Written By Arif Hasan (ColdOmaha.com)
Photo Credit: Kyle Hansen
Normally when identifying the player of the game, analysts will pick the flashiest player on offense who produced the gaudiest volume-driven statistics. That, in turn, leads to others (like me) who sometimes try too hard to be clever and select a player whose position doesn’t typically produce statistics or plays an unsung position.
In this case, it’s not difficult: the best player on the field for the Vikings was Stefon Diggs, who also produced the best statistics and played a flashy position.
There were more impactful plays from other players, like Eric Kendricks’ interception or Harrison Smith’s key 3rd-and-1 stop, but Diggs was consistently performing for the Vikings despite questions at the quarterback position.
Beyond being the best player in the game, Diggs demonstrated translatable qualities that distinguish him from merely being productive and instead being a consistent threat for the Vikings —evidently even with a backup quarterback throwing the ball.
Bleacher Report ranked him as the 28th-best receiver entering the season, and Pro Football Focus liked him even more than that, giving him an 81.8 — a top-20 grade.
He tailed off at the end of last year for what could be a variety of reasons, and entered this season determined to make good on the early hype he garnered from his mid-season play. His training camp was excellent, and his preseason was fun to watch, but it wasn’t until he went off against Tennessee on Sunday that it felt real that he could emerge as a top receiver.
PFF ranked Diggs as the fifth-best receiver of the week, and he made their all-Week 1 team despite grading a bit lower than Larry Fitzgerald.
What exactly does Diggs do to make him a threat as a receiver?
Click here for Arif’s complete analysis.