Adam Thielen: “At some point . . . you have to be able to hit the deep balls”

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Last year’s season-ending loss by the Vikings to the Bears included a sideline squabble between receiver Adam Thielen and quarterback Kirk Cousins. Today’s season-damaging loss to the Bears included Thielen questioning the team’s passing game after the 16-6 loss in Chicago.

“At some point, you’re not going to be able to run the ball for 180 yards, even with the best running back in the NFL,” Thielen told reporters, via Chad Graff of TheAthletic.com. “That’s when you have to be able to throw the ball. . . . You have to be able to hit the deep balls.”

Thielen had only two catches for six yards on six targets during Sunday’s game. That gives him 13 receptions for 179 yards in four games.

Last year, Thielen had 40 catches for 473 yards through four games.

54 responses to “Adam Thielen: “At some point . . . you have to be able to hit the deep balls”

  1. He’s stating the obvious. The Bears said, beat us Kirk, and took away the run. Simple formula for defense, with drastic results. They don’t respect Kirk’s ability to throw. Despite a better OL and a new but very experienced OC, and a running back leading the league, Kirk has found a way to have taken a concerning step back this year. Clearly there is something going awry with thisb player.

  2. Minniesoda is just a QB away from the SB.

    Hint #1 – QB should not be made of glass
    Hint #2 – QB should not be a career journeyman
    Hint #3 – QB should not be paid double his worth

  3. Good this sort of locker room division will only accelerate this team’s inevitable demise. I’ve rooted for this stupid team since 1991 and I’ve never been more accurate in predicting a catastrophic season like this one. I could see it coming after last year’s game against the Seahawks.

    It is already a foregone conclusion that Zimmer and Spielman will be fired before the 2020 season starts (it’s just a matter of when; hopefully spielman won’t be around to screw up this roster anymore than he already has).

    So, fellow Vikings fans: who do you want as the new coach and GM? I’ll take anybody that has connections with building an offensive line and developing a quarterback…you know, the complete opposite of Zimmer and Spielman.

    I like Zimmer but let’s face it, his defenses don’t show up when they play the top 12 teams (ie, playoff caliber teams).

  4. To Viking fans saying they want Kubiak as the new head coach:

    this would be a HUGE mistake. Kubiak cannot last an entire season because of his health problems. also, Kubiaks offenses are not very good. he won a superbowl in Denver because of Von Miller and Wade Phillips defense, and also because the panthers were a very weak nfc champion. His offense that year was actually downright terrible and its performance in the superbowl was historically bad.

  5. Won’t happen until Cousins is gone. Should have kept Sloter as backup. He can at least make something happen with his feet when nothing is there in the passing game. Pluck him from the Arizona PS tomorrow.

  6. I though Cousins was the missing piecr after being signed… and who needs the deep ball when you can run the ball….

    Teams Vikings are gonna go as far as Cousins take them… whoch os gonna be anoit a .500 record….

  7. Thielen was figured out in the last half of last season. It’s not a surprise to anyone his production has fallen off the face of the earth. Wishing, Hoping, and Praying doesn’t change the truth.

  8. Thielen needs to come to the ball instead of stopping his route and waiting for the ball to come to him. He can blame Cousins for throwing it over his outside shoulder on the deep ball if he wants, but show at least some effort before opening your yap.

  9. Alvin KarmaSutra says:

    Good this sort of locker room division will only accelerate this team’s inevitable demise.

    ***

    In my opinion Thielen had gone somewhat celebrity, but nothing he said in this interview hinted at any ‘division’. Not saying there isn’t as Cousins did miss him on a sure TD, and not even saying there shouldn’t be. Granted, Kirk had little time but ball security is a real issue now. And so is Cousins (lack of) pocket presence. Here’s my question: what’s Zimmer’s cut off point for Cousins? Losing record at mid-season? Six loses? He’s regressing and wasn’t good enough before.

  10. Well, I certainly didn’t expect Thielen to throw Cousins under the bus so quickly, especially after just a little adversity.
    Must be some lingering animosity from their run-in in Week 17 from last season.
    The lack of mental discipline on this team is appalling.
    What a shame.

  11. Wafflestomp says:

    The lack of mental discipline on this team is appalling.

    ****

    I call BS on that. Chicago outplayed Minnesota today but they never quit. Not even Cousins, who took some pretty good shots. In fact, the team showed excellent defensive discipline all through the second half of that game. The Bears were dinking and dunking successfully but could not get back in the endzone. Nobody threw anyone under anything. They aren’t Green Bay.

  12. I like Zimmer but let’s face it, his defenses don’t show up when they play the top 12 teams (ie, playoff caliber teams).//////

    The defense got a turnover early and the refs called a ticky tack holding call 30 yards away from the play or the Vikings are inside the 30 of the Bears at the start of the game with the score 0-0. That’s a FG for the Vikes. The Vikings gave up 274 total yards today and 200 passing yards with 16 points. The defense wasn’t the problem. Kirk and the offense was the problem. Kirk’s fumbling is a problem. The play calling was bad, protection packages were bad. The Bears defense dominated the Vikings offense.

  13. I have not seen Kirk Cousins play much, and after yesterday, I don’t desire to see him play at all. He is horrible. Yes the Bears D is excellent, and welcome to the NFL. I feel for the Viking Fans and the players, this guy may be worse than Trubisky, which is epically bad. And for $28,000,000 per year, that is very EXPENSIVE BAD.

  14. cheeseisfattening says:
    September 29, 2019 at 9:39 pm
    It will happen. But it will need to happen against good teams too.
    Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

    Oh, I see. Two teams in the division and both in the Top Ten NFL Power Rankings aren’t good enough to challenge the vaunted Vikings. Good Lord.

  15. How many fumbles can one quarterback have in the season? I wonder what the record is? At least that way we could have a record-setting quarterback. I wasn’t a fan when we picked him up, but I think it’s more than him in this case. Other teams seem to get wide-open receivers and we did under the last OC. It’s pretty rare today. But even though there are other problems, he’s constantly over throwing anybody more than 5 yards away, and his putting the ball on the ground over and over and over has gotten old. I don’t expect a quarterback to win us a Super Bowl if anybody does it’ll be the defense. But get one that will give us a chance

  16. You have to be able to block. You have to be able to throw. You have to be able to hang onto the ball. You have to be able to hit a FG when it matters.

  17. We’re about a loss or two away from some real bloodshed.
    Whether it’s a kicker, or perhaps another OC, or God forbid more mutilated stuffed animals.
    It’s getting close to that time when Zimmer needs to deflect the heat and scapegoat his way out of another season.

  18. The locker room is lost on Cousins and he’s due another $40 plus million, guaranteed, regardless of it. This is the biggest bust since the Herschel Walker fiasco. Maybe worse.

  19. I certainly didn’t expect Thielen to throw Cousins under the bus so quickly,

    —–

    25% of this season is gone. The line and Cousins are awful. The defense couldnt make a third down stop.

    Zimmer is not that good. Cousins is bad. The OL is horrible.

    I kind of hope the season ends badly, fire Zimmer, get a high pick in the draft next year, and they select a QB.

  20. How the heck could Zim possibly be the problem? He’s the only reason they’re fielding a half way decent team. He gone above and beyond to actually make things better. He hasn’t sat around twiddling his thumbs. Every year he’s making a major move in the off season to improve the team.

    Not to mention what he’s had to endure since he’s been there. Started with his wife dying, then almost loses an eye, loses his starting quarterback and running back in back to back years, almost loses his eye a 2nd 3rd 4th and 5th and 12th time, offensive coordinators quitting after starting the season 5-0 or whatever is was…..the list goes on.

    He took a 32nd ranked D and turned them into #11 in 1 off-season, has the best record in the NFC since he became a head coach….I mean come on

  21. joker65 says:
    September 30, 2019 at 10:55 am
    I certainly didn’t expect Thielen to throw Cousins under the bus so quickly,

    —–

    25% of this season is gone. The line and Cousins are awful. The defense couldnt make a third down stop.

    Zimmer is not that good. Cousins is bad. The OL is horrible.

    I kind of hope the season ends badly, fire Zimmer, get a high pick in the draft next year, and they select a QB.
    ——
    WRONG…..
    Get rid of Spielman.
    He is the one who hasn’t been able to find a decent QB.

  22. The freudenschade of these threads amazes me when a team loses and every one piles on. Question One, why didn’t Cousins throw the ball like he was towards the end of the game. Quick release. Question two, why not go no huddle like the Bears were doing to the Vikes. The Bears stopped our fave squads defense by putting the four bunched up receivers on the right or left side then running an RPO. Hence the Vikings couldn’t mug the A and B gaps nor could they blitz effectively. Meh a win in New York will erase the debacle on Chicago.

  23. mrdarkness13 says:
    September 30, 2019 at 12:22 pm
    The freudenschade of these threads amazes me when a team loses and every one piles on. Question One, why didn’t Cousins throw the ball like he was towards the end of the game. Quick release. Question two, why not go no huddle like the Bears were doing to the Vikes. The Bears stopped our fave squads defense by putting the four bunched up receivers on the right or left side then running an RPO. Hence the Vikings couldn’t mug the A and B gaps nor could they blitz effectively. Meh a win in New York will erase the debacle on Chicago.

    —————

    Nothing can erase this loss in our hearts.

    Also, this was a division game, and kind of a big deal. But whatever helps you sleep at night!

  24. Cousins is horrible, the play calling was horrible and 6 points in a game won’t win very many of them. But the packers only scored 4 points more than Cousins with their HOF diva QB.

  25. tokyosandblaster says:
    September 30, 2019 at 8:57 am
    2 receptions for 6 yards?

    Perhaps if he ran faster he could have caught that TD.

    I’ve seen lots of elite wide receivers.

    This guy isn’t.

    Then you sir are an idiot

  26. Forget the line. Good QBs make the line better. No underachieving QBs have ever elevated to greatness because of a new Guard or center. Keenum magically played when our our line was good for one year? No. He was the reason they played better. Our gm just got cute and screwed us for another 5 years. Fire Spielman and zimmer

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