NORSE NOTES WEEK 13 // AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS // GILLETTE STADIUM IRON MEN THIELEN’ 100 • Set to make his 100th career start this Sunday, TE Kyle • With 8 receptions for 125 yards and 1 TD Rudolph leads all NFL TEs with 60 consecutive games played last week vs. Green Bay, WR Adam Thielen (all starts). became the 1st player in Vikings history to • WR Adam Thielen has played in 75 consecutive games since record 9 games of 100+ receiving yards in a joining Minnesota’s active roster in 2014, the 4th longest single season. active appearance streak among NFL WRs. His 31 consecutive Games of 100+ Rec. Yards in a Single Season starts mark the 3rd longest active start streak among NFL Minnesota Vikings WRs. Rk. Name, Season Games Consecutive Reg. Season Starts, TEs Consecutive Reg. Season Starts, WRs 1. Adam Thielen, 2018 9 Rk. Name, Team Starts Rk. Name, Team Starts 2. Randy Moss, 2003 8 1. K. Rudolph, MIN 60 1. D. Thomas, HOU 107 2. Randy Moss, 2000 8 2. Virgil Green, LAC 28 2. Larry Fitzgerald, ARI 63 4. Randy Moss, 2002 7 3. Tyler Higbee, LAR 27 3. Adam Thielen, MIN 31 4. Randy Moss, 1999 7 4. Zach Ertz, PHI 14 4. Julio Jones, ATL 29 6. Cris Carter, 2000 6 5. Jonnu Smith, TEN 13 5. Brandon Cooks, LAR 25 • Thielen needs 2 more games of 100+ receiving DEAD END ZONE yards to tie the NFL’s single-season record of • Since Week 5 the Vikings defense has allowed an average of 11 games with 100+ receiving yards, held 16.28 points per game, tied for the 2nd lowest average in the by Michael Irvin (1995) and Calvin Johnson NFL. (2012). • The Vikings defense has only allowed 10 offensive TDs since Week 5, tied for the lowest total in the NFL. Total Off. TDs Allowed, Wks 5-12 Passing TDs Allowed, Wks 5-12 Rk. Name, Team TDs Rk. Name, Team TDs 1. Minnesota Vikings 10 1. Minnesota Vikings 6 1. Los Angeles Chargers 10 1. Los Angeles Chargers 6 3. Houston Texans 12 3. Buffalo Bills 7 4. Dallas Cowboys 13 4. Houston Texans 8 5. Pittsburgh Steelers 15 5. Pittsburgh Steelers 9 RED ZONE SHOWDOWN • Since Tom Brady became the Patriots’ starting QB in 2001, New England has scored a TD on 59.51% of its red zone trips, the highest rate in the NFL in that span. • Since Mike Zimmer took over the Vikings defense in 2014, • Randy Moss and Cris Carter are the only Minnesota has held opponents to a red zone TD rate of pair of Vikings to each record 6 or more 47.64%, the 3rd lowest rate in the NFL. games with 100+ receiving yards in the same • Minnesota’s defense is allowing red zone TDs at a rate of only season, doing so in 2000 (Moss - 8 games, 43.24% in 2018, the lowest mark in the NFL. New England’s Carter - 6 games). offensive red zone TD rate sits at 63.16% in 2018, the 13th • WR Stefon Diggs has recorded 4 games with highest rate in the NFL. 100+ receiving yards in 2018. NOTE THE QUOTE Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer On DT Sheldon Richardson’s success this season “He’s very, very athletic and he’s got really good strength. One of the things we look for in our three-technique is first step quickness and then lateral quickness and he has those things really well. But the thing that kind of surprised me a little bit is the power that he has with it. The good three-techniques I have been around have all kind of had those qualities.”.