Purple Headlines of the Week: More Roster Moves, Injuries Strike Again, a Dagger of a Loss in Week 3
The Minnesota Vikings have fallen into the dreaded 0-3 hole after their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers this weekend.
However, apart from this latest loss from the team, there were plenty of purple headlines throughout the week. Here’s a look at everything that transpired over the past week.
Vikings Fall to 0-3
Let’s get the really bad news out of the way first. The Vikings sit at 0-3 after losing to the Chargers on Sunday. Since 2000, there have been 88 teams to start a season with an 0-3 record. There has only been one to come back and make the playoffs: the 2018 Houston Texans, who won the AFC South with an 11-5 record.
With both the Lions and Packers winning on Sunday, Minnesota sits two games out of the NFC North lead. It’s not an insurmountable deficit by any means, but with games against the Chiefs and 49ers looming, it won’t be easy to dig out of this hole.
Vikings Acquire 2 Players for the Offense
We’ll sandwich the bad news with a potential silver lining: the Vikings made a pair of acquisitions on the offensive side of the ball this week. Minnesota signed Dalton Risner to help solidify the offensive line, and just over 24 hours later, they made a trade to acquire RB Cam Akers from the Los Angeles Rams.
Neither appeared in Sunday’s game for the Vikings, but some fresh faces on that side of the ball in the coming weeks might bring the turnaround that they need.
Garrett Bradbury, Marcus Davenport Remain Inactive
We finish with more bad news from the week. Neither Garrett Bradbury nor Marcus Davenport were active this week against Los Angeles. Bradbury remains sidelined with a back injury and missed his second consecutive game on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Davenport sat out the season opener with an ankle injury, played four snaps in Week 2 against the Eagles, and was inactive again in Week 3. The Vikings will need his presence defensively in order to establish a consistent pass-rush next to Danielle Hunter, but so far, they haven’t been able to get him on the field consistently.
In Case You Missed It…
As usual, we have an extra list of reading for the especially studious Vikings fans. Happy reading!
- The Cam Akers Trade Is a Win-Win for the Vikings
- The 2023 Vikings Are Not Good, and That’s Okay
- A Trade Every Fantasy Football Manager Should Make
- 1 Former Viking Has Thrived with His New Team
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.