Colts: 3 key matchups we’re excited to see vs Vikings

1. Colts CBs vs Adam Thielen

Indy’s defensive game plan in Week 2 should revolve around Adam Thielen.

It’s obviously going to take a collective effort from the Colts secondary to neutralize Kirk Cousins and the Vikings’ aerial attack.

However, we would assert that the player(s) lined up against stud wide receiver Adam Thielen will be crucial in determining Indianapolis’ chances at doing just that. The two-time Pro Bowler tallied six receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1, which accounted for over 42% of Cousins’ 259 yards. No other Vikings pass catcher logged more than four catches or 56 yards.

Those numbers prove just how much Minnesota misses Stefon Diggs, who was traded to Buffalo this offseason. 2020 first-round pick Justin Jefferson will eventually morph into a stud for them, but it’s going to take time for him to develop a rapport with Cousins and adjust to the speed of the NFL with no preseason and a delayed start to training camp.

That’s precisely what makes the matchup with Thielen so imperative: Minnesota doesn’t have a reliable No. 2 WR at this stage of the season. The Colts run a zone-oriented scheme, so we should expect both Rock Ya-Sin and Xavier Rhodes to get a healthy dose of the Vikings star this week.

You might think the latter has the advantage over the former in this matchup considering that he played six seasons with Thielen in Minnesota, but Rhodes was absolutely woeful in coverage against Jacksonville. As familiar as the veteran cornerback is with his former teammate’s route running, we would prefer the Colts to line up Ya-Sin against Thielen as much as possible. Either way, this is still a matchup that will garner most (if not all) of our attention on Sunday.