Stefon Diggs had a solid stat line working by the end of the first quarter Sunday, but the Vikings needed more than the first 15 minutes of his first start.
Diggs used his **quickness** to distance himself from defenders and had catches of 16, 31, 14 and 20, a total of 81 yards with catches on all four times he was targeted by Teddy Bridgewater to open the Vikings 16-10 win against the Chiefs.
"He's fast in the breaks, fast out of the breaks, doesn't slow down when he cuts," Head Coach Mike Zimmer said. "I don't know if he's always right on the routes that he's running but he's pretty darn close most of the time."
Diggs and Bridgewater reconnected in the second half three more times for another 48 yards, including a 30-yard gain that converted a third-and-15 at a critical juncture. Bridgewater moved around the pocket, and Diggs found an opening in the middle of the field to keep the drive going. It ended with a 45-yard field goal by Blair Walsh for the final margin.
"When you're running a route, if the initial route isn't open, if the quarterback is still on his feet, the play is still going on, so you try to find something to open lanes for him," Diggs said.
"It's all about trust. I trust Teddy, and he trusts me. You develop it as the game goes on," Diggs added. "If you're reliable and catch the ball for him, he's going to trust you to be out there, especially because I'm a young guy. I'm just developing and trying to earn my stripes. Once I get that trust, I'm going to keep it."
The seven catches for 129 yards is an 18.4 average, earning selection as the Bridgestone Performance of the Week.
"He's a good kid, he performs, he gets open, catches the ball, he continues to work," Zimmer said. "I think Teddy has got a lot of confidence in him. He's got a chance to be really good."
Diggs had three receptions of 20 or more yards for the second straight week. The 81 receiving yards in the first quarter are the third-most in Vikings history behind Randy Moss (109 vs. Tampa Bay in 1999 and 107 vs. Dallas in 1998).
The fifth-round pick joined Sammy White as the other Vikings rookie to have 100 or more receiving yards in his second pro game. Jerry Reichow (1961), James Brim (1987) and Rickey Young (1978) each posted 100 receiving yards in their first game.
