Vikings Injuries Piled Up in Week 2
Any time an NFL team has to play a game on a short week, injuries become a concern.
The Minnesota Vikings dealt with their fair share of injuries during their Thursday night loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, particularly regarding their defense and the offensive line. Here is a recap of the Vikings injuries that occurred during Week 2.
Christian Darrisaw Doesn’t Play
When the Vikings did not list LT Christian Darrisaw as inactive heading into Thursday’s game, it led to some hope that he would be able to play against the Eagles. Unfortunately, that did not happen as Darrisaw remained on the sideline for the entirety of the game.
“Christian Darrisaw tried to go. Kinda aggravated that left ankle in warmups. We hoped to try to have him,” Kevin O’Connell said in his postgame press conference.
Darrisaw is a huge part of the Vikings pass protection, so hopefully, he is able to get right in the next week and a half before Minnesota’s Week 3 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Oli Udoh Is Carted Off with a Leg Injury
In Darrisaw’s place, the Vikings started Oli Udoh at the left tackle spot. Overall, Udoh had a strong showing, but in the second half of the game, he went down with a leg injury and had to be carted off the field.
“Unfortunate with Oli, we cannot get into the details. It is a left leg injury. We are still evaluating, but it does not look good. Really, really unfortunate,” O’Connell explained.
When Udoh left the game, the Vikings made an interesting decision to bring in David Quessenberry at that left tackle spot rather than Blake Brandel, who filled in for Christian Darrisaw last year while he missed time with a concussion.
Marcus Davenport’s Vikings Debut Is Brief
Marcus Davenport was another player listed as active prior to the game, and he did come in for a few snaps on Minnesota’s opening defensive possession.
However, that was about all the run that the outside linebacker got in this game as it appears he is still working through his own ankle injury. During the game, Alec Lewis of The Athletic tweeted, “Marcus Davenport limped badly to the locker room walking off at halftime. Under his own power, but it didn’t look great.”
The Vikings brought Davenport in with the hopes that he would be a direct replacement for Za’Darius Smith, who was traded to the Cleveland Browns this spring. So far, that ankle injury has put a damper on the early portion of his stint in Minnesota. Hopefully, like Darrisaw, the extra time off this week will get him back to full health prior to the Chargers game in Week 3.
3 Others Leave with Injuries, but Return to the Game
During Thursday’s game, all three of Josh Metellus, Jordan Hicks, and Akayleb Evans left at certain points with injuries. Luckily, though, the trio were all able to return to the game, so hopefully, there won’t be any lingering problems for the defenders heading into Week 3.
Metellus left early on with what appeared to be a shoulder injury, but after some time with the trainers, he returned to the field. Meanwhile, both Evans and Hicks dealt with leg injuries that they were able to walk off.
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.