Adam Thielen compares next Sunday's game against Vikings to a playoff game

Veteran Andy Dalton started at quarterback for the Carolina Panthers on Sunday for an injured Bryce Young, but the QB change didn’t help the team at all as they fell to the Seattle Seahawks 37-27 on the road Sunday.

The Panthers are still searching for their first win of the season as they now sit at 0-3 to start the year, but so does their next opponent the Minnesota Vikings. Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen is more than familiar with the Vikings organization after joining Carolina this offseason from Minnesota and believes that given the records of each team, the stakes will be higher than ever.

“Both teams are gonna have some urgency,” Thielen said. “I think another thing is both teams are much, much better football teams than 0-3. They got a talented roster, obviously, I’ve been a part of it for a long time. And got a lot of respect for those guys over there. I know that they’re havin’ some urgency right now. There’s some serious competitors on that team, as there is on this team.”

Thielen spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Vikings, working his way up from an undrafted special teams contributor to a two-time Pro Bowl receiver who earned Second-Team All-Pro honors in 2017.

Minnesota released Thielen this offseason and he signed a three-year contract with the Panthers nine days later, but now both franchises are in the same boat as they’ll be looking to secure their first win of the year.

“So, I think very similar situations. There’s gotta be some urgency. And next week kinda feels like a playoff game, to be honest,” Thielen said. “Just because both teams are fightin’ and scratchin’ and crawlin’ to find a way to get that first one on the board and change the momentum.”

Thielen has been WR1 for the Panthers so far this season, leading the team in targets, catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns through Week 3. He’s been targeted 25 times this season and only five of those passes have resulted in incompletions, posting a reliable 20 receptions for 211 yards and two scores on the season.

Minnesota on the other hand boasts one of the NFL’s top offenses led by the current passing yards leader Kirk Cousins and receiving yards leader Justin Jefferson. Even on the defensive end edge rusher Danielle Hunter ranks second in the league in sacks, but the Vikings like the Panthers have not been able to translate their production into wins.

Someone will leave Charlotte with a win next Sunday, as the Panthers and Vikings will face off at 1:00 p.m. ET in Bank of America Stadium in a game airing on FOX.