Vikings Snap Counts: Treadwell rebounds a bit vs. Bills
For now, it appears that Minnesota Vikings receiver Laquon Treadwell's hold on the No. 3 receiver spot remains secure.
Treadwell played on a career-high 88 percent of the Vikings' snaps on offense in their 27-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, out-snapping fellow receiver Stefon Diggs.
Questions about Treadwell's role surfaced after the third-year receiver struggled with drops and other miscues in Week 2.
The Vikings were publically supportive of Treadwell despite a poor showing in Green Bay -- he caught just two passes on six targets, including a bobbled pass that resulted in an interception -- but their moves behind the scenes told a slightly different story.
Minnesota signed veteran receiver Aldrick Robinson, a former Washington teammate of quarterback Kirk Cousins, later in the week.
However, Robinson's Vikings debut consisted of just eight snaps, while Treadwell had a solid, if unspectacular, day, catching all four passes thrown his way and finishing with 33 receiving yards.
Regardless, Cousins didn't look Treadwell's way often against Buffalo.
Adam Thielen was Cousins' go-to option once again, racking up 19 targets, while Diggs had 10. Running back Latavius Murray -- who started in place of the injured Dalvin Cook -- had seven targets, while fellow runner C.J. Ham and tight end Kyle Rudolph each had six.
Other notes from Sunday's game:
-- Center Pat Elflein made his season debut, playing 22 snaps.
-- Defensive tackle Tom Johnson, who returned to the Vikings last week after a stint in Seattle, played 22 snaps on defense.
-- Cornerback Trae Waynes left Sunday's game in the first quarter, playing just 16 snaps on defense.
-- Rookie tackle Brian O'Neill played 47 snaps in his second career game, up from 32 snaps in Week 2.
-- Defensive end Stephen Weatherly started his first career game in place of Everson Griffen, playing on 51 snaps.
-- Rookie defensive back Mike Hughes was heavily involved once again, playing 79 snaps on defense in addition to his role on special teams.
OFFENSE
| PLAYER | Plays (66) | % |
| Reiff | 66 | 100% |
| Compton | 66 | 100% |
| Remmers | 66 | 100% |
| Cousins | 66 | 100% |
| Thielen | 66 | 100% |
| Rudolph | 64 | 97% |
| Treadwell | 58 | 88% |
| Diggs | 57 | 86% |
| O'Neill | 47 | 71% |
| Jones | 44 | 67% |
| Murray | 38 | 58% |
| Elflein | 22 | 33% |
| Hill | 19 | 29% |
| Ham | 17 | 26% |
| Boone | 13 | 20% |
| Conklin | 9 | 14% |
| Robinson | 8 | 12% |
DEFENSE
| PLAYER | Plays (67) | % |
| Barr | 67 | 100% |
| Sendejo | 67 | 100% |
| Kendricks | 67 | 100% |
| Smith | 67 | 100% |
| Rhodes | 64 | 96% |
| Hunter | 60 | 90% |
| Joseph | 54 | 81% |
| Hughes | 53 | 79% |
| Weatherly | 51 | 76% |
| Richardson | 44 | 66% |
| Alexander | 39 | 58% |
| Gedeon | 27 | 40% |
| T. Johnson | 22 | 33% |
| Bower | 22 | 33% |
| Waynes | 16 | 24% |
| J. Johnson | 12 | 18% |
| Wilson | 4 | 6% |
| Hill | 1 | 1% |
