Lunchbreak: Thielen & Jefferson Have Vikings 'in Full Stride'

[Viktor]

The 6-6 Vikings hold the No. 7 NFC Wild Card spot as they head into Tampa Bay this weekend hoping to keep their name in the postseason field.


After starting out 1-5, Minnesota has bounced back and continued to fight. The upswing is in part thanks to the Vikings offense finding its groove and receivers Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen logging big plays and impressive stats.


CBS Sports' Dan Schneier highlighted the receiver duo in his “Numbers to Know” from Week 13:


The number 12 is a big one for Minnesota Vikings receivers after their 27-24 overtime win versus the Jacksonville Jaguars. Let's talk about Justin Jefferson first, since he's the star rookie. He's now just the fifth player since the NFL merger to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards (1,039) in his first 12 games. Odell Beckham, Jr., is the most recent player to accomplish this feat (2014). Jefferson racked up 121 yards on nine receptions against the Jags, including a 20-yard score that put Minnesota ahead by three late in the third quarter.


Jefferson has a bright future ahead of him, but you can't forget about veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen. He leads the team with 12 touchdown receptions after scoring on a 3-yard strike from Kirk Cousins on Sunday. Thielen joins Randy Moss and Cris Carter as the only players in Vikings history to record 12-plus TD receptions in a single season. It took Minnesota a couple of months to find its footing after starting the season 1-5, but Thielen and Jefferson now have the team in full stride at 6-6.


Schneier included two other NFC North numbers of note, highlighting Bears returner (and former Viking) Cordarrelle Patterson and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.


According to Schneier, Patterson reached "a unique career milestone" featuring the number eight during Chicago's 34-30 loss to Detroit on Sunday.


With his 5-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, Patterson became the only player in NFL history with at least eight career rushing touchdowns, eight career receiving touchdowns and eight* career kickoff return touchdowns.


And 400 is the number for Rodgers.


Aaron Rodgers threw his 400th career touchdown pass in a 30-16 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The long-time Green Bay Packers quarterback is the fastest player ever to reach the milestone, hitting it in his 193rd career game. Rodgers currently leads the league with 36 touchdown passes and has now eclipsed the 35-touchdown mark in five different seasons (NFL record).