Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen Have Been Catalysts for Vikings' Recent Success Against Packers
There was a time, not all that long ago, when playing the Packers came with a high probability of a loss for the Vikings.
During a 12-game span from the teams' first meeting of the 2010 season through their first meeting in 2015 – which includes one playoff game in 2012 – the Vikings went 1-10-1 against their biggest rival. Six of those ten losses came by double-digits, as the Vikings rarely had an answer for Aaron Rodgers.
Under Mike Zimmer, the Vikings' fortunes gradually began to change. After an 0-3 start, Zimmer's teams are 5-2-1 in the last eight games against the Packers. That has a lot to do with Zimmer's defenses, which have made life tougher on Rodgers (who, it's worth remembering, played just one quarter against the Vikings in 2017 before getting hurt).
It also has a lot to do with the emergence of the Vikings' superstar wide receiver duo. Since 2016, the year when Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen both broke out for over 900 receiving yards, they've had some of their biggest performances against the Packers.
Diggs has scored in six straight games against the Packers, compiling 36 catches for 525 yards and seven touchdowns during that span. That's an average of 6.0 catches for 87.5 yards and 1.2 touchdowns per game. He missed a game in 2017 due to injury.
Thielen has played in all seven games since 2016, catching 52 passes for 694 yards and four touchdowns (average: 7.4 catches, 99 yards, 0.6 touchdowns).
Here's a quick breakdown of those seven games.
Game 1, 2016: Vikings 17, Packers 14
Diggs: 9 catches for 182 yards and a touchdown
Thielen: 4 catches for 41 yards
Coming off of a 2015 season in which they beat the Packers in Week 17 to claim their first NFC North title in six years, the Vikings had high expectations in 2016. In the first regular season game at U.S. Bank Stadium, Diggs went off for a career-high in receiving yards that has stood to this day. Sam Bradford connected with Diggs for gains of 44, 46, and 25 yards, with the latter going for a huge third-quarter touchdown.
Game 2, 2016: Packers 38, Vikings 25
Diggs: 4 catches for 29 yards and a touchdown
Thielen: 12 catches for 202 yards and two touchdowns
After a 5-0 start, the Vikings' 2016 season crashed and burned. This game wasn't as close as the final score looked, as Rodgers was unstoppable in getting the Packers out to a 38-13 lead at Lambeau Field. But Thielen had a huge game, finishing just nine yards shy of breaking the Vikings' single-game receiving record. His 71-yard touchdown in the second-quarter kept the Vikings alive, and late touchdowns to Diggs and Thielen made the final score a bit less ugly.
Game 1, 2017: Vikings 23, Packers 10
Diggs: DNP
Thielen: Nine catches for 96 yards
Also known as the game where Anthony Barr injured Rodgers. Diggs was out with an injury, but Thielen had a strong day.
Game 2, 2017: Vikings 16, Packers 0
Diggs: Five catches for 60 yards and a touchdown
Thielen: Two catches for 24 yards
The Vikings defense shut out Brett Hundley and the Packers at Lambeau, and the offense did just enough to move to 12-3 on the season.
Game 1, 2018: Vikings 29, Packers 29
Diggs: Nine catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns (and a two-point conversion)
Thielen: 12 catches for 131 yards and a touchdown
In last season's wild affair in Green Bay, Diggs and Thielen each had monster games. With the Vikings trailing 20-7 after three quarters, the duo caught all three of their touchdowns in the fourth quarter. That included an absolute bomb from Kirk Cousins to Diggs for a 75-yard touchdown, and a ridiculous throw and catch to Thielen with less than a minute left.
Of course, Daniel Carlson would go on to miss two field goals in overtime, and the game ended as a tie.
Game 2, 2018: Vikings 24, Packers 17
Diggs: Eight catches for 77 yards and a touchdown
Thielen: Eight catches for 125 yards and a touchdown
This felt like a big win at the time, even if the 2018 season ended in disappointing fashion. It brought the Vikings' record to 6-4-1, keeping their season afloat, and was their first win over a healthy Rodgers since 2016. Once again, Cousins' rapport with both Diggs and Thielen was outstanding. They each caught TD passes during a 17-0 run that helped the Vikings pick up the victory in primetime.
Game 1, 2019: Packers 21, Vikings 16
Diggs: One catch for 49 yards and a touchdown
Thielen: Five catches for 75 yards
Back in Week 2 of this season, the Vikings nearly completed a massive comeback from a 21-0 hole. A long Dalvin Cook touchdown run and a deep touchdown pass from Cousins to Diggs got the Vikings back in it, but Cousins threw an ill-fated interception while targeting Diggs in the end zone that ended the rally. That performance remains Cousins' worst as a Viking by far, in terms of passer rating. Diggs and Thielen still posted decent numbers, but Diggs caught just one pass on seven targets as Packers cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Kevin King played well.
Diggs would be fined for removing his helmet on the field, and tensions within the Vikings' offense grew even higher two weeks later after an ugly loss to the Bears.
Almost three months later, a lot has changed. Cousins and Diggs are enjoying the best individual seasons of their careers, and Thielen is finally back after missing a good chunk of the year with a hamstring injury. The Vikings have all but wrapped up a playoff spot, and can stay alive in the division race with a win on Monday night.
Diggs and Thielen continuing their dominance against the Packers would go a long ways towards making that a reality.
