Viking wide receiver Adam Thielen, fresh off his first game back in over a month in Los Angeles Sunday, talked to Dave Lee Friday morning as the Vikings get ready for a massive clash with rival Green Bay.
Thielen, who has been nursing an injured hamstring, has been a full participant in practice all week and seems to be at least close to 100% back. The hamstring injury, notoriously difficult to heal, appears to be behind him.
"Good to get my feet back under me," said Thielen. "Get a few more practices under my belt. Feels good to be back out there."
Having a game on Monday Night Football is also a benefit to Thielen. At this point in the NFL season, an extra day off provides more cruicial healing time.
"We got an extra day to take care of our bodies. Lifting, meetings and no practice. It was nice to get the time. Had a good start to the week and excited to get back out there today."
The Packers, leading the Vikings by a game in the division, have been winning with a running game and defense so far this year. While Aaron Rodgers is still definitely their biggest weapon, the Packers have improved a defense that struggled in 2018 and has been winning games for them.
Thielen says the team is still very confident with the 3rd and 4th string backs.
"That's probably the position we have the most depth in. We have Mike Boone, we have Ameer Abdullah, guys that can step in and don't miss a beat. We saw it Sunday. Boone gets in there and the offense is rolling. Obviously, we want Dalvin in there, and Alex (Mattison). Those guys are our best weapons. At the same time, there's not much drop off. We'll see. There's still a lot of days until Monday night so we'll see what happens."
Boone scored two touchdowns late in the Charger game, and while Abdullah has been primarily a special teams player for the Vikings, he was the primary back for Detroit his first three years in the league. Of course none of them compare to Dalvin Cook, who has provided much more explosiveness out of the backfield than any of their other backs.
What's undecided is the NFC North championship, and the much better playoff position that goes with it.
Even if the Vikings beat Green Bay, they'll need some luck to win the division. The Packers just have to win in Detroit the last week of the season to clinch the division thanks to tie-breakers. The Lions have really struggled down the stretch, have 3 wins and have lost 7 in a row without starting QB Matthew Stafford.
If the Vikings win both games, and Green Bay loses both games, the Vikings have a shot at a first-round bye. But the much more likely possibility has them in as a Wild Card playing on the road.
"We've had a few of those this year where our crowd travels extremely well. It's definitely a really cool sight to see. It gives you an extra incentive to win. You don't want to lose when your fans travel all that way to watch you and cheer you on. Definitely a different atmosphere, playing on the road in warm weather, and it feels like a home game."
TurnoversThe Vikings created (or at least helped create thanks to some sloppy play by LA) 7 turnovers in the game against the Chargers. That's the most the Vikings have turned a team over since 1995.
Turning the ball over has always been a focus of Mike Zimmer lead defenses. With playmakers like Danielle Hunter, Eric Kendricks, Harrison Smith and others, the Vikes expect to create situations where they can get the ball back to the offense. The Vikings are currently 4th in the NFL in turnover margin at +11. It's a crucial stat to winning the NFL.
This week, the trouble is this: Green Bay is better with turnover margin.
At +14, the Packers are 2nd to New England's +24 (seriously, +24 for the Patriots). Green Bay has turned the ball over only 9 times all year, with Rodgers only throwing 2 picks.
Overall, the Vikings create more turnovers than the Packers do, but when it comes to ball security, only New Orleans is better than Green Bay.
It'll be crucial that Minnesota plays error-free on offense Monday night if they're going to win.