Week 16 Was a Big One for Some Obscure Former Vikings

With the Vikings playing the first game of the week on Friday, Minnesota fans may or may not have tuned into some of the other matchups across the NFL on Saturday and Sunday. Those who did so may have found themselves surprised by the contributions of several obscure players who once donned Vikings purple.

There are plenty of prominent former Vikings who have had large roles all season long, or at least at various points in the year. Stefon Diggs might lead the NFL in receiving yards. Teddy Bridgewater has struggled as the starting QB in Carolina. Xavier Rhodes has had a big-time bounce-back year for the Colts. Adrian Peterson, Cordarrelle Patterson, Linval Joseph, Mackensie Alexander, and Andrew Sendejo are a few more examples of long-time Vikings who see the field every week somewhere else. Everson Griffen and Pat Elflein changed teams mid-season but are still around.

What stood out about this week is that it wasn't any of those guys who stood out. Instead, it was several former Vikings of the "deep-cut" variety. I'm talking about players who didn't do much in Minnesota and were probably forgotten about rather quickly by most fans.

Much of the action I'm referring to happened in the Washington-Carolina game. With Alex Smith out and Dwayne Haskins playing very poorly, Washington turned to Taylor Heinicke at quarterback late in a very important game. Remember him? The undrafted free agent was with the Vikings from 2015 to 2017, only playing in preseason games but creating a couple memorable moments during those exhibition contests.

Washington trailed Bridgewater's Panthers 20-6 when Haskins was benched for Heinicke in the fourth quarter, in part because of a special teams touchdown by another former Viking. Brandon Zylstra, a native of Spicer, MN, who was with the Vikings in 2018 and 2019, dove on a loose ball for the game's opening score.

.@brandon_zylstra with the clutch dive 🙌 pic.twitter.com/i2LPnDeixy
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 27, 2020

Heinicke played well, going 12 of 19 for 137 yards and a touchdown, but it was too little, too late.

TD

📺 #CARvsWAS CBS pic.twitter.com/He7ZORWE10
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) December 28, 2020

He might get another chance to start in a must-win game for Washington if Alex Smith isn't ready to play this Sunday night against the Eagles. Haskins was released by the team on Monday. It's wild to think that a team's playoff fate might end up in the hands of Heinicke.

Elsewhere in the NFL, the Falcons made things very interesting with the Chiefs thanks to a go-ahead touchdown catch by former Vikings first-round pick Laquon Treadwell. He has caught four passes for 34 yards over the past three weeks, but two of those catches have gone for TDs.

Matt Ryan to Laquon Treadwell gives the @AtlantaFalcons a fourth quarter lead! #RiseUpATL

📺: #ATLvsKC on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/IFHvVPw7XT pic.twitter.com/b7Jo5YY2fJ
— NFL (@NFL) December 27, 2020

The Chiefs came back and won, but it was still a cool moment for Treadwell, who is considered one of the biggest Vikings busts in recent memory.

I was hoping for a Khari Blasingame or MyCole Pruitt touchdown against the Packers on SNF to keep the trend going, but alas.

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