2 Vikings Return from IR Stints
Josh Frey
|
For the first time in weeks, the Vikings got some positive injury news regarding their 2022 rookie class. 2 Vikings return from IR stints this week, including rookie RB Ty Chandler, who has been out with a broken thumb since suffering the injury in Week 5 against the Bears. Additionally, and much more importantly for this week, starting CB Cam Dantzler is set to make his much-anticipated return to the field.
Dantzler suffered a sprained ankle in Week 9 against the Washington Commanders that landed him on IR. Kevin O’Connell said following the Week 13 victory over the Jets that the hope was to get the third-year CB a full week of practice and see him play in Week 14, so this is a great first step in that direction.
The injury could not have come at a worse time if you consider the four opponents that the Vikings ended up going against the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and New York Jets in that time. Not only do those teams have notable players at receiver, but as a whole, they are all still in the hunt for playoff spots in each respective conference.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”1200935″ player=”26281″ title=”WATCH%203%20ideal%20Zach%20Wilson%20trade%20scenarios%20from%20the%20New%20York%20Jets” duration=”88″ description=”The quarterback was benched ahead of New York’s Week 12 outing against the Chicago Bears after putting up a stinker of a performance in the team’s previous game.Still only 23, it was somewhat of a surprise that the Jets opted to bench Wilson. Sure the former No. 2 pick has not looked the part of a starter, but sitting him doesn’t display much confidence that the BYU product can be the long-term solution in Jersey.” uploaddate=”2022-12-05″ thumbnailurl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/snapshot/1200877_sd_1670278101.jpg” contentUrl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/streaming/1200877/1200877.m3u8″ width=”16″ height=”9″]
The fact that the Vikings went 3-1 during this stretch without their CB2 is extremely impressive, but the defense surely will improve with him back on the field. This is especially the case with rookie Akayleb Evans set to miss his third game in four weeks with another concussion.
Any game against a divisional opponent is an important one, but this week against the Lions adds an extra wrinkle in that the Vikings can clinch the NFC North with a victory. Bringing Dantzler back to the secondary makes it much more likely that the Vikings can pull off a victory and punch their ticket towards a home playoff game.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.