Vikings Down 2 Starters on Sunday
On Sunday, the Chicago Bears want to take revenge for the season opener, when the Vikings stole a victory in Chicago. Since then, Minnesota has struggled with consistency, while Chicago somehow just keeps winning. They are now two games ahead of the Vikings.
Vikings Down 2 Starters on Sunday
Two guys who played in Week 1 but won’t be available in Week 11 are Jonathan Greenard and Ryan Kelly. They are the only two players on the purple side that enter the game with an injury designation.
Greenard is a focal point in Brian Flores’ defense. While there is a lot of versatility in his scheme, Greenard is mostly getting after the quarterback or setting the edge in the running game. He’s not here to drop into coverage; he’s here to make a quarterback’s life hell. And he’s pretty good at that.
Although he hasn’t always finished the play in the backfield this season, he’s consistently disrupted timing, and his pressures can prompt others to clean up the play and register the sack.
In last week’s game, Greenard dove at Lamar Jackson and landed a little awkwardly on his shoulder. It looked like he was in a lot of immediate pain, and he never returned to that game. A day later, Kevin O’Connell had good news, stating that his Pro Bowler had avoided a severe injury, but after missing practice all week, he couldn’t return in time for the rematch with Caleb Williams.
The good news is that Andrew Van Ginkel is back from his absence with a neck injury. Furthermore, we might get to see Dallas Turner for the first time in Greenard’s role for an entire game. Last year’s first-rounder has been a backup his entire tenure, and when Van Ginkel was out, he tried to emulate his versatile role.
Last week, the Vikings also experimented with defensive tackle Jalen Redmond and linebacker Eric Wilson playing in Greenard’s spot on the right side of the line.
The other missing piece is center Kelly. A free agency signing in March, Kelly hasn’t played much in his Vikings debut season. He suffered a concussion in Week 2 and missed Week 3. In his return in Week 4, he sustained another concussion and hasn’t returned since. The Vikings took the cautious approach and placed him on IR.
Considering his lengthy concussion history, there was concern that Kelly might just call it a career. Well, he’s close to returning. This week, the Vikings opened his 21-day practice window, but they will give him another week before activating him.
While Kelly is out, Blake Brandel, a former tackle and guard, will continue to start at center. Once he’s back, his experience and blocking prowess will give the Vikings a boost. He’s the only missing starter on offense.
Quarterback J.J. McCarthy will log his fifth career start. He appeared on the injury report on Wednesday, wearing a bandage on his throwing hand after hitting a helmet in the last outing. McCarthy was limited on Wednesday and a full participant on Thursday and Friday.
Safety Theo Jackson is also good to go after sitting out last week’s game. Expect some more three-safety looks this week, as Jeff Okudah is on IR. Tight end Josh Oliver is also ready to return after a two-game stint on the sidelines.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.