Beleaguered Vikings Lose Top Defender Ahead of Week 16, Trenches Showing Considerable Wear & Tear
The beleaguered Vikings are going to have their hands full in Week 16.
Minnesota will be without the help of CB Byron Murphy (per the injury report). The versatile defensive back is the top corner in the Brian Flores defense, meaning the defensive coordinator is going to have to get creative on the backend of his defense. Mekhi Blackmon is going to get the start and then Andrew Booth Jr. is probably going to snag some more snaps. Joejuan Williams may be elevated for the game.
Jalen Nailor, the speedy receiver who has struggled to stay in the lineup, has also been ruled out.
Otherwise, the trenches are showing significant signs of wear and tear. Right tackle Brian O’Neill, defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard, and defensive tackle Harrison Phillips are all questionable. Each one is a starter. Linebacker Jordan Hicks, linebacker Ivan Pace, and running back Alexander Mattison also picked up questionable tags. For whatever it’s worth, there seems to be some momentum for Hicks to get back onto the field.
Beleaguered Vikings Bring a Depleted Roster into Week 16
The current season has certainly been a challenging one for player health.
The good news is simply that both O’Neill and Mattison were present at practice. Earlier in the week, that wasn’t the case, so the suggestion is that they’re improving. Partner that progress with the positive development about Hicks and things aren’t entirely negative when it comes to the health update. Pace will hopefully be available, but the progress from Hicks is a definite step forward at linebacker.
Moreover, Danielle Hunter and Sheldon Day saw their names included in earlier versions of the injury report. Their absence is a welcome sight for those who are cheering for the Vikings.
Murphy needing to miss time due to his hamstring injury is the most concerning development. Amon-Ra St. Brown is an excellent receiver who is capable of moving all over the formation. Detroit’s WR1 has 387 snaps out wide and 420 from the slot. Murphy, with his 596 snaps out wide and 214 in the slot, would have been a sensible antidote.
Injury is taking away that obvious matchup player for Flores, so the emphasis will shift toward both the other corners and the safeties. Corralling, not entirely eliminating, St. Brown is the goal.
Regardless of whether Mattison returns, Ty Chandler should be the one who picks up most of the carries. Kevin O’Connell is enthused by what the sophomore was capable of doing in Cincinnati, so that will get reflected in the upcoming game plan.
David Quessenberry did a nice job of filling in for O’Neill last week, but a battle with Aidan Hutchinson isn’t for the faint of heart. One wonders if O’Neill will try to push through his injury or if the player/team decide to be cautious since there’s meaningful football beyond just Week 16.
Otherwise, one thinks of the difficulty of slowing down David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs if Bullard and/or Phillips are hindered (or worse, entirely absent). The DT pair have proven to be a terrific twosome when it comes to clogging running lanes along the line of scrimmage. The game will be a long one if the Lions’ top pair of runners are getting solid gains on a regular basis.
In a season where nothing has been easy, the Week 16 game looks like a challenging one for the beleaguered Vikings. The coaching staff is going to need a masterful game plan and the roster depth will need to elevate their play for the Vikings to climb up to 8-7.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and PFF helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.