ERIC WILSON’S DEFENSIVE BREAKOUT IN THE RED ZONE Entering Week 6, LB Eric Wilson is the only player in the NFL with at least 2.0 sacks and two . His total ties for first among Through five weeks, WR Adam Thielen has cemented himself as linebackers (also Cincinnati’s Logan Wilson) and ranks fifth in the league a red zone threat. Thielen’s 70 yards on seven catches both rank overall. first in the NFL and his five when in the red zone are tied for first. Overall, Thielen has a catch rate above expectation of 51.7% in the red zone, which leads all players in the NFL with at least three red zone targets according to NextGen Stats. Buffalo’s Gabriel Davis owns the next highest percentage at 45.1%. Entering Week 6, Thielen is tied with Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans for the most receiving touchdowns in the league with both players having scored six. Thielen’s 21 touchdowns since the beginning of the 2018 season are tied for the fourth-most in the NFL during that span.

BY THE The Vikings defense has held opponents to a 27.8% Entering Week 6, Minnesota has success rate on third downs in 2020, the best in the only allowed opposing offenses a NFL. Since Zimmer took over in 2014, the Vikings have total of 15 third down conversions, NUMBERS 27.8 had the best third down defense in the NFL with an 15 the second-fewest allowed in the 3RD DOWN DEFENSE allowed conversion rate of 34.9% on third down. NFL behind New England (14).

Minnesota has started rookie CBs and The Vikings have had three different running Cook has scored a rushing in the Cameron Dantzler in each of the past two contests, backs (Boone, Cook, Mattison) rush for over 100 first five games of the season, the longest marking the first time since October 17, 1999, the yards in a single game over the last two seasons, active streak in the NFL and third longest in 2 team has started two rookie CBs in the same game 3 joining the Colts (Mack, Taylor and Williams) 5 Vikings history, trailing only Tommy Mason (6 (last Kenny Wright and Chris Rogers at Detroit). and 49ers (Breida, Coleman and Mostert) as the in 1965) and Bill Brown (7 in 1967). only teams to do so. For the second consecutive season, Minnesota’s S Harrison Smith ranks seventh on the Vikings all- Entering Week 6, TE Kyle Rudolph’s offense has posted two consecutive games of time career interceptions list with 24 and is only 86 consecutive starts rank as the 400 or more net yards to begin the month of 24 the second defensive back in the NFL since 2010 to longest active start streak among all October. In 2019, the Vikings averaged 468.8 net record at least 13.0 sacks (also Jamal Adams - 14.0) . 86 NFL tight ends. 400+ yards per game in October. VIKINGS SACK LEADER YANNICK NGAKOUE ON THE MOVE DE Yannick Ngakoue leads the Vikings with 5.0 sacks entering Week 6. The total is tied for third Second-year RB Alexander Mattison in the NFL. Ngakoue’s 5.0 sacks through the first five weeks of the season are tied for seventh- recorded his first career game with 100 or most in team history while his two forced are tied for second. Jared Allen recorded more rushing yards at Seattle in Week 5. three forced fumbles through the opening five weeks in 2009. He totaled 80 yards in the fourth quarter alone after taking over primary rushing duties for an injured . His single-game, fourth-quarter total of 80 yards ranks second-most in the league through five weeks. Overall, Mattison’s 4.98 yards per rush ranks 10 in the league through five weeks among qualified rushers.

Rookie WR ranks fifth in the league among qualified receivers entering Week 6 with an average gain JEFFERSON of 19.5 yards per catch. Per NextGen Stats, Jefferson also ranks third in receiving yards per route (2.9) by a wide receiver with a minimum of 25 targets. Overall, his 371 yards receiving are second-most among rookies in 2020 and trail only ON THE RISE CeeDee Lamb’s 433 yards.