Can the Minnesota Vikings snap out of their slump?
Wide receiver Adam Thielen thinks so, telling WCCO on a Friday call he's excited to play in prime time against the Bears on Monday Night Football. "You want to play the best, and at their best see what you can do against them," he said.
It continues to be "not ideal" to play without a crowd, he said, but "at the same time we're getting used to it now ... You've kind of got to create your own energy on the sideline ... Now you kind of have to be cheerleaders on the sidelines when you're not on offense."
In terms of the setting, Thielen said Soldier Field in Chicago presents an extra challenge. "We've had tough times playing there ... The field's always a little slick and we're not used to that. It's a challenge."
Rotoballer.com reports that Thielen has only five catches for 65 yards over his last two games as "the Vikings offense has shifted towards a more run-heavy attack." Thielen praised the team for tapping so many players onto the field.
On the running game, he had high praise for Delvin Cook, saying he's "at a high level and just kind of playing ball."
"The more playmakers we can get involved, the more guys that can make plays, it only helps us as a team. Thankful for the amount of guys on this team that can make plays. Not only that, the great locker room guys that they are."
A Rotoballer preview of the game says, "(Thielen) will face a Bears defense that is allowing the third fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers, including only three touchdowns to the position all season. Thielen has been, at times, overshadowed by the emergence of rookie receiver Justin Jefferson but has balanced that out with seven touchdown catches on the season. Thielen may, however, lean closer to a touchdown-dependent fantasy option in Week 10 against a highly talented secondary."
Still, a fantasy football expert picked Thielen as a breakout star this week, writing, "I could see him getting a heavy target load as the Vikings try and battle against a tough Chicago secondary."
Meanwhile, Thielen, an avid golfer, is prepping for the game while checking in every chance he can get on the Master's Tournament. "I've played Augusta, it's kind of crazy, it was on my bucket list ... I got lucky to get out there and play a round or two," Thielen said. "The craziest time is sometimes you feel like you're putting straight uphill and the caddy's like, 'actually, you're putting downhill.'"
