LG Ezra Cleveland to Miss His 2nd Straight Game
The Minnesota Vikings are set to do battle with the Green Bay Packers in just about an hour.
The two teams are in the midst of a heated NFC playoff race at the midway point of the NFL season, and a win would greatly increase the chances for both teams.
Ahead of the game, the Minnesota Vikings have released their inactive list for Sunday, and for the second consecutive week, LG Ezra Cleveland is listed amongst the inactive players.
LG Ezra Cleveland to Miss His 2nd Straight Game
Here is a look at the full list of inactives for the Vikings this week:
- CB NaJee Thompson
- RB Kene Nwangwu
- LB Brian Asamoah
- TE Nick Muse
- LG Ezra Cleveland
- OT Hakeem Adeniji
Cleveland has been battling a foot injury since Week 6 against the Chicago Bears. He was listed as questionable on Friday’s injury report, but now, it seems Dalton Risner will make another start in his place.
Luckily, Risner has performed valiantly in Cleveland’s place. Minnesota brought in the former second-round pick towards the beginning of the season as some extra insurance behind Cleveland and Ed Ingram, and he has proven to be a valuable addition to the team.
Last week against the 49ers, Risner and the rest of the Vikings offensive line had a terrific game, allowing zero sacks to one of the best pass-rushing groups in the NFL.
While Cleveland will miss his second game in a row, a notable absence from the inactives list is safety Lewis Cine. The 2022 first-round pick has not played in a game since Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
In recent weeks, the safety has been a healthy scratch, being inactive despite not appearing on injury reports throughout the week. Hopefully, the fact that Cine is active this week means that the Vikings have found a role for him on the defense or special teams on Sunday.
The 2022 Vikings draft class has been the subject of plenty of scrutiny virtually ever since they joined the team. However, the group has been stepping up in a big way over the past few weeks. Ed Ingram has improved in pass protection, Andrew Booth has played quality snaps on the defense, and Akayleb Evans has emerged as a strong starter at cornerback.
Kickoff between the Packers and Vikings is scheduled for noon at Lambeau Field. If Minnesota can capture a victory this weekend, it could go a long way towards improving their standing in the NFC.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.