–Defensive end Everson Griffen won’t return to the team this week as he continues to deal with a mental-health issue. Griffen, a three-time Pro Bowl player, will miss his fifth straight game.
–Defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson is preparing to play his former team but isn’t getting involved in any talk with the Jets, who were his team through his first four NFL seasons. “Another game,” Richardson said Wednesday. “Not putting myself above the team. Whatever personal vendetta I have is between me.” Richardson didn’t get into any reasons for a vendetta. He made one Pro Bowl appearance for New York but was traded to Seattle in 2017.
“In the Rex (Ryan) regime, I was doing pretty good for the most part, making a name for myself in the league,” Richardson said. “After that, you know, just kind of self-inflicted wounds and just me not overcoming my own personal battles in life. They got me out of there and they changed everything around there. That’s pretty much it.”
–Wide receiver Adam Thielen continued his record-setting start last week by catching 11 passes for 123 yards. Thielen has 58 receptions this season, the most by any player in NFL history through the first six games of the season. Thielen’s 712 receiving yards is tied for the third-most for a player through the first six games of a season. It’s the highest total in the league this season and a Vikings’ record through six games. He’s had three games with at least 10 catches this season, just one shy of Cris Carter for the most in a single season in team history. Thielen’s six games with 100 receiving yards is two behind Randy Moss for the most in a single season in team history, a feat Moss accomplished twice.
“He’s one of the best in the league right now,” Jets head coach Todd Bowles said of Thielen.
–Defensive end Danielle Hunter is streaking. Hunter is the only player in the NFL to record a sack in every game he’s played this season. Hunter begins the week tied with Houston’s J.J. Watt for the lead in sacks with seven and tied with Indianapolis defensive end Margus Hunt for the league lead with nine tackles for loss.
“I think Danielle can play a million plays if he wanted to,” head coach Mike Zimmer said. “He is 22 or something and he is built like Adonis.”
–Cornerback Mike Hughes, the No. 30 overall pick in this year’s draft, was officially placed on injured reserve and he will miss the rest of the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee. It’s the second straight season Minnesota has lost its top draft pick to an ACL tear. Last year, running back Dalvin Cook sustained the injury in Week 4.
“For a young guy, he was real professional about everything,” head coach Mike Zimmer said. “Studied hard, asked good questions. Never afraid to ask anything. Not afraid to compete. A lot of times it’s just learning the speed of the game and trying to understand the concepts and coverage and things like that.”
–Cornerback Mackensie Alexander has split time with first-round pick Mike Hughes this season, but Alexander’s role should grow with Hughes out for the season with a torn ACL in his left knee. Alexander played much of Sunday’s game, including the first snaps for anyone, in the nickel back spot.
“He’s been more disciplined in coverage, I guess that’s the best way to say it,” head coach Mike Zimmer said of his improvement. “I think he understands things so much better now, being there. Sometimes these young guys have a hard time moving around to different spots, so I think it’s just good to settle things down.”
–Defensive tackle David Parry was re-signed this week as CB Mike Hughes was placed on injured reserve. Parry made the Vikings’ roster out of training camp this season and played in two games, notching a sack in Week 2 against Green Bay. Parry was released when defensive tackle Tom Johnson returned to Minnesota after being released by Seattle.
–Running back Latavius Murray is coming off a career-high 155 yards rushing against Arizona last week. Murray, starting in place of the inactive Dalvin Cook, had 24 carries and four rushes of at least 20 yards for Minnesota’s best rushing output of the season. Entering last week’s game, the Vikings were second-to-last in the league in rushing, while Arizona had the league’s second-worst run defense. New York is 17th in the league in run defense, giving up 108.7 yards per game.
BY THE NUMBERS: 6 – Consecutive games with 100 yards receiving to start the season for Adam Thielen, which is just the second time in NFL history a player has started a season with six straight 100-yard receiving games. Thielen, who is the only player to accomplish the feat in the Super Bowl era, tied Houston’s Charley Hennigan. Hennigan started the season with seven straight 100-yard receiving games in 1961 (the second year of the AFL), a record Thielen will try and tie on Sunday in New York.
