Vikings Season Review: Diggs Leads WR Cast

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — The Vikings leading receiver in 2015 wasn’t on their roster last season. In fact, he wasn’t even in the league. But Stefon Diggs, a fifth-round pick out of Maryland, had a breakout rookie season to lead the Vikings collection of wide receivers. Minnesota finished 31st in the league with 183 passing yards per game, but there were still plenty of big plays to go around. Here’s a look back at how Minnesota’s wide receivers fared in 2015:‑Stefon Diggs Although Diggs was inactive for the first three games of the season, he burst on the scene in Week 4 at Denver. Diggs’ first four games turned plenty of heads as he hauled in 25 catches for 419 yards and two touchdowns. Diggs finished as the team leader in catches with 52 and yards with 720. His four touchdown catches ranked second behind tight end Kyle Rudolph. He became the first rookie to lead the Vikings in receptions, and his 52 catches rank third in team history for rookies. Diggs said teams picked up on some of his tendencies as the season went on but added that he still has plenty more moves to show off going forward. “I’m just scratching the surface,” the 23-year-old said. “I’m still young and got a lot of time to grow.”‑Mike Wallace Wallace, who ranked second among receivers and third overall in the Vikings passing game, also wasn’t with the Vikings the previous season. Minnesota acquired Wallace and a seventh-round pick used to select Edmond Robinson for a fifth-round selection last March. He finished with 39 receptions for 473 yards and two touchdowns. Wallace will be 30 years old when next season starts. And even though his first season in purple didn’t go the way he expected, he still has the support of Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer. “I’m disappointed more so that it wasn’t the season that he wanted or we wanted,” Zimmer said on Jan. 12. “I say this from my heart, I love this kid, I love the way he works, I love the way he competes.”‑Jarius Wright The 2014 season marked the first year of Wright’s four-year career in which he didn’t find the end zone. But Wright, who recorded 34 catches for 442 yards, still found ways to contribute. Wright was especially noticeable at moving the chains, especially late in the season. During the month of December, nine of Wright’s 13 catches resulted in first downs. And of those nine catches, four were on third down. “I enjoy having the ball in my hands,” Wright said after the season. “Just an opportunity to make a play for the Minnesota Vikings, it was an accomplishment in itself.” ‑Charles Johnson Johnson joined the Vikings partway through the 2014 season when he was signed off Cleveland’s practice squad. He caught on fast but saw his role reduced this season. Both Johnson and Zimmer said it was a numbers game when it came to Johnson’s playing time. Johnson finished with nine catches for 127 yards. “I’m going to continue to do what I do,” Johnson said on Jan. 11. “I’m going to continue to work hard and get better every day. It’s just unfortunate circumstances this year. It was nothing I really did.”‑Adam Thielen Primarily a special teams standout, Thielen had eight catches for 137 yards and a score in 2014. Although he didn’t find the end zone in 2015, he upped his catches (12) and yards (144). The Minnesota native’s biggest moment came in Week 17 against the Packers, as Thielen’s 41-yard run on a fake punt helped the Vikings claim their first NFC North crown since 2009. ‑Cordarrelle Patterson The special teams ace led the NFL in kickoff return average at 31.8 yards per return, and was named to the Pro Bowl after taking two returns back for scores. Offensively, however, Patterson tallied just two catches for 10 yards. Five of the six receivers were involved in at least one rushing play in 2015. Thielen led the way with four carries for 89 yards, Wright posted a gain of 29, Patterson rushed twice for 15 yards, Diggs rushed three times for 13 and Wallace posted a gain of 6 on his lone carry. The chart below shows receiving statistics for the Vikings and their opponents in 2015. Rec. Yards Avg. Long TD Diggs 52 720 13.8 40t 4 Rudolph 49 495 10.1 47t 5 Wallace 39 473 12.1 34 2 Wright 34 442 13.0 52 0 Peterson 30 222 7.4 49 0 McKinnon 21 173 8.2 30 1 Asiata 19 132 6.9 22 0 Thielen 12 144 12.0 30 0 Ellison 11 124 11.3 41 1 Pruitt 10 89 8.9 32 0 Johnson 9 127 14.1 35 0 Line 6 95 15.8 49 1 Patterson 2 10 5.0 9 0 VIKINGS 294 3,246 11.0 52 14 OPPONENTS 359 4,042 11.3 72t 24

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Vikings Season Review: Diggs Leads WR Cast

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