The Minnesota Vikings and wide receiver Adam Thielen should have a couple grievances to file today with the league over some shady officiating last night in Los Angeles.
For some reason, the refs were doing their darnedest last night to hold Adam Thielen back.
It started early in the game, the first play of the second quarter in fact when Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins hit Adam Thielen for a 27-yard catch. Thielen went to the ground to make the catch but was never touched down by the Rams defender. Thielen got up, beat another Rams defender and had nothing but endzone in front of him...until the refs blew the whistle and called him down.
Here's the video...
That drive stalled and the Vikings kicked a field goal, missing out on the additional 4-points early in the game.
Later in the third quarter, the refs came after Adam again.
With the Vikings moving the ball up the field and crossing over into Rams territory, Adam Thieln was hit with the knee of a defender to the helmet. Thielen got up a little slow, adjusted his helmet and went back to the huddle. The play was called, Adam ran to the line of scrimmage and before Kirk Cousins could snap the ball, the whistles blew and the ATC official off the field had called for a stoppage of play to assess Thielen with the concussion protocol. Pleading his health, Thielen was livid with the officials decision throwing his mouth piece and shouting his feelings (video below).
That decision, forced Thielen, the Vikings top possession receiver off the field for third down. The Vikings could not convert and were forced to punt.
Thielen would in fact go on to catch a touchdown pass later in the second half, but what could have been if those two drives were not stalled by referee decisions, one that was flat out wrong and one that was questionable at best?
Might this game have been any different?