressive. It’s good to be around a guy like that.”
And while Diggs’ move to Buffalo made the Bills an overnight contender back in 2020, Thielen said Minnesota is going to view this week like any other game.
“I think it’s important to play well against the best, but we’re not going to treat this like the Super Bowl, but it is a big game for us,” Thielen said.
Vikings Culture is Projecting Confidence Heading Into Toughest Test of the Season
It’s become a question how Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is going to top his road game celebrations on the flight home this season.
Back in Week 4, Cousins was seen on social media sporting a chain on the flight home from London following a win over the New Orleans Saints. The Vikings have won two more road games amid a five-game winning streak since then, with Cousins wearing even more ice every week.
Last Sunday’s win over the Washington Commanders was Cousins’ biggest boon yet. He had his shirt off wearing three of his teammates’ chains.
“The good news is, I sit far enough back that I don’t always hear the party going on up there,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said in a November 7 press conference. “But I think our team is getting extremely close. When I talk to the team after these games, I feel it. I feel a confident team.”
Kirk (7-1) Cousins 💎👀