Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph wasn’t as big of a part of the team’s passing game this season.
Including the playoffs, Rudolph has just 43 catches for 398 yards. Those numbers are signficantly down from his 64 catches and 634 yards last season.
With the team’s new zone-blocking approach, Rudolph has been used more and more as a blocker, and to his credit, he’s done so without complaining.
Rudolph, however, is finding the end zone at an extremely high rate. He has caught seven touchdowns, most recently the game-winner against the Saints.
That means that 16.3 percent of Rudolph’s catches have turned into touchdowns. That’s the second-highest mark of Rudolph’s career. Back in 2012 he caught nine touchdown passes, one every 16.9 percent of receptions.
A big part of this has to do with Rudolph’s size. At 6’6, teams are limited in how they cover him in goal-line situations, especially when he lines up wide.
If the Vikings get in the red zone on Saturday against the 49ers, keep an eye on Rudolph. There’s a pretty decent chance Kirk Cousins will be looking his way.