Kevin Stefanski's Comments on Adam Thielen Injury Status Won't Make Vikings Fans Comfortable
By Adam Weinrib
The Minnesota Vikings are 1/4 of the way to an upset-laden Super Bowl run, but they might've just been dealt a significant obstacle before heading on the road to San Francisco.
At the very least, offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski didn't do much to quell worries on Wednesday.
When asked about a previously-unreported rumor about an Adam Thielen ankle injury, Stefanski took the first step towards verbally covering for his absence.
The media was unaware of Adam Thielen's ankle injury before news conferences today since the report wasn't yet available. So Stefanski was asked about Thielen overcoming injuries this season.
— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) January 8, 2020
"We're fortunate that we have guys at every position who can make a play," he said.
Not exactly a ringing endorsement of Thielen's ability to go full speed on Saturday!
"Coach is your guy gonna be able to play?"
— Drew Magary (@drewmagary) January 8, 2020
"Well you know people die all the time, but other people are still around when that kinda thing happens"
You may remember the Vikings' most important downfield weapon from his 43-yard catch on a perfectly-executed Kirk Cousins bomb in OT to set Minnesota up to find paydirt for the game-winner. It's safe to say that, with a hobbled Thielen, Stefon Diggs' targets will go up, but Minny's chances of winning will not.
If this team's to succeed throughout the remainder of the NFC Playoffs, they're going to be propelled by Dalvin Cook and the defense. But, nobody who's previously stepped in for Thielen has adequately mimicked his skillset. This doesn't feel very comforting.