After Adam Thielen sustained a right hamstring injury while stretching out for a 25-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter of Sunday's win over the Lions, the Vikings got a chance to see how resourceful their passing game could be without the two-time Pro Bowler.
They'll likely have to lean on that resourcefulness for at least one game. While an MRI on Monday showed Thielen's hamstring injury isn't serious, according to a league source, it's unlikely the Vikings will have Thielen for Thursday night's game against the Redskins. Missing the game would end Thielen's streak of 87 consecutive starts, but it would also allow him to curb what's believed to be a mild hamstring injury before it turns serious.
The wide receiver's absence would force the Vikings to rework their approach against a Redskins defense that's been tougher to throw against than most teams the Vikings have faced. Washington ranks 12th in the NFL in passing yards allowed through seven games (though both Carson Wentz and Tom Brady surpassed 300 yards against them). With Thielen out, the Vikings would likely turn to rookie Bisi Johnson again after he played 52 of the team's 73 snaps and caught four passes for 40 yards, including his first NFL touchdown.
"It felt really good," Johnson said of being targeted eight times on Sunday. "That just shows how much confidence the coaches have in me, and how much confidence [quarterback] Kirk [Cousins] obviously has in me. I can go out there and make plays all the time. That's what I'm here for; that's why I'm here. I'm here to make plays, and I'll do just that."
Cousins connected with seven different receivers on Sunday, with all eight of Johnson's targets coming after Thielen left the game following the Vikings' second series. The Vikings were helped by another big day for Stefon Diggs, who caught seven passes for 142 yards and a touchdown.
The Vikings continued to morph into one of the NFL's most prolific downfield passing attacks largely because of deep shots off play-action.
They have the NFL's third-ranked rushing offense, which accounted for another 166 yards Sunday and has posted 1,120 through seven games after totaling just 1,493 all of last season. The offensive line had just its second game without allowing a sack since 2017 on Sunday.
"It's a big deal," Cousins said of the running game. "Not only the play-action game, but you're calling a first-and-10 run and the next thing you know it's second-and-3, that just keeps your whole playbook available to you. If you get a second-and-10, now their defense can call more prevent coverages that if you do want to take a shot, then it's not going to be there.