You never know how these things work out. The true character of a team normally reveals itself during a time of adversity. That’s what the Vikings face Sunday when they play the Giants at MetLife Stadium.
Though the Vikings might not be the NFL’s version of Team Turmoil just yet, they certainly aren’t a happy family as they prepare to visit the Meadowlands. One might suggest the Giants, especially the Giants’ defense, are catching the Vikings at the right time. There is enough discontent with the offense in Minnesota it will either tear the team apart or galvanize its splintered factions at the Giants’ expense.
Let’s review: Wide receivers Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs aren’t happy with the Vikings’ run-heavy philosophy. After four games last season, Thielen had 40 catches for 473 yards. This year, he has 13 for 178 yards. Diggs had 27 catches for 311 yards in his first four games a year ago. This year, he has 13 receptions for 209 yards and one touchdown. Thielen made his displeasure known after a 16-6 loss at Chicago last Sunday, when he caught two passes for 6 yards. He criticized the Vikings’ run-first offense, saying, “At some point, you’re not going to be able to run the ball for 180 yards.”
Diggs expressed his frustrations by skipping practice Wednesday for non-injury related reasons. Now rumors are swirling Diggs wants to be traded. Meanwhile, quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has taken heat for his lack of accuracy, especially on deep passes, apologized for not connecting with Thielen more.
Diggs returned to the Vikings team facility on Thursday and said he intends to play against the Giants “if [the Vikings] let me.” He added there was “truth to all rumors,” surrounding his desire to be traded.
How all of this will impact Sunday’s game is uncertain. It could make the more Vikings conscious of getting the ball to Thielen and Diggs, which is what Giants safety Jabrill Peppers is expecting.
“We know they’re going to take some shots this week,” Peppers said. “Kirk has already apologized to those guys, so we know he’s going to look to get them the ball more. We definitely know we have a tall task ahead of us.”
Peppers admitted he has been monitoring the banter from Minnesota in preparation for Sunday’s game featuring 2-2 teams.
“I pay attention to everything,” he said. “You have to know what to expect. Kirk knows he has playmakers. They voiced their opinion. He’s going to try to get his playmakers the ball.”
Despite recently signing Thielen and Diggs to contracts that could be worth an estimated $154 million, coach Mike Zimmer favors an old-school, run-first offense centered on versatile running back Dalvin Cook. The Vikings have the league’s third-best rushing attack, averaging 155.3 yards per game, while the passing offense is second to last at 169 yards an outing. Of the Vikings’ 226 offensive plays, 119 have been rushing attempts. Cook has 71 carries for 410 yards and five touchdowns.
Giants defensive coordinator James Bettcher isn’t buying into the notion the Vikings will try to throw more to appease Thielen and Diggs. The Giants will be focused on stopping Cook and hope their pass rush and pass coverage will rattle Cousins.
“We’ve identified the things that they do that we know we need to defend,” Bettcher told The Post. “All the coulda, shoulda, or maybes aren’t taken into consideration, otherwise we could be chasing a bunch of potential ghosts instead of trying to nail down who the opponent is.”
While the Vikings bicker, the Giants are coming off their best defensive performance of the season in Sunday’s 24-3 win over Washington. The Vikings have better offensive talent than the Redskins. Maybe too much talent and not enough footballs.