2 Vikings Missed Practice on Friday
The Minnesota Vikings are a fairly healthy team, besides the long-time absences of standout left tackle Christian Darrisaw, rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, and sophomore cornerback Mekhi Blackmon. But every team has a few guys on IR.
2 Vikings Missed Practice on Friday
The one silver lining from the costly defeat against the Detroit Lions was the fact that the Vikings didn’t add any injured players.
Because the playoff matchup against the Los Angeles Rams will take place on Monday, the first injury report of the week was published on Thursday instead of Wednesday. On Friday, the Vikings broadcasted the updated version, but a couple of players didn’t participate in practice.
Patrick Jones missed Sunday’s season finale with a knee injury sustained in the previous week against the Packers when opposing tight end Tucker Kraft went low on a block. That block caused some anger, including from Jones’ teammate Jonathan Greenard. The play was legal, but perhaps it is something the league should look into to prevent injuries in the future.
The same knee injury could hold him out of a second consecutive game. He has not practiced since, and the clock is ticking. The good news for the Vikings is that starters Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel will likely play every snap they can handle in an elimination game, and backup Dallas Turner has recently continued to improve.
Gabriel Murphy would likely be active if Jones can’t go and be the fourth edge rusher in the mix. He played seven snaps against the Lions.
Running back Ty Chandler also missed practice. He is listed as a non-participant due to an illness. It’s his first mention of the week. He practiced on Thursday.
Chandler lost his RB2 job to Cam Akers, but the Vikings need a second guy behind Aaron Jones, especially because Jones has been limited all week with his quad contusion.
Practice squad running back Zavier Scott, an undrafted rusher out of Maine in 2023, could be an option to make his NFL debut as an emergency RB3.
Chandler played in all 17 regular season games, rushing 56 times for 182 yards. Perhaps more noteworthy is his contribution as a special teamer. He is the team’s primary kick returner. Punt returner Brandon Powell would likely be the next man up, with wideout Jalen Nailor as the second option.
Sam Darnold, Fabian Moreau, and Josh Oliver all made an appearance on the injury report but logged full practices on Friday.
Rookie nose tackle Taki Taimani also practiced fully. The Vikings opened his 21-day practice window on Thursday and could activate him ahead of Monday’s game. The rookie out of Oregon is one of the team’s top run defenders, and having another big body on the defensive front against the Rams and top rusher Kyren Williams is enticing.
The Vikings are favored by three points in the matchup with the Rams. That spread has shifted throughout the week, partly because of the relocation to Arizona due to the devastating wildfires.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt