Vikings Snap Counts: Treadwell, Sherels return to game action

Published Sep. 30, 2019 5:01 p.m. ET

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Tom Dierberger

The big news coming out of the TCO Performance Center leading up to Sunday’s game between Minnesota and Chicago was the return of wide receiver Laquon Treadwell and return specialist Marcus Sherels to the Vikings’ roster.

Brought back after wide receiver/punt returner Chad Beebe was placed on injured reserve, both Treadwell and Sherels saw the field Sunday afternoon in limited fashion.



Sherels, Minnesota’s franchise leader in punt returns (231), return yards (2,447) and punt-return touchdowns (5), was back to receive all five of Chicago’s punts. The Bears downed one punt, and Sherels returned the other four for a total of 12 yards (3.0 average). His longest return was a nine-yard gain in the fourth quarter, although he did have an eight-yard return called back due to a holding penalty.

Treadwell saw nine offensive snaps (15%), which ranked fourth among wide receivers on the team behind Adam Thielen (95%), Stefon Diggs (84%) and Olabisi Johnson (58%). He was not targeted by quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Treadwell was also on the field for four plays on special teams.

Johnson, a seventh-round pick by Minnesota in April, took advantage of Beebe’s absence and stepped up as the third option at wide receiver. Johnson logged a career-high 36 snaps and hauled in his first career reception in the fourth quarter. He finished the game with four catches for 35 yards.

Other notes from Sunday’s snap counts:

-- Last week, rookie running back Alexander Mattison played in a career-high 19 snaps and rushed for 58 yards on 12 carries. But on Sunday, Mattison was limited to six snaps (career low) and managed five yards on two rushes.

-- Kyle Rudolph was on the field for 84% of the Vikings’ offensive snaps, but he was targeted just once. Rudolph was mostly tasked with chipping away on the Bears’ lethal front seven. Fellow tight end Irv Smith Jr.’s snap counts stayed consistent at 47%. He’s been in the 40-50% range all season.

-- In cornerback Mike Hughes’ second game back, he played in just 24 snaps (33%) and collected three tackles.

-- Linebacker Eric Wilson stepped in for an injured Anthony Barr last week and had an incredible game – 11 tackles, two sacks and two tackles for loss. But with Barr back on the field in Chicago, Wilson played one defensive snap.

WEEK 4 -- OFFENSE

WEEK 4 -- DEFENSE

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