Vikings Welcome Back 3 Key Pieces for Sunday
Injuries have plagued the Minnesota Vikings this season. Two starters are on IR: running back Aaron Jones and linebacker Blake Cashman. Both will miss at least four games (Cashman has already sat out once). Various other players have found their names on the weekly injury reports.
Vikings Welcome Back 3 Key Pieces for Sunday
Of those, however, a trio is set to return on Sunday.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter fired off a post on social media on Saturday night, “Help is on the way Sunday for the Vikings: Three players listed as questionable – OT Christian Darrisaw (knee), S Harrison Smith (illness), DE Andrew Van Ginkel (concussion) – are expected to play vs. the Bengals, per sources.”
Darrisaw, Smith, and Van Ginkel are not just some random players; they are three starters and can safely be titled elite players, and they are much-needed reinforcements for the 1-1 unit coming off a loss against the Atlanta Falcons, in what could very well end up being the worst game of the season.
Darrisaw has missed the first two contests of the season, recovering from his torn ACL and MCL suffered last October. The impact of his absence was undeniable because neither Cam Robinson last year nor Justin Skule this season could provide comparable protection. His blocking skills on the left side of the line will help the Vikings craft a better offensive performance than last week’s disaster.
He’s not expected to play the entire game, though. Ian Rapoport noted, “Vikings LT Christian Darrisaw (knee) and S Harrison Smith (illness) — both of whom have yet to play this season — are expected to make their debuts on Sunday, sources say. Both are slated to start, but will likely rotate on and off.”
Darrisaw missed the first few games of his rookie season due to offseason core muscle surgery. Once he was ready to make his NFL debut, he rotated on and off with replacement Rashod Hill. Skule is out, so it’ll be either Blake Brandel, who has been a guard for the past couple of seasons but has plenty of experience at tackle, or sophomore Walter Rouse in the Darrisaw-less plays.
Smith will get the same treatment. The sure-fire future Ring of Honor member has not played because of a mysterious illness. Now that he’s back, the Vikings can play Joshua Metellus more in his joker role rather than at deep safety, and Jay Ward’s snap count will likely dip. The secondary will also get cornerback Jeff Okudah back, who played roughly a fourth of the snaps in Week 1.
Brian Flores will also be happy to hear that Van Ginkel is set to return after a one-week stint in concussion protocol. The second-team All-Pro is another key player because Flores can deploy him as a rusher and in coverage, and every quarterback has to figure out what he’s doing on any given play.
Dallas Turner will lose some of his snaps to Van Ginkel, but they will also share the field a good amount of time, as they both share the versatility.
The Vikings will be without four starters: J.J. McCarthy and Ryan Kelly, in addition to the aforementioned Cashman and Jones. Carson Wentz will make his Vikings debut at quarterback, while Jordan Mason and Eric Wilson will slide into the starting lineup. Second-year blocker Michael Jurgens is set to make his first career start at center.
Good injury news has been rare in the Twin Cities, but Saturday’s reports gave the squad a triple sigh of relief.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.