Diggs, Newman Out for Crucial Thanksgiving Game

  |  
Nov 24, 2016
Out for crucial Thanksgiving game
Image courtesy of Vikings.com

Stefon Diggs and Terence Newman will miss the Minnesota Vikings’ Thanksgiving matchup with the Detroit Lions this afternoon. In a critical game set to define the standings in the NFC North, Minnesota must find a way to win without two of its most important starters.

Diggs injured his knee last week and was listed as questionable before the start of today’s game. Although he warmed up at Ford Field this morning, Diggs wasn’t healthy enough to start and should get plenty of rest before next week’s matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.

Newman battled a neck injury but was listed as doubtful throughout the week. Cordarrelle Patterson will start in place of Diggs and Trae Waynes will replace Newman at left cornerback. The full list of inactive players includes:

Against the Arizona Cardinals, Marcus Sherels returned a punt and came up holding his chest. His discomfort was the result of a rib injury that will keep Sherels out of today’s game. Adam Thielen will resume punt return duties for the Vikings in Sherels’ place.

The Vikings aren’t completely unlucky, though. Harrison Smith, Eric Kendricks, and Captain Munnerlyn were all questionable this week, but will all start on Mike Zimmer’s defense. Chad Greenway also made the trip despite speculation he’d miss the game for the birth of his fourth child.

Minnesota will surely miss Diggs, who set a career high with 13 catches against the Lions in Week 9. In only the third game of his career, Diggs caught six passes for 108 yards and a touchdown in Detroit last season. Patterson, whose enjoyed a bit of a career resurgence, has a chance to pick up some of the receiving slack.

The Detroit Lions will be without the following players:

  • LB DeAndre Levy
  • DT Khyri Thornton
  • T Cornelius Lucas
  • OL Joe Dahl
  • RB Justin Forsett
  • S Don Carey
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